Please Don't Hate Me [JT Closed/Celes/Shizuka]

[Celes Castellanos]

    

  

As the glow of Karakura Town's lights illuminated the night, hulking beasts could be seen scowering the open roads. Thankfully as it was nighttime, few people were walking alongside these beasts. Always unsuspecting, people died through odd means to the normal eye. Anyone with the capability to sense Spiritual Energy knew that it was the typical Hollows moving around in the cold, desolate streets of Karakura Town. 

Among the Hollows, however, walked yet another soul. One that was not beast, but still killed. This one didn't kill humans though, only the Hollows that dared threaten the Human World. Among those, it was Celes who was walking through Kurakura Town casually in the garments of a trainee Soul Reaper. Sometimes she just liked to sneak out only to be punished later by a superior. It was quite the mess when others did find out. The operative word being "if".

Many of the Hollows were beastlike and primal with no sentience to speak of. They could not talk, reason, or threaten. The only thing those beasts could do is consume. It was such a shame to Celes, to see good people die at the hands of these beasts. That's why she and those in the Soul Society existed. To protect those that couldn't defend themselves from these creatures. Purifying them from the bonds of sin and sending them off to the Soul Society where they wouldn't have to suffer as they once did.

Celes was seen skipping throughout the streets as she came across a Hollow. A massive black form that looked like a Rhino. A hulking mask to adorn the Hollow's face that looked menacingly at Celes. She stood her ground and drew her Asauchi, the blade that has not been named yet. To Celes, it was hers and she needed to wait as her soul imprinted onto it, soon becoming something greater. A Zanpakutou that she could physically commune with.

That time was neither here or now as the Hollow charged her quickly. Like a dancer, she weaved to the side gracefully, having great practice in her swordsmanship skills. With a great swipe she cut off one of the legs of this charging Hollow. As it careened to the side, obviously looking its balance, Celes delivered a quick slice to its mask. The power of a Shinigami's blade was also in its ability to purify a soul bound to the hate it was filled with. That is what created a Hollow and Shinigami could liberate them from it.

Celes calmly looked around as she bopped her head from side to side. She began to talk to herself. "

It is truly sad to see just what these once good people have to go through. Twisted by hate...,but...it is our duty to liberate them." Celes did not necessarily hate Hollows. She just disliked what they did. She despised the killing, the pain, because that is what set her on this path. The death of her and all those she cared about. The pain she felt, trying to cope with it all.

Celes chose to carry on, instead wanting to get rid of such thoughts. She tried to feel out anyone who could be nearby. A spiritual being did not always mean a Hollow. If there were Shinigami around, full fledged Shinigami, Celes had to watch out for them too, to be sure that they wouldn't just send her back for her to be scolded again by her superiors. That was something she hated at times. All the rules and regulations. It was all so dull at times.

Of course of all times it was then that Celes felt a far stronger presence. She knew it was a Hollow. Not a member of any of the squads thankfully as that could have been particularly ugly. Not to say that encountering a Hollow was any better, but she could normally handle a Hollow. This was a bit odd, however, as this Hollow felt...different. She felt it approaching and that was not always a good sign. Celes quickly readied herself.

As Celes waited, she heard the earth shake and vibrate. This was one certainly bigger. What she saw, she had to blink and quickly shift directions. A Hollow appearing like a snake, slithered across the ground quickly cutting a corner towards Celes. Celes quickly kicked off the ground, jumping to the side to elude this Hollow. It was certainly stronger and moved in a pattern that did not seem as primal. Celes watched it coil behind her, whipping its tail back and forth.

She watched the Hollow carefully as it actually began to do the unthinkable. She head the Hollow speak. "To think that I would find ssssssuch a treat here..." Celes had though that they were mindless beasts, but this Hollow proved to be sentient. She blinked as it elicited the idea that it would consume Celes. Celes quickly jumped up, but felt a mass hit her. It was the Hollows tail that hit her quite harshly against the walls that bordered the streets.

It hurt quite a bit and Celes needed a moment to catch her breath. Gripping her blade tightly, she watched as that Hollow lunged at her quickly like the snake it was. Celes had a look of fierceness and determination in her eyes as she rolled to the side and with a quick slice, admittedly with difficulty severed that Hollow's mask. It began to dissolve and contort wildly before disappearing into a mist. It may have been sentient, but it had a hunger that needed to be quenched. It wasn't entirely of its own volition. 

With that Celes leaned against the wall she initially collided with. She saw a crack and a smirk arose on her face. She had grown tougher ever since she had begun her training as a Shinigami. Furthermore, she was surprised with her capability to even handle that last Hollow. It was naturally quick and was cunning, but Celes was able to best the odds and liberate it as well. She sighed happily, but then a tear ran down her cheek.

A memory...back to the time of the death of her sister. It was quite a traumatizing experience for her and it came back to haunt her all the time. She did not know why. It hurt, but she wanted to look away from it. From all the pain she had to experience from being left along. She breathed calmly and rested her head against the wall. She thankfully did not feel any nearby Hollow signatures so she was safe. She was just a little bit paranoid of what/who she may encounter next.

OOC: Training for CTP    

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}
Strength- 60 (-30%) = 42
Speed - 50
Spiritual Pressure - 50 (50%) = 75
Reiatsu Strength - 75
Light Aura- 90
Dark Aura - 10
Instinct - 50
Senses - 50
Energy Sensory - 25
Healing Expertise - 0

Total SP: [360]

Illusion Resist: 1

Strength of Will: 1 

Pain Tolerance: 1

Damage Recovery: 1

Mental Incantation: 1

Analyzing: 1

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

A yawn escaped the young woman's lips as she rolled over and checked her iPhone for the time. She saw a few notifications here and there for a How To Train Your Dragon game she enjoyed playing, a missed call and voicemail from an old friend, and a link sent to her through Facebook Messenger via a different friend. She chose to fiddle around with all of these things before she ever even thought about escaping the comforts of her bedding. She also assumed she looked horrendous. She always did when she woke up. She dreaded the inevitable day that she and Luke may spend a night together. Ugh, no! He'd see her without her makeup! That would absolutely ruin any positive impression he had of her!

Nevertheless, it finally became time for her to get out of bed. She didn't want to, but she had to. As soon as she swung one leg off the side of it, her phone went off. It was a call, but she could tell immediately that it wasn't a normal one. She picked up and quietly listened. It was connected to the spiritual world's news outlet. This was how she learned of her targets unless she was personally hired. Satsujun used to take care of those things, but after recent events, he was no longer responsible. Shizuka had to act as the interim leader of her organization now. She was doing her best to learn how to be a proper one, but it was overwhelming.

That, and the fact that she wasn't the official leader made it difficult for the remaining members to take her seriously. She had a good rapport with most of them, she had to admit, but some of them still didn't see her with the proper respect she deserved. That made it challenging. With time, though, she would take full control. She had plans. She wanted to fulfill these plans. But she wouldn't be able to do that unless she earned her title. Until that day, she would have to make do. She would recruit when applicable and get them to trust her. That's all she was able to do at this point. The trust was more valuable than anything else.

But with the call that she received came some responsibilities. She learned of a somewhat weaker Hollow that was causing a bit of a fuss in the downtown area. Shizuka wanted to roll her eyes, but she decided she shouldn't. Even small events like these were important if it meant human lives were at stake. So, as the call ended, she flung her phone back on her bed and got up to take a shower. She wasn't too concerned about a Hollow like this one. She wanted to get ready and actually look presentable when she went out. Knowing that she looked like a mess when she woke up was a nightmare.

Shizuka started the shower and let it warm. There was no sense in heating the water beforehand with her powers because that would just be a waste of Reiatsu. Well, that, and it gave her time to use the toilet. She was a lady, but even ladies had to "go" every once in a while. Once she felt relieved and had stripped herself of her night clothes, she stepped into the shower, enjoying the cascading warmth as it slid down her back. There was something magical about being able to get clean like this. She couldn't believe people in the past would suffer for, like, a whole week and only get one bath. The water wouldn't even be warm unless you were first! Maybe the second person had an easier time. After that, nope.

When she finally finished her usual routine after something ridiculous like twenty minutes, she stepped out and embraced the cold. Well, she did embrace it, but begrudgingly. She quickly grabbed her towel and dried herself off. She went through some small details with the rest of her morning routine and threw on her favorite clothes. The shirt was a white halter top that settled itself just above her naval. On the back of this shirt was a giant purple star that resembled the symbol she stole from the Dallas Cowboys uses for herself. She threw on some denim shorts that had a small lace piece covering the left pocket, as well. She also finalized the look with her stylish golden heels, knowing she'd need them, and the jacket she took from Satsujun's corpse.

After applying a tasteful amount of makeup to her face, just enough to make her features look nice, she did use a light amount of her power to remove the water from her hair instead of using a hair dryer. She didn't feel like waiting five minutes while she dried it, and it was just too much work at that point. She made sure she had everything she needed so that nothing would catch her off guard, but all she really needed was her shoes. They would do everything just as much justice as was necessary. So with a quick swish of her bright blonde hair, Shizuka began her journey out into the world.

It wouldn't take too long for the woman to make her way downtown. She was significantly faster than any average human these days, so running at her full speed wouldn't necessarily startle anyone. She also stuck to the shadows as much as possible and hopped over buildings when the time called for it. Lacking Energy Sensory, she relied on basically everything else to tell her where to go, including the location she was given when she got the call. Since some time had passed, her biggest concern was that the Hollow had left its previous spot. That was typical. She'd had her fair share of instances like this one, so tracking it down wasn't going to be too much of a challenge.

She didn't really need to, though, as it turned out. When she got to the scene, the Hollow absolutely was still there. It was fighting something else, too. This something else resembled a human, but definitely wasn't one. Not anymore, anyway. Shizuka let out a low growl in disgust. Great. Her own target was being taken on by a weakling Shinigami, from what she could tell. The Fullbringer rolled her eyes. Why was she seeing more of these things lately? She quickly recalled the one Shinigami that she took out by drowning him in human waste products. A small laugh escaped her lips. That was funny. Well, it wasn't funny when she was covered in the stuff, but she could laugh about it now.

To her surprise, though, the Shinigami managed to win. She destroyed the Hollow's mask and it seemed to evaporate. That was new. When Shizuka dealt with them, they had a tendency to melt away or something depending on what kinds of fluid she chose to fight with. She could even freeze them and break apart their bodies from time to time. But she didn't really know what happened when their masks were removed. Now she got to see it. Well, destroyed, rather. She recalled briefly her time with Santa Ajora and how that Hollow had explained removing her own mask a few times. Must be possible, then.

Shizuka silently floated down as the wind carried her. She was the one making this happen, but she was thankful for the wind's help. Knowing full well that the Shinigami would be able to tell she was there, Shizuka approached her. The soul gauge she carried hooked on her ear activated and told her everything she needed to know. This girl wasn't a threat. Shizuka glanced over at where the Hollow had been and sighed. Another target lost because of some girl interfering. How typical. And of all things, it had to be one of these ridiculous creatures. Shizuka would take credit for the kill anyway, but now she had something else to deal with.

"You probably think you're hot stuff, huh? Heh. That's funny," she said with a cocky grin. "This was my target. What's a small shrimp like you doing taking on monsters like this?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Stats}

Strength - 100 Points

Speed - 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] = 500 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] = 1000 Points

Light Aura - 60 Points

Dark Aura - 40 Points

Instinct - [200] = 100 Points

Senses - [200] = 100 Points

Energy sensory - 0 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1400 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Skills}

[Weapon: Firearms] {3}

[Stealth] {3}

[Strength of Will] {3}

[Battle Analysis] {3}

[Charisma/Leadership] {2}

[Analyzing] {2}

[Martial Arts: MMA] {2}

[Honeypotting - The art of manipulation to obtain information. Basically, a girl gathers enough information about her target - male or female, doesn't matter - and dresses accordingly or changes how she acts to be able to get them to do whatever she wants or tell her what she needs to hear.] {1}

[Celes Castellanos]

A gentle breeze was blowing, washing over the town as that Hollow faded away. It was quite calming of course and Celes took a moment to appreciate the cool air. It was ultimately so relieving and provided such a calming notion to her. She certainly did not feel any massive Hollow nearby. The visions and memories began to fade. They would lose their shape, mute all sound and simply fade away into the deep crevices of her mind.

She took a deep breath before springing onto her feet quickly in shock. She did feel the power of a Hollow, but it was not the typical. It seemed more malleable. Human even. She placed her hand onto the top of the hilt of her Asauchi. One could never be too cautious and Celes was not about to be ambushed by some Hollow. She carefully surveyed the area as she felt the presence draw nearer. It was certainly fast.

Celes was mostly surprised by what she saw next. A woman letting herself down through the air. The peculiar thing here was the way she remarked Celes. "You probably think you're hot stuff, heh. That's funny." This had Celes a bit perplexed as she rapidly blinked at Shizuka. It was quite the hostile remark and Celes was not quite sure how to respond right away. She was more curious by how this woman was. Celes believed her to be beautiful no doubt, but incredibly snarky.

She moved her chest out to appear confident as she calmly began to talk. "I didn't know that there was a competition, Ma'am. Regardless, I know little of what you are trying to imply. I'm simply hear to do the job we Shinigami do. Defending the realms against those wretched Hollows...and purifying their souls so that they may be in the Soul Society." With that, Celes withdrew her hand the hilt of her blade.

Celes raised an eyebrow as the next assortment of snarky comments came flying at her. "This was my target. What's a small shrimp like you doing taking on monsters like this." This elicited a glare of disapproval from Celes as she took a deep breath. She began to think about not wishing to provoke this woman. Celes always did find value in making acquaintances, even friends in anyone. It wasn't rocket science. Allies were always helpful.

Her voice turned cold, transitioning away from her usual happy go lucky demeanor. "Being a little presumptuous aren't you, my dear." If Shizuka was gonna be snarky, Celes had no qualm about delivering equal sass. "As I said, it is our duty to cleanse these corroded souls and help them. They are not here to suffer as game to 'hunters' like us." Celes was biased, sure, but she wasn't cruel and she definitely sympathized with the agony souls who became Hollows have to go through.

Celes' ears perched up a little as she began to listen for anything else. Whether or not there was going to be anything else was unsure yet. She was more focused on the woman in front of her anyway. She certainly did not seem like a threat to her based on intimidation. Celes could definitely at least feel out that Shizuka was stronger. Way stronger than what Celes could handle if she did decide to do something to the young Shinigami.

Her voice became less rigid once more, avoiding the chill of her more threatening tone. She didn't know what it was, but sometimes she had a nasty tendency to immediately switch gears and exude confidence and a threatening aura. This wasn't the time for that, even if she had some semblance of control over it. Instead she took a deep breath before speaking. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, but your quarrel is not with me..."

She moved her hands to her side, away from her blade as she took a moment to draw closer to Shizuka. She walked in a careful and slow pace that indicated that she did not mean any ill will. In fact her stride was more warming and comforting, as if she was approaching a friend. As she drew nearer and nearer, hoping that Shizuka would not reject her advance, she respectfully bowed the Shizuka.

The bow was quick, but it got the point across. She was a kind soul and did not want to start off on a bad foot. Smiling, she cleared her throat before speaking. "My name is Celes Shindazu. As you can tell, I am a Soul Reaper. Well...not quite a full fledged Soul Reaper." Her smile was warm and very welcoming. Her blonde hair shined radiantly against the black night sky, stars naturally illuminating the darkness.

Of course she meant no harm. There was no reason to. Celes had encountered so much adversity since her induction into the ranks of the Shinigami that it sorta just became natural for her to be friendly. She was once human as well so they atleast had a little bit of common ground. Granted, Celes was curious as to why this girl felt like she had the abilities of a Hollow. It was something that Celes had never encountered before, but she was ready in case it devolved into a mindless fight.

With a quick motion of her hand, Celes moved her blonde hair to the back of her head, making way for her eyes to make direct contact with Shizuka. It was a trusting gesture. To her, keeping eye contact was a sign of good faith as it left her a little vulnerable. Regardless, Celes was hoping to put their differences aside and perhaps in the process forge a new friendship even though they had just met, but it's not like that was important to Celes.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka sneered. The glare she received from this woman was less than thrilling. She rolled her eyes dramatically and tried to keep herself from mouthing off further. This was why she didn't care for Shinigami. The automatic response was unwarranted and unwelcome. That's so typical, Shizuka thought to herself. It truly was. It was so typical of this thing to look at the Fullbringer in such a way that made her question if killing a stranger this early on was justifiable. In her professional opinion, it was. She would never let a creature like her speak in such a way without being punished.

"Being a little presumptuous aren't you, my dear."

Shizuka growled. She could feel her temper growing with every passing second. Anger started to fill her heart. Ugh! These people just knew how to make her blood boil! She could feel the difference in their power. She didn't need Energy Sensory for that. Shizuka knew. She knew that all she had to do was flex her spiritual abilities in the form of Gravitational Pressure and this idiot would be dead in moments. It would be entertaining, too. Like crushing an ant that can't get away. She had no where to go and no where to hide. Shizuka would follow and rip her apart into the tiniest of pieces and feed them to a homeless man on the streets of New York City.

The problem was that the Fullbringer remembered everything. She remembered every story her aunt ever told her every single time she came face to face with one of these disgusting excuses for angels. She cursed at them and tried her best to rid the world of their horrendous stench but they never seemed to stop coming back. She had successfully killed two a few years back, though her kill count was higher because of her target assignments rather than hunting Shinigami. Regardless, she still had two under her belt. She could make it three real fast. She didn't care about that.

"No. You're right about one thing. My quarrel is not with you. But as a collective. It's all of you. Any one of you that considers themselves a Shinigami. You've done nothing but ruin everything for me and my family."

She would know nothing of this. Shizuka didn't need to bring it up. But she was flustered. Normally it was so easy to pull the trigger on people she hated. Shizuka was a trained assassin, right? So she just had to do her usual routine. Dehumanize her target. Make them seem like nothing more than a mindless insect. They mean nothing to her. They feel nothing. Pain is irrelevant. None of it matters. Their screams fall upon deaf ears. Their wounds are seen through blind eyes. The only scent that could be smelled was that of peace. Of spilled blood from the enemy. Of a promise that they wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.

But... the girl bowed. She bowed quickly, but she bowed. Shizuka tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. She had a perfect chance, so all she had to do was try it, right? She lifted her hand and began to consider what technique she could use. Electrocution would work. It only took one or two hits. In this case, one would do. So all she had to do was reach for it and it would happen. She just needed to reach. Just try it. Do it. Come on! Ugh, move! But she couldn't. Her body wouldn't let her. It was as if her entire soul tensed up and wouldn't allow her to move. The one thing that Fullbringers are most known for being in touch with stopped her from taking action.

Shizuka instead clenched her hand into a fist and lowered her arm as she sighed heavily and closed her eyes briefly. She couldn't. She wasn't able to justify this. Celes was young and new and probably hadn't really died too long ago. Well, maybe she did. Who knows? But Shizuka wasn't going to be the end of her afterlife. Frustration, annoyance, fury, sadness, and embarrassment all flooded the blonde's brain as she came to terms with her choice not to kill this Shinigami. She was also heavily disappointed. This was not the first time she'd let one live. She even saved one once by picking him up and running him out of a doomed building while he was knocked out.

She was starting to realize a truth that she didn't want to about herself. Even though she felt this hatred, even though she wanted nothing more than to eradicate this race, something in her heart told her not to. Something deep down in there was saying it wasn't a good idea and was wrong. She just never wanted to accept it. This was probably why it was so hard for her to kill them without cause. Assassin or not, she was always given a reason that the person needed to die. She found it easier that way because she felt like she was ridding the world of evil. She thought the same about Shinigami, yet here she was. Unable to follow through.

"I'm Shizuka," she said with a huff. "I'm a Fullbringer."

[Celes Castellanos]

After bowing, Celes had shown her sentiment of peace and meaning no harm, even if she could harm Shizuka. It seemed that Shizuka opened in kind by revealing her name and what she was. It was very pleasing to Celes as she did enjoy creating long lasting relations with people. The good kind where they may one day be allies for she saw little point in trying to harm Shizuka. She was a Shinigami. Shizuka was neither Hollow nor a threat. As such, Celes had no reasoning for hostility.

Celes did pay attention to what she was saying. "No. You're right about one thing. My quarrel is not with you. But as a collective. It's all of you. Any one of you that considers themselves a Shinigami. You've done nothing but ruin everything for me and my family." This caused Celes to blink rapidly. Celes had to take a moment and think about this. What could her fellow Shinigami have done to this poor woman?

Celes looked at Shizuka sorrowfully and calmly spoke. "I am so sorry that you feel this way. I can't remedy what has been done to you, but I want to start by offering my condolences as well as my peace. I would rather there be no quarrel between the two of us, Ms. Shizuka." To drive the point across, she chose to adopt a naturally formal tone that seemed to just spring to life at random times. Made her a little bit of a suck-up at times. She hoped Shizuka did not interpret it this way.

Before having the chance to speak again, Celes perked up as she heard and slightly felt the approach of another Hollow. This one was different, however. Much like the other Hollow from earlier. From around the corner came a Hollow that appeared to look like a spider. 8 legs to adorn a tough appearing carapace. It was quite the sight to behold as it began to trudge along the ground, unfortunately running into Celes and Shizuka.

An interesting patterned mask to adorn it's head along with vicious fangs, the Hollow could be heard chuckling somewhat. "It seems I am fortunate to come across two more souls to devour. You two will feed my evolution nicely..." Celes raised an eyebrow as she stood her ground. She began to think to herself. "Evolution?" To Celes, it sounds ridiculous, but that didn't matter. She quickly made a dash for the Hollow, making a small jumping motion.

As she was swinging her blade, about to connect with the Hollow, she felt a brutal motion to her side, slamming her into the wall as before. This one was certainly more debilitating, however. Struggling to get up, she was unfortunately stopped by the Hollow, who's leg landed on top of Celes, pinning her down quite painfully. This elicited a pained growl from Celes. This hurt even more than the previous Hollow.

The Hollow seemed quite pleased as he began to press down onto Celes causing her to respond with even more pained grunts and screams. Quite the chilling display to watch, this young girl being tortured painfully by this Hollow. It did chuckle slightly as its fangs began to move against one another. To it, Celes and Shizuka were both food. Food that allowed it to become stronger and attain even more power.

Looking at Shizuka, it reconsidered its initial plan and shook its body a bit. "This one is weak. I could eat her now, but eating two spirits at the same time...Now that would be quite the meal." That ravenous hunger of the Hollow was repulsing to Celes as she looked at it with disgust. Her blade was still in her hand and with an attempting quick motion, she moved it quickly, trying to atleast somewhat cut through the Hollow's leg on top of her.

This proved partially effective as the Hollow yelled in pain. The leg was not severed, but blood would drip from it, draping Celes in the red liquid as it spilled to the ground. She was drenched slightly in the Hollow's blood which was quite the disgusting chain of events for her. She went from purifying Hollows, to meeting a beautiful woman, to basically getting a bloody shower from an opponent who she despised. This would be quite the event to explain.

The positive note to all of this, the strike Celes executed did one to set the Hollow off balance. Furthermore, it relieved some of the pressure on her stomach. It allowed her to not feel the agonizing grand weight of that Hollow's limb on her stomach. Instead, now it felt like a weight she could lift if she had the strength to, but this position left her weakened. She eyes shifted over to Shizuka, hoping she could look past her hate.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She did her best to stifle back a groan. She could see someone being fake like they had it written all over their face. It wasn't hard. This girl must have thought Shizuka was stupid or something, but that only made her more angry. What she didn't stifle this time was a dramatic rolling of her eyes. She couldn't stop herself. It was as if she was trying to talk to a child. That act, alone, was less than favorable. Shizuka got ready to speak up and explain her discontent, maybe make a threat or two, but soon realized she wouldn't have time. Celes' reaction was enough to put Shizuka on guard, as well. They weren't alone.

The Hollow was somewhat large, though not grossly huge. It resembled a spider and had interesting patterns sprawled across its body. Shizuka noted that this creature may have a bit of aesthetic value had it not been for the arachnid appearance. She loved animals, but spiders could easily die and she'd feel no remorse. It wasn't something she liked thinking about. Whenever she came across one, she'd do everything in her power to get rid of it without touching it. Usually, the solution to this dilemma was simply vacuuming it up. Well, she wasn't about to suck a Hollow into some kind of ghostly thermos of a vacuum.

While Shizuka didn't feel very threatened, she could tell that Celes was about to have a whale of a time. A brief feeling of joy mixed with amusement crossed over her mind when she saw the Shinigami get greeted with a terrible blow to her side. Shizuka watched as the girl was slammed into a wall and fell down, obviously in some amounts of pain. So at least the Fullbringer wasn't going to have to take care of that part. Shizuka made note of it as she turned to the Hollow. She was about thirty seconds from turning around and leaving Celes. It didn't matter if she were there, anyway. It was a Shinigami's job to rid the world of these creatures, right?

Well, something was stopping her from making that decision. The Hollow was distracted with beating Celes to a pulp, which was fine, but Shizuka's feet would still not move. She wasn't able to get out of there and go about her business and she couldn't figure out why. She stood there, watching, waiting for something to kick in. Something like the immense hatred she always felt for these soul-stealing thieves. But it never came. She was distrustful, yes. She didn't really care too much that the Hollow was crushing the girl. What she cared about was the screaming. Celes was in pain and that noise was unforgettable. Shizuka had heard it so many times.

Only so much could be done as Celes raised her sword and delivered a strike to one of the Hollow's legs. It wasn't enough to fully cut through, but Shizuka didn't expect it to be. Not with a baby sword like that. The threat the Hollow had given didn't help much either since Shizuka wasn't one to enjoy being killed via Hollow mouth, but it was obvious now that this was going to continue to be a problem unless the Fullbringer did something about it. She clicked her tongue in anger as her eyebrows furrowed together. She was frustrated. She didn't want to do what she was about to do, but she felt like she didn't have a choice.

Shizuka quickly leaped towards the Hollow with her hand balled into a fist. As soon as she got close enough, she brought the fist forward and forced it to hit the Hollow directly on its chest. All Celes would see was the figure of the woman flying over her as she punched the Hollow as hard as she could with Impact. This technique gifted her with 400 Strength in that single punch, and that would be enough to knock this thing out of the park. With the literal weight lifted off Celes even more now, she'd be able to breath and get back up. Shizuka landed just to the side of her and stood herself up. She punched her right hand into the palm of her left a few times before resting both hands on her hips.

"Feels good to be able to blow off some steam like that. Now get up. We don't know if this thing is going to attack again and you're nothing but a hindrance right now."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Output (Mastered: - 360 TTP)}

Technique Name: Output

Class: 2

Technique Type: Other

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects:
This technique is one that makes use of the body directly, using the user’s spiritual strength to increase the body’s capabilities in specific ways. Like Willpower, this technique comes in stages as well, but is limited to two:

[Stage 1: Push]: This power coats the user in a sort of "Output Aura." It does two things. First, awareness can extend out by two more inches. This means someone will become more aware of an incoming attack two inches of distance from the attack earlier than normal. It means that one can try to use this to predict enemies, though not as successfully as actual prediction or reading. The secondary point expands "damage." Essentially, it bypasses defenses. A human using this is completely immune to cutback effect regardless of state, and this extends to weapon uses too. Hierro is also completely ignored during use of Push. This defense ignoring is only present during physical attacks. Reiatsu-based strikes can still meet Hierro resistance. This lasts for 5 posts, and costs 100 Reiatsu.

[Stage 2: Impact]: This stage can be used only for physical confrontation. When activated, hit strength quadruples. This means that one can activate it while punching an enemy. If the user has 200 strength, that strength will count as 800 during the instance of the punch. This is very physically draining, and quickly exhausts the body's nutrients. It shortens lifespan to use too often, and it weakens stamina very quickly. This lasts for 1 post, and costs 200 Reiatsu.

Drawback: See specific stages.

Shizuka's Remaining Reiatsu: 4800 (-200 for Impact)

[Celes Castellanos]

The overall weight of the Hollow's leg was astonishing to Celes. For one, she was never in those form of position before. Normally she fought Hollows that were at her level. This one, however, was just simply so much stronger that it could have been quite severe if left to go on. It was torturous, to be at the mercy of this Hollow who had the capacity to destroy her so easily. Just devouring her quickly and it would all be over.

She thought back to a simpler time. Back when she was a human. Back to before she was a Shinigami. When she lived with her sister and her mother who had passed away not to long after. She was left all alone alot of the time and it was so cruel to her. How they could just leave her. To fend for herself albeit it was death that ended up claiming them. She hoped Shizuka would not be another one to abandon her.

It was as if Celes' prayer was answered when Shizuka quickly made a motion towards the Hollow. To Celes, it appeared as a sudden motion that seemingly startled her. She was mesmerized by Shizuka's grace as she knocked the Hollow quite a ways away. Celes blinked at Shizuka and couldn't believe. This Fullbringer with such a distate for Shinigami...saved her. Celes' eyes couldn't help, but dazzle.

For a time she looked at Shizuka, mesmerized. She moved with such elegance and speed that Celes couldn't help, but gape. She would certainly appear as a fool. A soft breeze blew as Celes' hair was softly caught in the wind and she smiled at Shizuka. This smile continued even throughout her demeanor. Even though Shizuka may not want to admit it, she atleast had to care somewhat to save Celes and it warmed Celes' heart.

Continuing to smile, she suddenly registered what Shizuka had said. "Feels good to be able to blow off some steam like that. Now get up. We don't know if this thing is going to attack again and you're nothing but a hindrance right now." This of course got Celes to stand up as she cleared her throat and moved her hair out of the way and looked at Shizuka. It wasn't a condescending or malicious look, but instead just a neutral one.

Once she cleared her throat, she softly spoke up at the Fullbringer. "I...I'm not a hindrance...It caught me off guard is all!" She sounds like a child in denial which was kinda cute, but kinda sad. Celes was a whelpling in this world and people like Shizuka are how she wish she could be. Confident, strong, and with the capacity to protect those she cares about. With that Celes closed her eyes and sighed.

She began to think and then opened her eyes, looking at the ground with a sigh. "T..thank you for helping me Shizuka. I know your hate of us transcends this most likely, but genuinely...thank you." This was as sincere as Celes could get. She did not want to be abandoned by someone again. To be hurt again by someone she knew. It was all so painful to lose everyone around her that even if this Fullbringer did not care for her, she would hang on.

With that Celes softly giggled and began to think for a moment. She did not know the extent of the Hollow's abilties. She hads met a number of different Hollow's in the past. Only few had the capacity to think or even had the notoriety to match their imposing form. Some had just been converted in Hollows which gave Celes a disturbing sight along with a fright. She held her sword tightly. "I can't do this alone Shizuka...will you help me with this one?" She was referring to the Hollow.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Help her? This Shinigami actually thought Shizuka was helping her? What a joke. The Fullbringer wanted to laugh but couldn't stand wasting any energy on an action so useless. This creature might mistake it for joy or some other inappropriate emotion. No, what Shizuka felt was disgust. She was raised to believe that Shinigami were diabolical things whose sole purpose was to destroy the world around them. Nothing they did was good. They were horrible, horrible individuals. That's what she was taught. That's how she felt about them. Everything her aunt had told her just angered her every time she saw one.

But despite that, Shizuka wasn't going to just stand by and watch. Celes showed respect when, frankly, Shizuka didn't deserve it. She had done nothing but show just how angry she was to be in Celes' presence. Yet here she was. She had bowed and everything before the Hollow pinned her to the ground. This entire situation could also be ended fairly quickly and the blonde could be on her way. It wouldn't be hard. It really wouldn't. But it doesn't seem like that's going to be the case. Celes asked Shizuka for some help, and that thought was considered for a moment. Help? Does she really need it? Was Celes that weak?

Any why was she interested in her help? That didn't make sense. Again, Shizuka had been rude. Help should never have been asked for, and especially not from Shizuka. After looking over the Hollow once more, the Fullbringer assessed the damage. Celes didn't need help. She could easily handle it on her own. Plus, this Hollow wasn't really on Shizuka's radar. So did it actually make sense for her to move forward with this? It would be easy. She knew that. Easy enough for someone like this weak little Shinigami. Maybe she could coach her. Yeah, that could work. If something really took a turn for the worse, then she had a back up plan.

"You don't need me for this. Learn how to defend yourself."

Shizuka stepped up next to Celes as the Hollow regained some composure and roared. The sound was painful to the ears and the blonde cringed quite a bit. This thing was just loud, but it wasn't something that couldn't be tuned out. That aside, it was clear that this creature was ready to continue. And it was angry. Shizuka looked over at Celes and grabbed her arms from behind her after closing the small distance. She did a couple of adjustments and fixed the sword stance. Celes' posture was now straighter and her position was much more stable. Shizuka pushed against Celes' shoulders a couple of times and made her she was standing solidly.

"There. You need to keep your balance. If that thing charges, you would have gotten thrown off your feet. You're much more stable now."

The Hollow started charging just as Shizuka predicted. She stepped to the side and let Celes take it on herself. She needed to learn. One day, maybe Shizuka would be able to fight her at a stronger level. She wasn't going to even attempt it now, though. She'd kill her and it wouldn't be remotely fair. So until then, until she was a proper opponent, this would have to suffice. With a little bit of guidance, Shizuka could use this Hollow to train Celes into being more capable. It would have to do. She was going to have to power through the pain and work her way through this fight on her own.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes took a moment to think about the situation. Shizuka's help would be grand, but knowing her from first impressions, she may not be willing to lend it. If Shizuka took care of it, maybe the Hollow would be dead already. There would be no need for this. Shizuka was strong while Celes was a Shinigami-in-training. She was learning and it made combat very difficult as she was simply learning as of right now. She began to question what she was doing here.

"What if I just left? Shizuka could handle it? Yeah. If I forced Shizuka into fighting this Hollow, the-...NO! That is not how the Shinigami go about this. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts." A voice Celes had never head before. She thought it was her own. Her resolve and confidence telling her to go on. To not be a coward and do the right thing. Forcing this onto Shizuka would be the wrong thing to do and Celes would not settle for that.

Admittedly, Shizuka's overall demeanor intrigued Celes. The Fullbringer chose to help the Shinigami indirectly. Even based on the first impression Shizuka gave...this seemed odd to Celes. A Fullbringer who hates Shinigami down to her core. Then again, Celes was not dead yet so perhaps Shizuka showed a little bit of care. Was it because she was weak? Because she could not achieve what she wanted? All pointless questions in the end as the Hollow roared.

Celes listened as Shizuka spoke. "You don't need me for this. Learn how to defend yourself." Celes did not know what to say as she would have most likely gotten into a stutter. Instead, Celes listened further as Shizuka helped the young Shinigami with her overall combative stance. "There. You need to keep your balance. If that thing charges, you would have gotten thrown off your feet. You're much more stable now."

Once again, Celes looked at the Hollow who had begun charging as Shizuka had said. Now, this was something typical that Celes encountered. Celes concentrated on its motions and with Shizuka's coaching, she was indeed less prone to losing her balance. Celes was thankful she had Shizuka to help her. Even if Shizuka did not see it as help, Celes saw the Fullbringer as more than enough help given the situation.

As the Hollow was about to make contact, Celes quickly kicked to the side, pivoting off of one foot so she was now at the Hollow's side. Then stretching out her arm and finger, she called out, "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners!" A sudden bolt of electricity eruped from Celes' finger, the incantation of course making it stronger. Aiming for one of its legs, Celes had successfully pieced both as the Byakurai had the capacity to do so although it barely pieced the second leg, but it did make the Hollow slide with a wall with a force that wouldn't shatter the wall, but would put a crack into it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Byakurai}Technique Name: Hado #4: Byakurai (Pale Lightning)

Class: 7

Technique Type: Kido

Technique Element: Thunder

Technique Description and Effects: The user fires a concentrated, powerful lightning bolt from their finger that pierces a target.

How to use technique: Speak the spell and point hand at the target.

Incantation and Effect: "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners!" When the incantation is spoken, the Reiatsu Strength used to determine the power of Byakurai is increased by 10%. (i.e. 100 Reiatsu Strength is treated as 110.)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu}-25 Byakurai
Reiatsu Capacity - 725/750

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka watched as Celes made her attack and smiled. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Shizuka acted as somewhat of an actual coach to this Shinigami. She knew that her Aunt Momo would be ridiculously offended if she ever found out that Shizuka did anything other than simply let the creature die, but she couldn't find it in herself to kill such a weak thing. She preferred to come back to Celes later once her powers were developed and try again then. Right now, it didn't make sense to do something like that. It didn't make sense to destroy a girl who couldn't even protect herself when she wasn't even the original target.

But at least the attack on the Hollow had been successful. Somewhat. Shizuka watched as the beast hit the wall and slid down towards the ground. Celes seemed proud, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down. The Hollow began to get back up on its uninjured legs and roared audibly. Shizuka didn't bother covering up her ears despite the fact that it hurt quite a bit, but she was also trying to look cool. All that could be seen was a change on her facial expression as her eyes squinted just slightly. It was a reflex she couldn't avoid. If Celes saw that, she may be able to figure out how fake Shizuka was being.

"The strength of your attacks improves with time. You're weak right now, though. It won't ever hit at its strongest. But I'd recommend making it so that Hollow can't move at all. Think you can strike it again while it's down? If you don't, that thing will charge again."

Whether the Hollow had any actual attacks or not aside from brute strength was unknown to the Fullbringer. But she could tell that it was also weak. If she were to unleash her gravitational pressure onto it, it would die in seconds. Perhaps even less than that. But this wasn't about Shizuka. It was about Celes. The Shinigami was going to have to learn how to fight on her own if she was still in training. That way, when Shizuka came for her later, it would be a much more rewarding fight. For now, all she could do was teach her some basic stuff. Celes seemed to catch on pretty quickly, though.

The Hollow scraped its feet against the ground as if it was getting ready to charge again and roared. Shizuka tilted her head. This thing was trying to intimidate them like some animal. That was odd. They didn't normally take on very animal-like habits, but you never knew. The dirt beneath its claws was getting spread all over the place behind it as it scratched bits and pieces up and into the air. This thing meant business. It wasn't going to go easy on the two of them for very long, and if Celes was going to live, Shizuka was going to have to kill it. But would that really be necessary?

[Celes Castellanos]

A chilling breeze began to blow through the air. Perhaps it was the actual wind or maybe it was the draft that this Hollow created through its charging. Celes was not sure, but one thing was certainly sure. Shizuka seemed to give the Shinigami genuine advice. The Shinigami tilted her head for a bit, thinking of why this sudden change had occurred, but it truly did not matter as of right now. Celes had only one thing on her mind. Beating this Hollow.

The young girl raised an eyebrow at the Hollow and immediately sprang into action. Her movement was swift as a quick Shunpo carried her over to the recovering Hollow. In an instant, her blade came up to the Hollow's leg as she used her bolstered speed to help with her cut. Thankfully it did what she expected. Albeit with difficulty, the blade severed the Hollow's leg as it now became unbalanced.

Naturally now, as it lost its balance, it fell on its disproportioned side. Celes now, however, was silent as she simply took a small stride forward. Blade in hand, she made a small swing which delivered a quick cut. Yet all the while she was still silent. Her hair covered her face making it hard to read her expression, but this cut while not deep elicited yet another shriek from this Hollow. It seemed to be in pain, but Celes did not mind.

As this all occurred, Celes now was finally standing in front of the Hollow who had lost a large part of his mobility. All seemed fine until Celes raised her finger at the Hollow's forehead where his mask was. Even her voice was different as she began to talk softly. "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners!" The blast of lightning erupted from her finger, skewering the mask of this Hollow. 

The sound of the Hollow itself was rather quiet. Celes did not shift her eyes at all, seemingly in a sort of trance. She was in perfect control of her body, but her entire demeanor changed on an instant. Maybe thoughts tormenting her? Is the situation getting to her? It was not clear as there was no outward sign that guaranteed that this was the case. One thing was, however, certain, the Hollow was not going anywhere.

The girl raised her sword to her head so the blade was facing the Hollow in a vertical fashion. Her blade then began to rocket towards this Hollow, quickly piercing the skull-like mask. That blade then began to shift down and continue lower and lower as Celes put all her strength into this cut. The Hollow began to dissipate as it became purified from Celes actions. As the cut was done and it had eroded into purified soul Celes finally made a sound. If Shizuka was listening carefully, she would be able to hear a chuckle.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu}-50 [Shunpo]
-25 [Byakurai]
Reiatsu: 650/1000

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

So this girl went from quiet and timid to completely murderous without much effort at all. Shizuka was standing still, wide-eyed and mouth opened in surprise. Did Celes even need her help? If this was something she could do the entire time, then what on Earth was the Fullbringer doing there in the first place? Oh, right. This was meant to be her target. Well, she'd still get paid for it either way. That much didn't matter. All she had to do was report that the beast was slain and she could move on with her life. It didn't have to be her that slayed it. And, frankly, she was glad it hadn't been.

"Feel better about yourself?"

A genuine question. Celes had seemed so unsure of herself before, but now she was more confident and a little bit sinister. It must not have taken long for this to become a reality for her. Shizuka questioned it a little bit. Weren't Shinigami supposed to be less violent when it came to these things? Or was that only with the souls that needed to move on? She had no idea. Honestly, Shinigami were so uninteresting to her that she never actually studied up on what their job was. All she knew was that, when she died, she was going to pray she never remembered a thing so that dealing with one was that much easier before she went to the Soul Society.

The Hollow had practically evaporated with ease. After she'd taken it down by throwing off its balance, nothing else was that hard. The Hollow was no longer a threat and wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore, but now Shizuka felt like she had created a new monster. Celes didn't seem like the type to be dark and mysterious, so this behavior was a bit off-putting. Actually, it reminded Shizuka of the first time she ever killed someone. She had to dehumanize them and still felt guilty about it. She tried her best to not watch as the lava she had summoned into her gun melted the skin off the man's very bones. She still remembered the smell, too. Some things could never be forgotten.

But some things needed to be. That feeling was dangerous and only led to a more slippery slope. That wasn't going to be Celes' fate if Shizuka could help it. She slowly stepped forward towards the Shinigami, unafraid of whatever she may throw, and placed a hand on her shoulder as gently as she could. She didn't want to startle the girl. If she did, it would be Celes who was in danger. Shizuka's gravitational pressure, alone, would be enough to take her down. She seriously didn't want that. She wasn't about to restrain and kill her.

"Now you need to recognize that you're just as human as I am. You aren't a monster like these things can be," Shizuka started, mentally groaning over what she just said. "Recognize the light in yourself. Don't let your nightmares take over. It'll only make things worse for you."

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes eyes were focused upon the place at which the Hollow had evaporated. It was not like her to be like this. Shizuka's suprise was justified as well, the unsure girl simply went from 0 to 100. A complete 180 from how she normally acted. In truth, it was indeed the thoughts of her former life that tormented her. Throughts about being abandoned. The pain of those deep wounds still remained.

And then there it was. "Feel better about yourself?" That little remark caused Celes to seethe. Was this woman being patronizing. Celes knew that she was not very fond of the Shinigami like herself and this single comment was about to ignite a flame within Celes that may not be exstinguished without harming the young one. Thankfully this was all avoid as Shizuka placed her hand on the Shinigami's shoulder.

The smoldering anger faded into a tranquil state of mind as Celes blinked at Shizuka. Did this fullbringer actually care about her. Even if it was insincere, Celes couldn't help, but simply listen. Something about this situation was odd. Feeling as if the entire world had forsaken her after so many that she cared for had abandoned her through death. In fact this was in a sense her greatest flaw.

Her becoming a Shinigami reminded her of the countless times that death had taken away someone she had cared about. First it was her mother, then her sister and then death came to claim Celes from her fiance. "Now you need to recognize that you're just as human as I am. You aren't a monster like these things can be. Recognize the light in yourself. Don't let your nightmares take over. It'll only make things worse for you."

Celes listened and closed her eyes. It was hard to bear. To listen to this, but she needed to hear it. Although she disagreed which she was about to convey, Celes did something that may be hard for Shizuka to bear. Celes positioned herself to hug the Fullbringer. As if in some vain attempt to make herself feel better, it was actually to thank Shizuka because she was about to refute what the Fullbringer said in a sense.

Celes opened her eyes and sighed. "Shizuka...I thank you for that. I know you have something against Shinigami so it makes your words even brighter." Celes shifted her eyes and weight on the balls of her feet as her eyes appeared genuinely sorrowful. "The only thing that seperates me from these Hollow's is that I was fortunate enough to be cleansed. It was death that took my sister and my mother away and left me to fend for myself...then I was taken away from someone I..genuinely liked. Now here I am, needing to spend an eternity in death. In a sense I am a monster. You are right to despise me Shizuka."  She looked away at the sky and smiled. "Sometimes the devil truly is as black as he is painted."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka's words were met with a hug. She had to admit, it wasn't the reaction she expected. Actually, she kind of thought Celes was going to be offended. That wasn't the blonde's intention at all by any means, but it was just the assumption she made. To be hugged instead was certainly more welcome, but the Fullbringer shifted awkwardly anyway. It wasn't anything against the Shinigami. She just wasn't sure how to handle the physical contact. Shizuka didn't like to admit it, but she was a bit socially awkward around new people. She tried to hide it as much as she could, but it was the truth.

"You don't actually believe all of that, do you?" Shizuka responded.

Despite hearing what Celes had said, she didn't think any of it were true. Her aunt may have a fit, but this girl was too calm and innocent to be considered such a beast the way Shizuka thought of most other Shinigami. Very few of them were able to change her mind about them, but she had come to the realization that she was only after a single one of that race. Well, sort of. Douma had told Shizuka a while back that Taiho had since been killed, but the need for revenge still dwelled within the Fullbringer's heart. She couldn't shake it. Not yet, anyway. She and the Rogue had made a deal to take care of each other's business and help the other out. She wasn't about to go back on a promise.

"I know how you people are. I'm not a fan of very many of you, but I can't bring myself to kill those who don't deserve it despite the fact that I'm wary of your kind. I don't know. Maybe it's just some kind of mechanism within my being. You're not my target. I won't kill you. I have no reason to, frankly. But think about things this way. You're not living in an eternal death. You're simply waiting for your next chance at life. You can choose to be like me one day, if you wanted. But that's entirely up to you." Shizuka attempted to reason with the girl.

Truth be told, she wasn't sure just how much Celes knew about the Shinigami race. She could tell Celes was new at the job and hesitated a lot, but maybe that just meant it would take practice and experience to learn all of the ins and outs. That's what she had to go through in her younger days. She had to remind herself that she, too, needed to train and learn to care about who she was and do as she was destined to. Some things worked out, others didn't. But that's all part of life. If Celes hated who she was that much, there were ways out of her situation. But that wasn't going to be a wise choice just yet. It's a dangerous move, and she had a lot to experience.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes was certainly in an interesting spot with the way this was going. The Fullbringer who hated Shinigami down to their very core was trying to console her. Celes blinked rapidly, thinking that his woman may be crazy. Crazy for just flip flopping from hate to care. Maybe it was just Celes in this case. Her overall timid personality maybe? Celes wasn't sure at all. All she had right now were the comforting words that Shizuka was giving her.

"I know how you people are. I'm not a fan of very many of you, but I can't bring myself to kill those who don't deserve it despite the fact that I'm wary of your kind. I don't know. Maybe it's just some kind of mechanism within my being. You're not my target. I won't kill you. I have no reason to, frankly. But think about things this way. You're not living in an eternal death. You're simply waiting for your next chance at life. You can choose to be like me one day, if you wanted. But that's entirely up to you."

It was this that had Celes at a loss for words. She was not sure how to respond to it at first. One thing did catch her attention. Shizuka seemed to imply that there was a way out of apparently being a Shinigami. Celes raised an eyebrow. It wasn't that she did not want to be a Shinigami. It was more a self confidence thing. Out of all the people in the Soul Society, why was she chosen to be one?

For her ability, she was rather decent in her eyes, above average to some of her superiors. She had just killed a Hollow without much a second thought. No actually two Hollows, the latter with some help. She would hold on to that idea, however, and simply blinked for one more moment. "Shizuka.." Her words stung. Not in the nergative way, however. They stung because Celes believed all she had said, but now Shizuka went through hoops to try and refute it. "Well..where does this leave us now. I suppose that with the way you view Shinigami, we can't pursue some form of friendship? Perhaps mentorship?..." Celes was genuinely considering looking into some way of learning and Shizuka seemed strong. She seemed experienced enough to perhaps impart some form of guidance on the young Shinigami.