Questions to be Answered. Meeting with the Captain

[Kimiko Shihoin]

This was certainly not something that Kimiko enjoyed as a Captain of Soul Society. She was currently sitting with her legs crossed tightly with her feet actually placed on the opposite thigh. Bare foot like normal Kimiko was in deep thought as she weighed the difference in how one of her subordinates had been acting over the last few months compared to how she had been previously. She had done so many times over the last few days and only half an hour or so ago had sent a hellfire butterfly to said subordinate requesting them to meet her in her office, where she currently resided.

Dealing with the emotional feelings of subordinates was something that while Kimiko welcomed them to bring her as a duty of being Captain. Actually dealing with it was fairly troubling. She much rather preferred being on the battle field out numbered a dozen to one. This just wasn't her area of expertise. She had always been there for Kisala yet that was natural since she was her older sister. Actually thinking it over Kimiko began to think she was more like a slight bully to others with her constant teasing. Ugh the troubles of emotion.

These were the times that Kimiko at least to some degree felt like just utilizing Ansatsu Modo in order to handle situations without the worry of emotions getting in her way. Such a thing would be a short cut and black mark in her opinion on being a leader and thus Kimiko restrained herself and would wait for Shizu to arrive. Until then though she still like always possessed paper work that required her to brief and sign. If only her assistant Yun was feeling better she could use his presence to help her with the paper work.

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizuyoko had been somewhat anticipating this for a while. W4ell, truth be told, she had presumed that Kimiko would address the matter well...far earlier than it had come to light. It wasn't as if Shizuyoko's shift in behavior had been subtle, she was always known as a very bright, warm and amorous woman on and off the field, even if she did have a startlingly coldblooded nature alongside it. That said, it had become abundantly clear to just about everyone that that sunny disposition always seemed to vanish around the Captain. Fast forward several months later, well past the time when Shizu had presumed that her captain had simply come to terms with the shift and she found herself being summoned.

She had to admit that she was actually a little incredulous as to what it was she was being brought in for. Given the time frame it seemed a bit delayed for an address to her behavior, had it been a result of a recent mission? As it were she had been taking her duties fairly seriously, though she was one of several members that had not quiiiiite acclimated to the 'new duties', almost solely volunteering for more contemporary missions and assignments and as a result, her life had remained fairly unchanged despite the shifts in infrastructure in the squad while others were far more involved with the new auxiliary duties. Was that the reason she had been called in?

No less, Shizuyoko found herself heading toward the office of the woman with her head somewhat clouded, that flat, joyless exprexssion on her face, an entirely professional and.... un-shizuyoko-like face as she approached the door. For just an instant she hesitated, thinking over the changes in her Captain. She had known the woman....well...almost not at all. Though all the more she HAD known her before she had become the captain of the Onmitsukido, she had never imagined that it would make such a difference in transition. She had actually liked the first impression she'd had from Kimiko, the sense of...uniqueness, atypical....ness. A carefree attitude and playfulness that had similarly drwn her to Raion.

But....just like the lion. Kimiko had dissappointed her. That warm, carefree attitude had fallen from both of them. They had grown serious, and all that Shizuyoko had found interesting in the both of them had simply faded. Raion to a much lesser extent, but all the same she felt conflicted. Of course she had come to terms with the...REAL reason she had joined the Onmitsukido. That had been something that the vandereich, funnily enough, had fixed for her. She had a newfound affection for her comrades and her new life, no longer plagued with uncertainty. But what now?

She only then realized that she had been staring at the door for several long seconds, a soft sigh escaping her. "Right...here goes." She murmured before she gently knocked once, and then slipped inside in a deft step and turn. She bowed to her Captain and then stood at attention. Even in that first instant, Shizuyoko felt that tiny piece inside of her being let down when she saw Kimiko. The fatigue in the woman. The look of 'just getting through the day', and more than that, the severe lack of what had endeared herself to the woman back in the academy. Her knuckles lightened slightly as her hands clenched into fists for a brief moment.

"Reporting in response to a summons, Captain Shihouin."

[Kimiko Shihoin]

The endless piles of paper work surrounded the Captain as she laid down on her desk a few sheets below her small body. This was so annoying. She never liked such things. She was still by all accounts incredibly young for a shinigami not to mention a Captain. Despite accepting that she needed to mature faster than what would have been allowed before accepting the position Kimiko still hated the act of filling out the painstaking sheets. She lived for thrive and challenge yet this responsibly was simply so boring. She day dreamed of being out in the wilderness of Soul Society frequently again where she could challenge any and all Beast Clansman that she came across to various physical challenges.

She heard the knock on her office door and turned over from her back and say up on the sheets of paper. "Enter." The single word spoken from Kimiko came in a voice that Shziu had heard previously yet definitely wouldn't be expecting. When she opened the door she might not be disappointed in what she saw as Kimiko was laying on her paper work in her animal form as a squirrel. The black squirrel stretched out across the paper that Kimiko was currently trying to read over in her boredom. When she saw that Shizu was here to answer her summons Kimiko's attention was brought mainly towards the girl. Getting up from her outstretched position Kimiko got on all four of her legs and moved backwards a bit so that she was in full view of the paper now.

"Welcome Shizu. Thank you for arriving swiftly. How's your day going?" Kimiko asked her subordinate who was actually one of her favorites throughout the Division. Kimiko was giving Shizu her full attention something that many other Captians at least in Kimiko's own experience didn't typically do for unseated members. Kimiko believed Shizu to be worthy of a seated position there was just a few uncertain matters she needed to address before offering her the position. The brief thought of giving her Reaper of Nothingness the paper work drifted through Kimiko's mind for perhaps the twentieth time today. It was pointless though as much as Kimiko hated the paper work her Vice Captain usually would ignore his own that lazy bastard.

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizuyoko lifted a brow, a little surprised to see the Captain in that form, honestly having not seen her in it for quite a long time. Heck, the last time she had seen Kimiko was when the woman had attempted to promote her, a promotion she had promptly refused. Her mind drifted back toward the meeting with Aevus and she felt her back tense slightly. All the same, she was a bit confused at Kimiko's.....lax response. For a moment she considered saying that the woman had summoned her. but that wasn't what her Captain had asked, and she wasn't going to ignore the question. Her tails tensed, coiling behind her, now out in the oppen as opposed to being hidden in her uniform.

SO much was no longer hidden these days. But well, Kimiko wouldn't really know about any of that. Honestly nobody did. Save for some random Hollow she had met in the world of the living. So she took a deep breath and relaxed. "My day has been fine ma'am. I spent some time helping some o my squadmates with training." And by that she meant several seated officers. Since her refusal of a pomotion, a number of Seated officers, dissappointed that she remained where she was, had begun to train with her. And with her being worlds stronger than even their sixth seat...well, before his demotion, and being well on her way to being Captain strength, if not already within that realm, she was quite frequently called on for such things.

"I rested for a few hours, and then I recieved your hell butterfly with your summons." She explained, bringing about what she had wanted to say without failing to answer the woman's question. She closed her eyes. Admittedly the sight of Kimiko in this form did bring back memories of the academy, when things were...well..nicer. And admittedly she didn't know how to feel about Kimiko being in it now, so she avoided looking directly at the woman, instead staring straight ahead, bowing at the neck slightly, and then closing her eyes in the common gesture of subservience observed in the gotei.

Admittedy she did know that she had Kimiko's eye. At one point she had presumed in a different manner, until that meddling weirdo that smelled of hell had interrupted so long ago, and of course when Kimiko had stopped being around. Or very fun for that part. And she had to admit...Shizuyoko couldn't help but hate the young man she had met at the time. And actually she had spent a goods ammount of her time reading reports concerning him. and...thinking back...she did wonder if she sortof blamed him. After all, all of the behaviors that she adored about Kimiko in the past, HE had been the one chastizing her. correcting her.

In a brief moment of levity and rememberance brought on by seeing Kimiko in her animal form again, she realized. It was HIS fault. Her hands tightened into firmer fists and her tails angled slightly, pointing so very slightly upwards so that the blade-like tips of her tails peeked out from the tufts of blonde fur that usually concealed them. She made a mental note to go over his files more intimately in the future. Who knew, perhaps she would get an excuse to execute him if had made any missteps. But she pushed that out of her mind, that brief lapse in her body language lasting only an instant, her face remaining calm and impassive throughout the duration. Her face was easy to control after all. Snakes did not have instinctive facial expressions, after all.

She almost reiterated, almost asking Kimiko directly what it was that she wanted. But then that learned protocol stepped in and kept her silent. She closed her eyes again, and kept her head slightly bowed as she would wait to see what else the Captain asked of her. She would wait to speak further when she was spoken to and asked to do so, or offered to ask questions. For the time being, she was answering the call to her Captain, who seemed, after all, very busy. Perhaps she should visit Aevus as well. It had been a while since she'd put him in the infirmary, and given the mountains of paperwork it seemed that perhaps he was due another.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko smiled while listening to Shizu's response as to what she had done throughout the day and how it had been in her opinion. It was nice to see that the shy little academy student had developed into such a nice suited member of her Division. Helping to train other members was something that Kimiko was glad to hear even though she was already aware of it. When she saw the tails of Shizu though she had to smile just a bit wider with her puffy fur covered cheeks.

Perhaps it was a good thing she hadn't suppressed her emotions. So far this hadn't been a depressing or simply frustrating meeting even if it had only just started. Kimiko was glad to see just how much more confidence Shizu had developed. It was time now to get to the heart of her summons though. Shizu didn't seem to be enjoying the meeting as much as Kimiko herself though as she kept her eyes away and her head bowed. This wasn't any fun. She didn't like seeing her subordinates act in such stoic ways unless it was necessary to a mission.

"I'm glad to hear that today has been good to you Shizu. Now as to why I sent the Hell-Butterfly. I have a very important matter I wish to entrust to you personally. However, before I do so I want to clear the fog between the two of us. Over the last year or so it seems that you've been less . . enthusiastic about our duties as the Onmitsukido since I spread our influence to other areas. I grant you permission to speak freely. I want your complete report as to how you feel about everything." The smile that had been across Kimiko's face was gone replaced by one of professionalism. Her eyes though were still kind which Shizu might pick up on.

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

There was a pause as Shizu took...a moment to unpack the woman's words. So this was all about some sort of mission. Already incredulity was winding it's way through her mind, and for just an instant, her pupils slitted vertically as she wondered why she couldn't have just been briefed by one of the higher officers. However at the mention of fog, she did pause. Especially about the timeline of the matter. Initially, she had thought that this was about her attitude to Kimiko in general. But it seemed that Kimiko wasn't interested in that. The idea was something that dissappointed Shizu, as instead Kimiko seemed to focus on her expansion project instead.

I thought there was something there. But well....business comes first nowadays. She thought to herself. In truth...she missed when Kimiko wasn't HER captain. Before there had been some distance, and that distance had been enjoyable. Now? Well. "I simply feel that repurposing sch a significant portion of the squad into the duties that Squads 2, 3, and 11 already perform, is a misuse of resources. The Onmitsukido was separated from the rest of the gotei specifically because of our job. Our sole purpose and attention is to be t he check for the other squads, and to ensure that the rest of the gotei is working in the Central 46's best interest. While the....subtleties of the other squads when it comes to our new duties may vary, they are ultimately in the same branch. Attack and assault is the job description of other squads, and not only that, but Soul Society has suffered so many critical blows in recent attacks that we have been on the defensive anyway."

Shizu rubbed at her forehead slightly, feeling anxious about voicing this to....kimiko. She hated this. "At a time when desertion, uncertainty, dissent, and turmoil is at it's highest. You have chosen to deviate from everything the squad stands for, and what it is supposed to be. Our squad has fourteen other squads to keep tabs on, and now we have to do so with half the manpower because the other half is now being spent on these new missions." She closed her eyes and then cleared her throat lightly. "I understand that you may have a reason for expanding the duties of the squad. That you feel that there is some niche that we are fufilling that needs to be filled. But you are in thw WRONG squad for that. I understand that you were part of the police squad. That you were used to, and content, with being in a position to decide what your squad wanted to do."

Which she, again, left alone. WHY on earth the other squads such as 6 AND 7 felt it necessary to pull from Onmitsukido's duty, she had no idea. Well okay, she had every idea. The squad 6 was Sozen's means of ensuring that his duties went unchecked. Namely by circumventing the Onmitsukido and dealing with internal affairs himself to keep them out of the loop. As for squad seven? she didn't actually know how far back that reached, but all the same, she knew t hat it was essentially trying to do the onmitsukido's job. Which, in her opinion, was rhedndant an insipid. Three squads all focused on internal affairs, and none of them specialized on missions in the world of the living, passing on plusses or cleansing hollows, which was supposed to be their primary duty. But OTHER squads were not her area of expertise. She knew the onmitsukido, whose job was made so much harder by the fact that TWO other squads were trying to do it's job.

"To put it frankly, no matter what the reason may have been, I feel it's a misallocation of resources. Central 46's resources." She murmured. And honestly, she HAD been thinking about the reason. She sincerely HOPED that it had nothing to do with the other Shihouin in a high position in the soul society, as the idea that the Onmitsukido's resources were being split in order to give a crutch to an ill-deserving lieutenant of another squad would be both insipid ANd nepotism. Or perhaps she imagined it was some sort of competetive thing with Squad 3 or eleven. But again, that didn't seem Kimiko's style. So she simply watched Kimiko closely, hoping that whatever reason the woman had, that it was a good one.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko listened to what Shziu had to say about the changes that Kimiko herself had made to the Onmitsukido shortly after re-positioning herself from the Captain of the Seventh Division to the Head of both the Onmitsukido and the Shihoin Family. The way that Shziu put it held weight and Kimiko was happy to see that her subordinate was still such a smart girl. She was lucky to have such a fine Shinigami in her Division. Her being unique and fun were simply bonuses things that Kimiko had come to love shortly after meeting her in the academy.

She would wait until after Shziu was finished speaking while nodding her head periodically throughout Shizu's explanation. "You definitely have a fair amount of points and views Shizu. I'm proud that the little shy academy student I met just a couple years ago has grown into such a fine member of the Onmitsukido and as a Shinigami. You do me proud as your Captain. Now I''ll let you why I made the decisions that I did."

Kimiko inhaled thinking for a moment as this was a very professional moment between the two of them perhaps she should show Shizu more respect and return to her true form. She allowed the thought to pass noticing long ago and once again when she had first entered the office the Shziu was more relaxed around her in this form. Perhaps the girl liked adorable things like small animals.

"You're correct Shizu over the last few years Soul Society has been under attack by many of our adversaries. It had without a doubt weakened Soul Society as a whole and while aiding other Divisions in their duties such as scouting, war and law enforcement the facts still remain that our duty is to make sure that Shinigami remain true to the path we all walk." Kimiko paused remembering how this conversation had been reversed only a year ago just prior to when she had made the changes.

Kimiko hadn't been the sole choice in the changes of the Onmitsukido as many believed. "You should take pride in how well you've thought things through because for the most part you're correct. The Division's resources wouldn't usually be able to handle everything that we as a unit have been undertaking. For the time being though resources aren't a problem. We are not bound by Division One nor Division 8. We of the Onmitsukido work directly under the authority of Central. They're both the source of our extended resources and part of the reason why the changes were made. Not to mention we of the Shihoin have led funding as well."

Kimiko wasn't quite sure just how much to let Shizu in on as the girl had declined her promotion and Kimiko despite being Captain was still young, not to mention she knew that Central was always keeping a close eye on things and learning that an unseated member of her Division knew everything wouldn't go over well. At the moment the only other person who knew everything about why things had changed was the Reaper of Nothingness. Well in regards to active Shinigami as the Elders knew as well.

"Believing that I made the choices that I have simply to aid my family isn't wrong Shizu as I love my family yet such a thing isn't enough to justify it to this degree. The lose of Division Two's Captain pushed Central to make me take up part of the responsibility of my little sister while the Division as a whole aid our sister Division of Two while they heal from their lose and continue to grow." Kimiko could see the look of discomfort on Shizu and patted her desk with the little tiny hands she currently possessed. "Take a seat and relax as best you can while we talk I don't wish you trouble."

"While you're correct our main purpose to is make sure that the other Divisions keep from acting against Soul Society in any regard we're not drifting away from that by splitting our focus for the time being as well. Since the changes were made the number of potential internal threats has decreased while the number of external threats being exterminated or captured as tripled. While we may be burning our fatigue there's no doubt we're making a difference in a positive way for Soul Society."

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizu paused for a moment as she eyed Kimiko. The woman seemed...intent on making themselves remain in the small form. So as she took the offered seat on the woman's desk, she did give them an incredulous look, waiting for them to finish speaking before she settledf in and then picked Kimiko up, or tried to, and set them in her lap. "I would transform as well if only to protest you being this small." She wouldn't admit that she actually liked the squirrel form. It was the form Kimiko had been the closest to her in. "But Sadly your office is too small for that." She murmured lightly, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked up at the ceiling.

"Captain. Resources are not only in reference to funds and materials. The Onmitsukido is an elite squad. And because of the psychological strain that many of our members must face, not only do we have a high turnover rate for troops that are active or in reserve, but we also have the lowest acceptance ratings, accepting only those who are very preciely tuned to our ideals, and who show a strong knack ofr adhering to doctrine. Most of our applicants are directed to Squad two. And while that does increase the quality of our members, that ALSO means that we have a much smaller roster compared to any other squad. So under normal circumstances, most of our squad is active or out in the field doing recon work on the Gotei. THAT is the resource to which I am referring, a resource we cannot simply divide needlessly. For every member that we divert away from missions to do these....alternative jobs, not only are we taking them away from the active surveilance roster, but we are also not allowing them to be in reserve, resting up physically and psychologically for when they wil next be needed to fufill their duty." She noted sternly.

Sighing, she shook her head. "We can trust any shinigami to attack an enemy. Any shinigami can go under cover and collect intel. But ONLY an onmitsukido squad member can do OUR job. And as such we can't afford to be spending our men on jobs that ANY of the other combat squads can accomplish on their own. At least not in such a massive way that you have proposed." She noted and closed her eyes. "I could see this as being incredibly short term. Perhaps a month or two at best. But past that, we WILL suffer. The officers, the Rank and File, and you as well. Because for every one of our few members who takes on some other mission, that's longer that they need to recover to be ready for our squad-specific jobs. And since our job CANNOT be postponed? That means that our agents have to get to work tired, strained, or compromised. And that is unacceptable. It doesn't matter how rare insurrection is. The past has taught us that even a single shinigami can cause irreparable damage to our entire society." She murmured, in direct reference to kouhai, and in a firm stance that she was opposed to this splitting of operations, in ANY capacity.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Well if nothing else Kimiko was happy to see that Shizu despite living the life of an assassin away from the majority of the comforts that so many other shinigami got to enjoy, was still just the same girl as she had been while graduating the academy. This was the Onmitsukido the section of Soul Society dedicated to making sure that all of the others kept in line and those that didn't were either imprisoned or simply eliminated.

It was good to hear that Shziu had learned how to transform herself into what Kimiko had heard was a massive white snake. It wasn't hard to assume that the rumor or rather report about it was true given the knowledge of her tails before many others knew of them. It just proved to the Captain that should Shizu be led into a trap or outnumbered by an enemy on assignment she had more than a single trump card to use against them. It simply led the Captain to both place more faith in her as a subordinate similar to another subordinate who some times she thought perhaps could defeat her.

The conversation continued and just as it had gone so far Shizu continued to provide very informed opinions on the matter of the changes to the Onmitsukido. Kimiko wasn't sure why this smart little Shinigami didn't accept the offer of promotion. She was definitely suited and yet she wanted to stay in the lower rankings despite being on the power level of a Vice Captain already. Perhaps in time though she would change her decision especially if she believed that the members of the Division were being worked to the bone unable to keep up with the demands of the additional duties.

"You're not entirely wrong Shizu as you point out several very good points. You're just not looking deep enough into the issues of the current time though. Tell me how many traitors of Soul Society in the last hundred years have caused massive problems for Soul Society as a whole? Sonken Kouhai, Guujin Karai, Takashi Kuchiki or perhaps even the Shinigami that suddenly vanish without a trace and in their place a new threat appears. Zeich Yajuu disappeared only a short time ago yet someone in the human world has been seen utilizing a zanpakuto identical to what he possessed. There are dozens of shinigami that have left and turned into either outright enemies or potential trouble."

"By positioning ourselves closer to all of the other Division not just monitoring them like the Onmitsukido always has, but actually fighting beside them we gain a more intimate knowledge of them. You know as well as any Onmitsukido member that any potential threat to Soul Society is to be assessed, judged and then either contained or eliminated. Not only do we strengthen Soul Society by acting in more areas we keep it safer as well. You're right that the numbers of the Onmitsukido aren't enough to keep this new adjustment up a long period of time. That's why certain members have been picking up the slack of patrol duties in order to allow rest to those who need it."

"Let me ask you this Shizu. Do you trust all of the other Divisions completely?" Kimiko would wait for Shizu to answer and then smiled whether she answered yes or no. "I don't and neither does Central Forty-Six. Over the last few years to many attacks have occurred from within. There's still one or more traitors of Soul Society within our walls. You know that I'm not as strict when it comes to potential threats to Soul Society as many other Captains." Kimiko was obviously referring to the fact that she knew Shizu was unique, still possessing aspects of when she was a Hollow.

"Allowing true threats to Soul Society to stay is unacceptable though. Kouhai likely has loyalist in hiding that have been effecting Soul Society long before his retreat. They aren't the only threat though. Many others that Central wishes us to keep our eyes on at all times. Keeping the members of the Onmitsukido healthy and rested will be a very difficult if not impossible task yet I as the Captain have decided to undertake that challenge in order to protect not just Soul Society, but all of the faithful Shinigami such as yourself from those that could do harm on the front-lines. The healers of the Shihoin family have been aiding those of Division Four that are called to aid us. If you still believe that my judgment wasn't justified then ponder this for a moment. Do you believe every report from every assignment that other Divisions undertake simply because they're checked by Division Nine?"

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizu couldn't help but be....disappointed. She listened to Kimiko, as the woman laid out her own....ideals and such about how the squad should be run. And she couldn't help but sigh softly when it was all over, rubbing her eyes. "All the more reason to keep a closer look on those that we still have. That is not the point of the onmitsukido. We aren't supposed to go hunting down criminals that have already defected. We have squads FOR that. And if I am being fully honest Captain....I think the main thing is that you simply don't belong in Onmitsukido. You were the Captain of the Police force. And THAT is what I see in you." She explained.

She got up and gently picked the woman up, shaking her head as she looked at the squirrel. "You hate this. You've changed. You used to be happy. Playful. Energetic. and now you're buried in paperwork because your Lieutenant is all but nonexistent. and you're chomping at the bit to go out and fight the enemy. You're not suited for this duty. I understand that you don't feel that the way we used to do things was the right way to go, but it was that way for a reason, Captain. You were forced here by a dead tradition. Your stealth skills are the same as mine, an unseated officer. Or a Fifth seat, as you seemed to believe I deserved." She took a moment and closed her eyes.

"I understand feeling bound by tradition, but you're the head of the Shihouin now. You should transfer to Squad 2. It's more suited to your talents. The duty of the Onmitsukiddo is a delicate one. And the woman I met at the acadamy was not delicate. And ?I was quite fond of that." She pointed out, deciding to.....gloss over Kimiko's apparent belief that Kouhai had people in their ranks. If that were actually true then their forces would not have taken down Two espada in the last few months, one of whom had been captured. IF they had someone on the inside, then the captured espada would have been broken out quietly and silently. Not in the hellstorm that they had actually been sprung via. The notion that Kouhai had spies was insipid. But she wasn't here to argue. She just wanted Kimiko to be where she belonged.

"It would be better to bend tradition, and go where your guts tell you, than to try and bend the Punishment force into something it's not. Especially with it wearing down our members as it is. You're not wrong. You're not a bad Captain for thinking the way you do. Wanting to charge into danger and confront the enemy, the ones who have betrayed soul society. The Gotei needs a captain like you. The Onmitsukido does not." She explained softly, setting the woman back down, assuming that they hadn't already freed themselves. She hoped that Kimiko knew she was trying to help. Not just her, but her squad. Ironically she had only ever wanted to join the Onmitsukido because....well she had been killing Shinigami for as long as she could remember. It was what she was good at. But somewhere along the line. she had actually grown fond of the squad itself.

And now, she found herself in this situation. She just hoped that her word could do some good.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

If nothing else Shizu was willing to listen even if it was becoming obvious that no matter who she phrased it or what she told her, that she could reveal she just wasn't going to come around. It was silly in a way or perhaps a better word for it would be ironic. In Kimiko's eyes she hadn't really seen Shizu as someone who followed the code and rules to the letter feeling that the Onmitsukido couldn't handle everything that she had changed yet she wasn't sure Shizu would have been fine with any sort of change.

The ironic thing about all of this was simply that Shizu herself was so unique among the shinigami. Perhaps a few centuries ago if someone had been found with high spiritual potential yet possessed a physical body much like her own with abilities similar to her than Kimiko knew one of two things would have been done. The person would have either been captured and imprisoned in order to secure that they couldn't bring about any sort of issue or they would have simply been eliminated for the same reason.

The last few years had changed her so much it wasn't something that only the servants and other Shihoin realized now as even Kimiko at this moment could tell that while she sat here willing to listen to everything Shizu had to say to her she knew in the past this wouldn't be as easy. Shizu was being honest and still doing her best to say what she was without being harmful yet Kimiko still couldn't help, but feel somewhat insulted along with aggravated.

A few years ago when she had been a seated officer or simply when she had been a typical shinigami. Shizu would have been receiving a mouthful back out of anger and than more than likely a fight would have broken out between them. Staying calm and accessing everything was a skill that unlike many of the others she had developed and picked up was still fresh although it still had more than a fair amount of room to grow.

She would let Shizu finished speaking and exhale slightly feeling like no matter how she voiced her reasoning with what could be reveal Shizu simply wouldn't accept them. It was saddening, annoying, down right infuriating yet it was honest and Kimiko couldn't ask for anything greater. She spoke as if tradition was a prison for Kimiko yet in the eyes of the Shihoin head Tradition was bond at least at the moment by her. Previous Captains would have punished a subordinate for speaking to them as such or even doubting them. The Onmitsukido placed success above all else including the lives of its members and if Central deemed something than even the Captain couldn't disobey.

"While I appreciated how forward you've been Shizu. There are things that you don't know about the situation. While yes I transferred into the Onmitsukido due to the disappearance of my cousin the previous Captain. Me being the Captain isn't simply out of tradition. It is for the betterment of the Shihoin, the Division and Soul Society as a whole. This Division cannot be left without a Captain nor can I allow the faithful followers of my family to be corrupted by a different family once again."

"I may have changed many different things about the Division for the time being many of them were not my own design though. Whether or not you choose to accept what has become of the Division is something that only you can decide. As for me being different than how I was when we first met." Kimiko paused a moment pondering just how much she had changed. "Yes I may get upset or tired with the responsibility of looking after my Family, the Division and myself. I am still very happy and energetic when the time allows. At the moment I simply don't have much assistance due to the . . slow nature of The Reaper of Nothingness at the moment as well as my actual assistant catching a cold. If you wish to see me more often with a smile on my face than I can only suggest you accept the promotion I previously offered and help me finish the dreadful work quicker."

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

True, Shizu did not seem too keen on Kimiko's answers. Especially since they ammounted to 'But I wanna fight them head on', and 'they'll be fiiine' in response to 'this isn't our job' and 'this exhausts our very limited very elite members with a ton of extra duties that are supposed to be soul society's job'. Indeed, Shizu had not found Kimiko's explanations satisfactory. And she had to admit that Kimiko responded to the mention of her changing her Captaincy. She hardly expected Kimiko to up and go 'maybe you're right I'll go be in another squad'. However she did frown at the woman's reasoning. "The fact that we've BEEN under your influence is more important than allowing another family control over the Onmitsukido?!" Maybe Kimiko wasn't angry, but Shizuyoko sure was getting there.

She hated this. This was why she had always had to kill them. For so so so long. Shinigami being in situations they didn't belong, and staying because of honor. Kimiko had not even argued. she hadn't denied that she was NOT cut out for this line of work. She KNEW that she wasn't cut out to be the stealth commander. She KNEW that this new direction was against what the point of the Onmitsukido was in the first place. But she either didn't care, or she was letting outside forces keep her there. Or rather allowing the PRIDE of her family get in the way of it. And deep deep in her heart.... Shizu was sad.

The thing she had enjoyed about Kimiko....the thing she had LOVED about the woman, had been how unorthodox she had been. How silly she had been. How counter to expectations. How even a noble woman of her upbringing found the time and relish to act....un-noble.... and mess around with an academy student. But in the end....she was just like every other shinigami. every other Noble. And for just a moment, Shizuyoko actually felt hurt, even a little lied to. But the moment was brief, and she let out a slow, calming sigh. She stopped being relaxed, and went right back to the stern, professional expression she had entered the room with. "Thank you for allowing me to speak Freely Ma'am. And if I might suggest, you probably need a new Vice Captain. Lieutenant Aevus has been startlingly absent. If he is not doing his job, he probably shouldn't have it. Ours is not a squad that can afford lenience. As for myself..."

She paused.

"Nothing would make me happier than to be a seated officer of the onmitsukido. But when you finally came to me and offered me the job, this squad wasn't the Onmitsukido anymore." she noted flatly and then bowed her head slightly, as if in Apology. That was the plain and simple of it. Being where she was, she could at the very least put herself into the position of assignments that had nothing to do with all of this ridiculous new stuff. Invasions of enemy territory, manhunts for traitors. It just wasn't what she'd signed up for. And as an officer, that meant that she would have to be involved with all of that.
"And with all due respect, Captain. You would have less paperwork if you hadn't given the squad all of these extra duties to perform." She stated calmly.

"Was there anything else you wished to speak to me about?"

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko despite how much of a growth she had went through in terms of her maturity was starting to get irritated with how Shizu was acting and how she was taking the reasons for what had happened to the Onmitsukido. Kimiko had her reasons as a Captain and as the Head of the Shihoin to make the changes that she did. She could tell that Shizu was beginning to get aggravated herself and such wasn't a good thing for it seemed to just feed her own irritation.

Picking out the fact that Kimiko had brought her family into the reasoning and speaking like that immediately made everything else unimportant was enough that as the Head of her family Kimiko could feel the heat in her heart rising. She had always liked Shizu yet right now she was being disrespectful whether she meant to be or didn't and normally while Kimiko didn't expect as much respect as others Captain or nobles, but when it came to her family Kimiko was very different.

This was just getting so aggravating no matter what she said Shizu was believing what she wanted to believe and not what she was being told. It was clear that this was pointless and she was going to keep what was in her head there despite being given reason that had been accepted by virtually all of the Onmitsukido members that knew about them. The conversation was coming to an end and it was clear that neither of them were happy with it or the other.

"You're not wrong my Lieutenant is incredibly lazy and many other Divisions wouldn't put up with it. The Onmitsukido needs members that are active and ready. He may not be all that useful in terms of documentation yet when it comes to assignments he is perhaps the best. He is invaluable as an agent of the shadows. I am thankful for your honesty if only I had your trust as well. I hope in time you'll see that what has been done is for the betterment of Soul Society."

[Shizuyoko Toraumi]

Shizu was....well probably being unreasonable. Perhaps she was even romanticizing what the Onmitsukido was. she had taken it seriously, about it's sole, singular, absolute duty. She had treated it like a dogma, an absolute. Something that superceded EVERYTHING else. A focus for her entire life. And it just....didn't turn out that way. The original purpose, or at least the one she knew was being pushed aside. Kimiko had even admitted that she was more suited for direct confrontation. That should have been the end shouldn't it? She figured that it was reasonable, that the woman would be where she belonged.

But that didn't seem the case. She was captain, and she could do what she wanted. and that meant changing the Onmitsukido. And for a moment, Shizu....faltered. Her brows knit, not in anger but in....confusion. Concern. Dread and realization. There was nothing she could do about this. It wasn't like one of the other squads. She couldn't just appeal to the Central 46. She couldn't even try and challenge Kimiko for captaincy, the squad followed the shihouin family. That was the final and the ultimate. The squad she had known was just....gone. And there was nothing she could honestly do to get it back.

She remained silent, and she felt .... a hatred. For squad seven. Even for Squad Six. The gotei had been founded with the omni as the sole cvheck, only partially sharing its duties with squad 2. but....fucking sozen. It made sense. She had no idea if it was true, but dilluting the duties of the Onmitsukido was probably exactly what had helped him gain so much power and get away with so much. If their job was also carried by two other squads, their jurisdiction grew smaller and smaller. Central 46 had a smaller say in actions. Instead of them making the decisions on intenral affairs, it was the 13 court guard squads. Where Sozen could control it however he wanted. But now that Sozen was gone, the duties remained dilluted, and ...now all of this? This happened.

Two other squads already handled their job, so why not broaden? And Shizu hated it. Even if she was wrong, and something else had caused such a laughable dillution of duty. What was the point? If the only ones policing the gotei were themselves, what was t he point of doing this? And then.....it budded up. Something that had died out. Something she had buried under her pride of her job, and her adoration for her peers: Her hatred of shinigami. How could they let something so ridiculous happen? And looking back up at Kimiko....what was she supposed to do now? Kimiko was not only a Captain, but a head of the family in chargew of her squad. She could do whatever she fucking pleased.

She could change squads. But to where? To Squad seven? That would somewhat defeat the purpose. She didn't have the skills for kido korps. And Squad 2? Another noble stamp. Kimiko's cousin was the Vice Captain there, and she doubted that it would even work. What was she going to do? Force Squad seven to change it's purpose? Resegregate the internal affairs network of soul Society? She could change one squad, but she couldn't change them all. No matter what she did, it just wasn't going to work out. And she didn't know what to do. Or let alone even say. Kimiko obviously wasn't going to go back on her decision, let alone change squads. And there honestly was nothing she could do around it. The only place in soul society she felt like she belonged, and now she didn't belong there. Not only that but she could almost smell Kimiko's aggravation.

Looking up she could tell that the woman wasn't happy with her. Just like how Kimiko could probably sense how conflicted Shizuyoko felt. She didn't know what to do. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!? She couldn't even say to the captain that she was going to go to another squad, where else would she go? She hung her head and closed her eyes. For the betterment of soul society. She almost curled her lip at that. "Thank you for hearing me out, Captain. If....you have nothing else you'd like to discuss with me. I think I'd like to go back to the barracks."

[Kimiko Shihoin]

It wasn’t surprising with how things had played out. Although she knew that Shizu hadn’t taken the changes to the Onmitsukido well she hadn’t been expecting the girl to be so set in her own opinions. Perhaps this was how Okami had seen her when she had first become a shinigami and even before. Who was she kidding if Okami ever thought of her like that his opinion more than likely hadn’t changed.

It was clear though that all of the positive aspects of the conversation were long past. Shizu wasn’t having it and although she stayed professional in appearance it was obvious she didn’t want to be here anymore. Kimiko wasn’t the best judge of emotion or character, but she knew frustration and could tell by the look in her eyes that Shizu was angry. There wasn’t anything she could do about it though so the best thing to do was let Shizu cool off and hope to try again with better results. Perhaps with time she may see the necessity of the alterations, but if not Kimiko would just have to accept it. She couldn’t now change the Onmitsukido back even if she wanted with Central pushing her to keep up what was being done.

“Go ahead.” Kimiko wanted to say more to tel Shizu that she hoped she could come around with time, but doing so felt like she would be talking down to her. Kimiko by all rights had every right to do so as her Captain nevertheless though she knew how frustrating it was to receive such and how little it actually helped. Right now if she did such chances were it would simply increase the negative impact that this meeting had caused. She would simply have to wait and hope that Shizu would come around and believe in her and not her own opinions.