Inquiring about the nature of the Soul (JT/Social)

[Deleted]

As Anthony sit in his bed the rays of the sun finally came into his room. Normally Anthony would have awoken in the barracks, albeit with some difficulty as getting himself up from the floor mats and into his wheelchair was easier said than done. Today though Anthony found himself in the main Kuchiki manor in his old room no less. He just didn’t feel comfortable staying at the squad 1 barracks given his decision. What decision could make him so uncomfortable in a barracks he’d been with since he joined the Soul society? A decision to transfer to another squad. Ever since his encounter with Zahra his own squad never looked at him the same. Hell none of them even showed up to visit him while he had been in the hospital, aside from his Vice Captain practically telling him to quit in not so gentle words. Anthony frowned as he thought back on that, the man was always such an asshat to begin with and to just hear that while he was still coming to terms with losing his legs and hearing just threw Anthony over the top. Thankfully his doctor had come in at that time and was more than easily able to diffuse the situation by politely demanding the other to leave.



But even still that moment alone had planted the seed. If his squad cared so little then why was he apart of them? Squads were meant to pick one another up when they were down and yet they just left him to the wolves. Granted. . . he had still been fairly new so he wasn’t super well known but even still there were enough that should have known him or even been somewhat concerned. Regardless the answer was simple in Anthony’s mind. He was weak. Pathetically so. And with a squad that wasn’t supposed to show weakness like Anthony had it made all the more sense that they just dropped him. Let alone tried to get rid of him. But why then was such a decision to leave so hard? It should have been easy right? He should have been able to cut ties without much difficulty and yet it ached and ate away at him mentally. The answer only came just a few hours prior that evening. It felt like he was giving up, giving into what they wanted. Which perhaps he was. It’s not like being asked to leave and then heading to a new squad was anything terribly different. The only major distinction was that he would be remaining a shinigami instead of returning to the rukongai or the kuchiki.



This resentment however wasn’t limited to his superiors or even his squadmates. In fact if he were honest most of it wasn’t even aimed at them it was much more internal. He was furious with himself for being as weak as he was. As he had been. He had large spiritual reserves for his age and rank but that was about it. He had no fine control of it prior and even now his control was only average. With no legs he couldn’t run so he became inherently far slower and physically much weaker. His only other noticeable gain was his ability to be mediocre at sensing other energies. Which eye opening yes was not something he could see being immensely helpful currently. So what did all this make him? Sub par at best compared to his peers with seemingly an impossible mountain to climb in order to even reach the average shinigami. Which brings us back to why Anthony had even considered trying for a squad transfer. If he was going to be at such a disadvantage from the get go then what was the best path to take? How could he improve and grow despite his current condition?



He had to learn. Learning was not something Anthony had ever been truly fond of. Hell he hadn’t even been a terribly smart person to start with, aside from a few niche subjects. Subjects that 9/10 didn’t aid anyone let alone himself. However despite his physical limitations his mind was not limited, at least not by anything outside his control. Anthony had to come to terms with the fact he needed more knowledge and his time with Kyomei in the hospital proved that. Kyomei’s power didn’t stem from simply being a raw force of nature, it stemmed from his mind that knew countless kido, knew how to apply various theories and ideas of kido, and even knew how to creatively create new techniques/strategies. Anthony already knew that he needed to follow Kyomei’s path, that he needed to train spiritually but it had only recently been dawned on him that he needed to also train his mind. If he was going to be abandoned by his squad then he needed to learn to stand. . . sit on his own merits. The kuchiki had a plentiful array of books, tomes, and many other archives for which Anthony could prowl around in. Hell he’d already started by just looking into the various memories of other prominent Kuchiki and trying to understand how they thought. Alongside a few books on general kido fundamentals that he found here and there. It was small but it was the best start he could get in his current situation.



This was how Anthony had been for the past few weeks. Attempting to learn how to become a sponge when it came to knowledge. Trying to spend as much time as he could reading, sometimes searching for spaces to try basic kido. Most of which he had to keep the book in front of him for since his memory wasn’t super strong either. Try as he might though there were still several significant problems he gradually became aware of. First and foremost his duties to his squad were coming between him and the knowledge he desired. Sure he couldn’t be the cleaning boy for everything anymore but he still got random and time consuming tasks such as being a human messenger for the various different officers of his squad. This only compounded his second problem that he had no real time or space to try and apply these fundamental knowledge. And all the while he was still looked down upon. He could feel it from all around him when he rolled himself from one place to the next. He tried to live with it for several weeks assuming it was just jarring to see a crippled shinigami around. It definitely wasn’t the “ideal” form by any stretch of the imagination. The pressure however eventually came to a tipping point when he was trying to help a seated officer and someone even newer than himself arrived to replace him almost immediately under said officers orders. To be so incredibly useless and worthless to his division that they’d take someone even more junior than himself shattered what little pride he had left.



Thus Anthony grew more distant and finally came to terms with the idea that he needed to leave. Not the seireitei and definitely not the soul society but his squad. For the next couple weeks Anthony spent his time learning about the different squads to figure out where he would best fit in and where he could grow best. The choices came to 2 squads. Squad 6 and squad 12. Squad 6 was his families squad and currently held by his rival and family head. To be honest it made the most sense logically to go there. He knew being a kuchiki let alone having Kyomei be his captain would allow him the freedom he needed to learn and adjust to his new way of life. And better yet his family would support it. Something he had to admit might come in handy given the Kuchiki had their hands in at least a little bit of everything. But the major problem as well as boon was Kyomei. Anthony while he admired him never wanted to remain in his shadow. He was his rival out of pure respect and admiration and as such it would go against a lot of what Anthony stood for if he gave in and let Kyomei or his squad be his crutch. There was no recognition that could be gained for himself while he remained within Kyomei’s squad. And while it’s vast records could serve to be immensely helpful at the end of the day Anthony had availability to said tomes at his leisure. He didn’t need to join them simply for that.



The choice then was obvious. Squad 12 was the only squad that Anthony could transfer to in good conscience. Though it held many dubious rumors and even more perhaps morally questionable people there could be no doubt in their results. Every member in that squad, save for any of the younger recruits, had achieved something. Something that could stand them out from the rest amongst nearly anyone else in the soul society. But the real reason, the honest reason, Anthony felt this squad was where he needed to go was because it solved the problems he currently faced. Anthony needed knowledge and even though he had an extensive amount of knowledge at his beck and call the knowledge procured by squad 12 was kept within its confines. Only their members, and with permission other captains, could access the knowledge they had. And as if that wasn’t enough there were rumors about the various different labs where one could apply what they’ve learned. Seemingly infinite according to the rumor granted that aspect was false. But even while false it was a testament to just how much space there was to test any number of theories or ideas at.



With a groan Anthony shook all the thoughts plaguing his mind at that moment and put them to the side. He needed to get a move on lest he spend yet another day lost in his thoughts and regrets. And today of all days he couldn’t do that. He needed to overcome his prior failings and take a serious step in the right direction. He needed to start the process and see if squad 12 would even be willing to take him. And that required him to get out of his bed and into his wheelchair, let alone be at least somewhat presentable. He was a mess currently with his hair all over the place, sloppily dressed clothes and if he was honest he even smelled a bit. Enough that even he had to frown at himself internally. First thing’s first that smell HAS to go. Thank god I have all day to go talk with them because this will take a hot minute. With a a struggle and a few groans, moans, and colorful commentary Anthony managed to get himself to his wheelchair and ultimately out the bedroom to get himself cleaned up.



A couple hours later and Anthony was about as ready as he could be. His shikasho as properly worn as was possible considering he dressed himself and his features far more lively than earlier. And even better he’d managed to wheel himself straight up to squad 12’s gatehouse. In truth it was a bit surprising due to how normal it was given a lot of rumors talked about how odd the squad was in design even. Looking around Anthony spied no guards in particular aside from those which were walking on the second floor. Guess I’ll just keep moving on since the front door’s been left open. One more look around just to make sure he didn’t have to identify himself and with no one stopping him he simply continued on. The interior layout past the gate seemed pretty typical also. A couple training rings, a barracks with a hole in the roof- Is that a damn hole in their sleeping quarters?? Alright scratch that there’s a literal chunk of the damn thing missing. Anthony’s face showed visible surprise as he knew there was no attacks on the Soul Society so why on god’s green earth was there a large hole in the building? Relax Anthony, just because they have a hole in the roof doesn’t mean you need to lose your resolve. It’s not as though things can’t happen. Besides it’ll be repaired soon anyway. Let’s move on.



A deep breath and his mind putting that small detail on the backburner had Anthony on his way in only a few moments. It didn’t take but a moment for him to find the squads main entrance to a 3 story building. To be honest the size alone had Anthony impressed given only nobles had builds that big, with a few exceptions, and this particular building was NOT small in any sense. He was surprised again when he found their sliding doors to be made of glass and metal something Anthony had only vaguely seen in the human world. Given how behind the times the Seireitei normally was this alone already had him caught off guard. Strolling in further he found two desks only one of which had a person readily available to talk with. His surprise was evident yet again as he found himself staring on accident. Green hair. Surgical mask could be debated as necessary depending on what she did in particular but green hair? That also threw him for a loop. And here I thought we had a dress code as shinigami. Squad 1 always threw fits about being “in proper attire” and yet her hair cannot be in reqs. Stop it Anthony you’re staring. Ignore the curious green hair and lets go talk to her about where we need to go. The remaining curious interior was lost from here on with Anthony as he made his way over toward the unique female. Trying to not to stare at her hair which truthfully really suited her with that particular shade of green.



Once over he smiled softly and cleared his throat, mostly to remind him he did have a voice still. “Excuse me, umm. I’m not entirely sure where to go from here but would you be able to tell me who I need to talk to about a potential division transfer? I’ve. . well I’ve not started the process yet so I’m a bit of an unannounced show up. Hopefully that won’t be too much of a problem.” Anthony felt like he was rambling. His nerves were starting to get to him already as his guilt about trying to transfer was building up inside. He managed to push it down deeper inside himself but he could still feel it ache lightly. With that out the way he managed to give the rest of his focus to the female hopeful that their interaction would be brief. He really didn’t want to waste her time let alone become a nuisance, especially when he was a random shinigami that just strolled up with not even a single document to help the transferring process. He considered if he needed to bring anything but ultimately didn’t even know how he managed to get approved to join Squad 1. He’d simply showed interest while in the academy so he hoped that this was all he needed for Squad 12.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Squad 12 was as it usually was today. On most days, the division ran like clockwork, or at least appeared to. People were where they were supposed to be, and there were no visible explosions from outside the barracks, or deadly viruses accidentally being released on Soul Society. It was doing quite well! No lethal incidents in the past two weeks! ....Which was still a sight worse than most divisions but hey, you can't make scientific progress without a few accidents Note that the no lethal incidents explicitly does not include horrifying mutations or individuals otherwise being trapped in states worse than death. All manner of inventions and techniques were being tested out in the open barracks. The barracks' courtyard often served as a bit of a demo or advertisement for Squad 12, and often Shinigami with the safer inventions or more interesting ones were generally given approval to perform courtyard tests like this. It attracted the eyes of newcomers. Today, there was a Shinigami with bright white hair, putting up a rectangular shield in the style of the Roman Scutum, with a laminated, reflective coating, standing out in the courtyard today, off to the right. "Byakurai! Shakkaho! Shakkaho!" About thirty feet away from the shielded Shinigami, another male, with long blonde hair and glasses was firing Kido, which were, for lack of a better word, "splashing" on the shield and dissipating into reishi.

Another group nearby were taking notes on a Shinigami wearing a strange looking red and silver suit. "And three... two... one.... Test!" As they declared "test" the Shinigami in the suit, seemingly disappeared into thin air. The group waited with bated breath for several minutes, before, suddenly, the Shinigami reappeared in front of them. "Nice work! How'd it feel!?" Overall, science and testing was happening in the courtyard, and it seemed that was just how Squad 12 liked it. The division of science. The division of progress. The division most likely to kill you before your first week was out.

Once Anthony entered the barracks and proceeded to the recruitment officer, he might have been astonished by their uniform but really? Squad 12 valued self-expression. Granted that usually was through your research, but Aramis did not adhere to any form of dress code, nor enforce it in his division. As long as you could show you were Squad 12, dress as you wished. All people were different. No one size fit all. So why force people to work and act like faceless mooks? It was pointless. As Anthony approached the girl at the recruitment desk beamed at him. Even through her surgical mask that much was apparent. "Goood nom-nom-nomming!" She exclaimed in a bubbly tone of voice, and making an enthusiastic wave at him. "Welcome to the twelfth division, the best division in the Gotei 13!" She practically bounced as Anthony explained why he was here, seeming to grow more excited with every word he said. "Ooooo! You want to join! That's great! Usually the people I talk to make some weird comment like "Why would I want to join the nerd division!" or "Oh, so are you guys running low on lab rats or something!?" She said, lowering her voice into a bad impersonation of some deep-voiced male. "I dunno what they're talking about! We've got lots of lab rats! See!?" At this she opened a drawer and indeed, procured a relatively large rat, that ran up her arm to her shoulder, and sat there, staring at Anthony with beady little eyes. "Awww.... Pepper likes you!" She bubbled at Anthony. "So you want to join us! No problem, no appointment needed! I just neeeeeeeed...." Suddenly her eyes changed, becoming intensely focused, as she reached into a drawer at her desk and procured a series of papers.

"I will need you to fill out these forms here." She said, placing them in front of Anthony. "Nothing much, nothing major, just a few signatures, what division you're transferring from, and this one will need to be signed by your Captain or Vice Captain to note they approve the transfer. We got in trouble once for taking some Shinigami from other divisions without a supervior's permission. Captain Tezuka apparently got an earful about it. Especially when we couldn't return two of them in the condition they'd left the division in..." She seemed in thought on that for a moment. "Anyways! Fill these out and I'll grab Captain Tezuka for your interview. He'll want to know exactly why you're leaving your division and why our division in particular. You're not a spy are you?" At this, Erika leaned far over her desk, pushing her face uncomfortably close into Anthony's personal bubble, making eye contact and staring intently.

The rat on her shoulder sneezed.

"Aaaaanyways if you have any questions, let me know. Oh! And here are our division's rules of conduct!" She exclaimed, grabbing another paper and sliding it to Anthony. On the paper was listed the basic code of conduct for Squad 12. Erika let Anthony finally have some space and breathing room, and leaned back as she watched him, while petting the rat on her shoulder a few moments, before taking it off and putting it back in her desk. The papers Anthony had been given were pretty straightforward. Not a lot of lawyer talk or anything like that. It was a simple waiver and consent form, expressing that Anthony was joining Squad 12 of his own volition, and that if his application was accepted, would follow the rules and regulations set down by the Captain of the Division, and that he would endeavor to represent the Division well to the best of his abilities. Pretty straightforward to be honest. There was a line at the bottom for his signature, and then a second form to fill out with personal details including full name, original division, current rank, the reason he was joining Squad 12, blood type, date of birth, and a small blurb for a brief description of his Zanpakuto and abilities as a Shinigami. There was a second line for his signature, only on this one there was also a line for the signature of either his Captain or his Vice Captain.

[Deleted]

Guilt. Nervousness. Anything that had been plaguing Anthony earlier was pretty easily dashed away by the female recruitment officer when she spoke. And all it took was her first sentence. "Goood nom-nom-nomming!" Anthony’s eyes widened a bit out of shock. This place was seriously a no rules sort of place it seemed. She was incredibly bubbly and cheery from the get go but it wasn’t faked. Anthony had been around fake cheery, your sales associates if you will for the Soul Society. This was legitimate joy in a physical body that made it this far in it’s life. That or she was insane. Anthony genuinely preferred the former because the latter was actually rather terrifying given he’d never be able to look at her the same way. Still regardless of his initial shock he relaxed pretty quickly, even going so far as to laugh at her impression of a brute male. If he was honest it reminded him of Squad 11 and their literal meat heads they called people. Also a squad that was never quite to his liking but he always had to give them that their camaraderie was definitely up there amongst the squads. That said though he was very quickly brought back to the task at hand when the tone of the officers voice as well as her eyes quickly changed.

The once up beat and bubbly look quickly shifted to something far more serious. He could only really call it something akin to a “researcher look” given how intense it was. Not to mention the way she pulled all the paperwork up and just shifted through it with ease like this was easy compared to the amount of papers she’d already dealt with. He listened quite but focused on the task at hand. Once she finished collecting it all he took it onto his lap and pulled out a spare pen he had for this occasion. First thing’s first though he began looking it over and reading through it. His mother, Lady Hisano, beat it VERY deeply into his head that he needed to get into habit about reading and understanding paperwork. She’d often recall the times it would put family members or her old squad mates into various binds. With a quick overview done he was just about to get started on seriously looking these over when her tone of voice changed again. "Anyways! Fill these out and I'll grab Captain Tezuka for your interview. He'll want to know exactly why you're leaving your division and why our division in particular. You're not a spy are you?"

She got so close to his face that even her surgical mask wasn’t stopping the air she breathed from hitting him. Not to mention the look in her eye again wasn’t pleasant. She could have said she looked at his soul for the answer and he’d have believed her. He could have sworn she had peeled him to the core with that look alone. But when the rat sneezed she returned to her previous self and Anthony could finally breathe again. He stared at the paperwork for a moment as he regained his breath glad she wasn’t looking at him like a test subject anymore. When he composed himself he started reading the paperwork and finally took the moment to speak again. “I’m not sure how often people come in as spies but I guarantee you nobody wouldn’t pick me. I mean it’s not like you see a crippled shinigami that often you know? Heh. . . He glanced down as he continued reading, eyes getting a bit more dull as more heavy emotions weighed him down. The next statement only came out as a whisper which while only meant for Anthony to hear would probably be heard by the recruitment officer given how quiet it was in the barracks. “Besides my own squad thought I was worthless anyway. . .”

Anthony shook his head and took a deep breath, bringing him back to his prior demeanor. When he looked up she had already placed the pamphlet in front of him. It was important to read but he decided to leave it on the desk for now so he could really start tackling the small stack he had to deal with. In truth most of it was just reading so he took his time silently going over it. One hand holding up his head while the other held the papers. One of the few benefits of being in a wheelchair was that he had an arm rest at his disposal. Once he got through most of the reading heavy portions he finally got to the page about personal information. This would be the easy part and the part he needed to not fuck up the most. One small error and he’d be screwed. Alright let’s get started on this… Name? Easy that’s never changed. Hopefully being a Kuchiki won’t matter. . . . . Squad 1 going to squad 12 yup. Otherwise I’m in the wrong place. . . .Reason. . . This is where he got stumped. It wasn’t that he DIDN’T know why he was joining it was the fact he had to tell. Because in Anthony’s mind you didn’t just change squads on a whim so he needed a serious reason to even start this talk.

He frowned at this as he continued to think about how to write it down properly. He didn’t want to look like he was throwing blame to his division. He didn’t even want a pity party out to of this. He just wanted to get the simple fact of what happened down on the paper. And yet it wasn’t just that simple was it? To leave what was supposed to be his first “family” or simply his first job was a lot harder than he imagined it would be. And that was without his conscience weighing on him. He sighed as he realized he wasn’t going to be able to not have some bias in his reason. Hell that was part of the reason he was here because he was upset at how things were so he was never going to get away from his bias. Guess I’ll just write it down. Reason(s) for Joining Squad 12: 1. Due to physical disability resulting from an encounter with a beast-clan while off duty I was asked to leave the Soul Society as a whole by Vice Captain . Remaining leadership in Squad 1 holds the same view as the Vice Captain 2. To learn and understand the nature/attributes/etc of all souls. (Hollows/Fullbringers/Quincy/etc.) using knowledge gained from the both kuchiki but also Squad 12. 3. Lastly to find something I can be useful at, learning and then aiding others in their research seems simple enough even a cripple can help. Hmm...Those seem like valid reasons. Though I’m not certain how he’ll handle the second reason...It’s not an lie but it’s nothing 90% of shinigami are alright with...Here goes nothing I suppose.

He sighed for a moment as he looked over what he wrote down. He was honest but it felt a little… biased. If he were honest anyway. Especially that last “reason” it was more like a “please let me do something useful.” Which while not a bad thing wasn’t really a reason to warrant being transferred. Not to mention it would be questionable to even take in a worker that wasn’t well liked by his prior division. It could be seen as an indicator to several more negative thoughts in Anthony’s mind. He assumed the captain of Squad 12 might think the same thing. Still worse came to worse the only thing he’d receive is a no. An application was merely a formal question from one person to another about joining them after all. Speaking of applications Anthony still had a few more things to fill in. Blood type, date of rebirth, and personal abilities. These were filled in easily enough, especially the latter because there wasn’t much Anthony could do currently. He had no Shikai, he knew ONE kido and it wasn’t even offensive, and now he was a cripple who couldn’t swing their sword or really use it at all. If anything he was worse off than even a new recruit from the academy because usually they either knew some kido and basic swordplay or were swordplay proficient and knew basic kido. Any confidence Anthony had left about himself and his basic abilities were shattered from that thought alone.

And then he saw it. The one thing that made his veins run cold with fear. A signature line that was required to be filled out by his Vice Captain or his captain. Which basically meant ONLY his Vice captain could or would sign because his actual captain was in fact the CC. Even within Squad 1 you didn’t just leisurely stroll into the CC’s office and ask for his signature on something. Let alone a freakin transfer application. Anthony couldn’t have even brought himself to do that anyway because of his large respect for the man in question anyway. It’d be like slapping him in the face and expecting you could get away with it. Noble or not Anthony would NEVER get around that. But then there was his Vice Captain… How would he even get a moment to talk to him when he had such an Elitist attitude? Let alone had already told him to leave the Soul Society as a whole. There was never going to be a good way to bring it up nor a way to avoid the insults and whatever else he’d decide to throw at him. Unbeknownst to Anthony he would have been easily seen to just be staring at the document with his face pale as a sheet. The fear was very evident in having to just look at his vice captain let alone speak with him.

After what felt like an eternity he eventually just came to terms with this fact and put that entire moment in the back of his mind. A couple deep breaths later and he’d look over at Erika before handing over the papers. “So I’ve finished signing and writing out what I can on these documents. Do I need to get the signature from my Vice Captain before I meet the Squad 12 captain or am I going to have that interview with him first? Also if I missed anything let me know, I’m only deaf so I should be able to see any errors you point out. In the meanwhile I’ll glance over this pamphlet you gave me.” The pamphlet was pretty standard run of the mill in form and even design. However that’s where standard stopped. Anthony knew to expect that they would focus on science and the like...what he didn’t expect to see was the captain allow one to bypass his or the Gotei’s permissions. Let alone the tidbit about “using other squad members as test subjects.” Anthony didn’t outwardly show it but he was the picture of stock horror in his mind. It was at this moment he was only beginning to realize just why Squad 12 had all the crazy rumors about them… And the worst fact to be concerned over? It was highly likely that several of the rumors were true. The captain’s overall rules for how he managed the squad literally just showed it to be true. Granted though like most things he’d come to notice in Squad 12 it was freeing in a way. Like not having a uniform, not having rules attached to your scientific goals was immensely freeing. And Anthony would have been lying if he didn’t already admit he could name several less savory ideas he’d be able to look into. God help me. I can’t even imagine the wheel’s I’ve willingly began turning just by asking to join. Let alone if I ACTUALLY am allowed to transfer. Fuck me.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Erika seemed completely oblivious to Anthony's surprise. Most people reacted to her this way, she probably just assumed that's how people acted. She smiled through her surgical mask, clearly exuberant with life at the time. However, the moment he retrieved the papers from her, she went back to playing with the rat on her shoulder, taking it off and playing around with the mammal on the desk, scratching it behind its ears, petting it, and wrestling it with her hand, seeming to have a very fun time of herself. For the part of the white haired Shinigami at the desk on the other side of the hall, he seemed unbothered by her display, as he merely continued to take notes, and fiddle with his papers. He had, in the time it took Anthony and the recruitment officer to have a conversation, pulled a strange, small metallic disk from his desk and was using a level to fiddle with it a little bit, opening it, and fiddling around with something inside the box, his face a mask of concentration now.

With regard to Anthony's comment about spies, Erika looked back up. "Oh definitely. We've had lots of them! Squad 7's really annoying about it with their investigations every time a dead body gets carted out of our division. They gotta find out why they died, and "Oooooo, you can't be experimenting with trying to fuse Hollows and Shinigami together. That illegal. We've found a few of their undercover agents here before." Erika crossed her arms and behind her mouth, she was pouting. "I'm pretty sure the Onmitsukido's gotten people in here too. And maybe Squad 2. People always give us the side eye as if we're so weird and dangerous just because unlike all the other divisions that just keep doing the same thing day in and day out, we actually try to push the boundaries of what's possible, and discover something new! And that sometimes to find something new, you have to bend the rules a bit, and do something a little bit dangerous. Do something that you don't know what the result will be!" She said, proudly. "Isn't that right Fredrick~" She cooed as she rolled her rat over and rubbed its belly with one finger.

When Anthony finally returned his papers, she flipped through them. Her brow furrowed in consternation as she read through his reasons for joining the squad. "You know we can fix your legs." She told him. "Oooo! Ooooo! Ooooorrrrrrr! We could give you new legs! Better legs! Do you like tentacles? We can give you tentacles! Or grasshopper legs! or robot legs! We have some working prosthetic legs in the works. Or we can cut your legs off and regrow them!" Erika was giving a pretty good indication of how messed up some of the experiments in Squad 12 were. "Buuut, I like that you want to research souls! We got lotsa people you can help with their research that you can pick up tips from! Yyyep yep yep! I can send these riiiiight along to the Captain, and have him come check you out. We can have the interview before that, sure! I juuust need to find what's going on with Captain Tezuka!" She said, and hopped up, putting Fredrick the rat in her desk. "You wait right here!" She said as she skipped off-- yes, skipped off towards the elevators. She stood inside, popping her hips back and forth to an imaginary beat that was entirely within her head. The elevator ascended towards the upper levels and disappeared into the roof.

Erika was gone for the better part of twenty minutes, before she came back down, and bounced back over to Anthony. "The Captain will see you now. Buuuut he did tell me that..." And she cleared her throat. "He's got twenty minutes, I've got a lot of research to get started on, if he wastes more of my time than that, he's joining as a test subject." She smiled and waved. "But don't worry too much. The Captain's super nice! He always starts the newbie test subjects on the tests with the lowest lethality ratings, unless they really make him angry! She said, sounding way too cheerful. "Good luck Tony! Have fun with the Captain!" She ushered him along toward the elevator.

[Deleted]

The more Anthony listened to Erika the more he was growing concerned, especially with regards to the bit about replacing his legs or chopping them off to regrow them. But in the midst of this concern for his well being he couldn’t deny his curiosity had been piqued. Most specifically when she mentioned Hollows and Shinigami getting fused. Anthony actually leaned in at that point and went as far as to interrupt Erika’s speech. “Wait back up is that possible? Merging the two races into one? If that even worked out and didn’t kill the person how would you handle the ravenous hunger that hollows deal with? Or would that hole be filled by someone of a high enough spiritual energy… That just seems so… weird. I can’t imagine yet if it did merge and worked out how would their zanpakuto act? Would the hollow exist at all? Maybe the zanpakuto is the stabilizing point in all this. Actually are you just talking physically or spiritually? By spiritually I mean the souls of the two, given the external body is just a body not unlike humans. Err… I’m sorry I’m rambling. Don’t mind me, please continue.”

After his interruption Anthony got a shade darker from his embarrassment. He normally never got into a conversation where he could genuinely find some interest in. Granted his big interests revolved around a lot of human world things such as “magic” and other things like that. Necromancy being the biggest which in part was why he wanted to learn about the soul so much. The things it inspired others to do was both awe inspiring but terrifying. And given Anthony couldn’t do anything and HAD to rely on his spiritual aspects to defend himself he needed to become an expert on the soul. And preferably the soul of others as it alone produced their releases and other race related powers. Which could in turn allow him to be far more safe because even if he didn’t know something he could connect the dots and figure out a solution in the middle of a chaotic situation. All of Anthony’s chaotic thoughts aside he listened to Erika adamantly. And even smiled genuinely and widely when he heard that there were other specialists. Something he should have expected but he had to admit he assumed that others wouldn’t be allowed to do that research… Then again with the captain’s rules… so long as they weren’t caught it was more than possible.

Anthony simply nodded as Erika skipped off to go see the captain, paperwork in toe. With a moment of quiet finally settling in Anthony started to sort through his thoughts. “Welp… it seems my area of interest isn’t so far fetched here. Hell it seems typical in a way. But I guess that makes sense given that the zanpakuto uses part of one’s soul to produce the spirit that resides within… which actually brings a good point. How does the soul survive the process twice? Certainly it’s not aggressive and it may even be slow enough to allow the soul time to recover but even still two parts missing is sort of significant. Then what happens if a zanpakuto breaks? Does one regain their soul or is it gone forever? So many questions and yet I’ve only been here for a total of 20-30 minutes at best. I guess that just goes to show just why this squad exists in the first place. I wasn’t the only one with these questions and they need answers so I guess despite all of this squads oddities this is the right place to be.

Before Anthony even finished his last thought Erika came skipping back. Her positive aura was definitely something to be impressed by. Especially when a threat was deliver and she managed to make it sound like a simple joke. Yet somehow Anthony imagined there was a very serious promise underlying that threat from Squad 12’s captain. And thus without ever having met the man in question Anthony was already intimidated. Had he not been in a chair already he would have needed to sit down for a minute. At least that was one good thing about being a cripple he always had a chair when he needed to sit down. Still best not to make such a figure wait so Anthony quickly wheeled himself over to the elevator. Impressed at the simple and ease of use. He simply had to push a button to bring himself up to the top floor, conveniently labelled “Captain’s office.” There was going to be no confusion on the matter with such a direct label directing him.

Once he reached the floor he rolled himself out to the double doors that separated him from the captain’s office. It was a strange thing to realize that he was going to talk to a captain. It made sense given the situation but even still Anthony had to admit he was nervous. He had a lot at stake just by talking to him and ultimately if he didn’t make a good impression or at least show he had worth or value he’d be auto denied. Or possibly worse yet… made into a test subject… Anthony wasn’t quite mentally ready for the latter so he could only hope that if he inevitably became the latter he’d at least be tested on in his sleep or under some kind of condition where he wouldn’t be conscious. He got the feeling though he wouldn’t be so lucky if that were the case. So without further wait he knocked on the door and waited a moment to look for anything to allow him in. Regardless if he heard nothing he’d open the door and maneuver himself to be able to enter though it’d take him a moment to do such. Once within he was taken back a bit by how… normal it was. Sure there was a workbench and a lot of paperwork. That was expected almost. But everything else was exactly what one would imagine. A small table in the center, chairs, other seats, and a rather large window he didn’t notice prior. In fact that was the weirdest part. For a building with no windows this room actually had them. And that alone gave Anthony just a little bit more comfort.

It was now or never and he definitely didn’t want to waste this man’s time so with a quick breath Anthony turned his chair towards Tezuka to speak with him. “Good morning Captain Tezuka, I’m Anthony Kuchiki. My apologies if you said something when I knocked or entered, I’m deaf so I can’t actually understand you unless I’m looking at you directly. However you’ve my full attention currently so I’ll be able to hold the conversation as though I could hear you normally.” Anthony let his greeting stop there as admittedly he didn’t know what else to say. He introduced himself and made sure he let the other know about why he was rude if at all. He couldn’t be too careful after all. Though despite his seemingly confident opening Anthony was still incredibly nervous and that charisma if any had died the moment he stopped talking. It was evident he wanted to ask “Where do we begin with this interview?” but assumed the other would tell him without him needing to ask. Not to mention he had less than the original 20 minutes that he was allotted. If he wasted even one he couldn’t make it up not when the other had a tight schedule. So he had to make every minute count and despite his nervousness, his apparent weakness with his legs and hearing, he was determined to do his best to make himself seem useful in some regard. Hopefully something more than a test subject.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Erika cheerfully bounced in place as Anthony questioned her statements. "Good, good, good! Those are the questions we want you to be asking!" She replied. "Buuuuuuuuut...." She put her finger on her mask where her lips would have normally be as if pondering an idea. "They didn't survive. We'd love to have some Vizard test subjects sometime to see how they make it work. Arrancar are the wrong way around, and we've learned about all we can regarding Shinigami and Hollow power merges from them. Vizard are the right way around though! We need to get some on our operating tables sometime and study them!" She bubbled. "Cause like. Have you ever seen that Human World movie Alien? With the chestburster thingies!? Put a mask on them and you get the results of that experiment! And there were some others, with similar results. Well. If you join the Squad you can probably request the notes and files on them!" She informed him, still sounding very cheerful, while discussing a somewhat morbid subject. This was the kind of person that Squad 12 attracted. Those with interests and views that weren't quite in-line with the rest of Soul Society.

And then she was gone, skipping off with the forms for Captain Tezuka. In the interim, Anthony would find a number of Shinigami passing to and fro through the area. He got the occasional side look from some, but most seemed to be quite literally, living in their own heads, fiddling with clipboards, or walking around, while examining some piece of machinery or-- wait, was that a Hollow mask that one was carrying? Well, before Anthony would have a chance to really get a look at any of them, particularly that last one, Erika returned, and delivered her message. She sent Anthony off with a hearty, spastic and friendly wave as he wheeled himself off toward the Elevator.

The third floor of the Barracks was mostly as Anthony had described and expected. A somewhat short hallway, leading towards small set of double doors. There were a few additional doorways along the hall as well-- more conventional than the individualized or even "sterile" doors of the labs and offices down below, but it was a fair bet that the double doors with the Kanji for "12" written across it, was probably the door to the Captain's office. As Anthony pushed himself through, the office was much as he described, but with one small detail. There was a large-backed chair behind the large desk at the back of the room. There was clearly someone in the chair, as the sleeve of a Shinigami haori was visible at the corner and it was moving. Clearly the seat was occupied. There was no immediate response to Anthony's statement however. Not even the indication he had been heard. A good several moments passed in utter silence, moments in which someone could have spoken, until the chair swiveled around, revealing the individual on the other side.

Aramis seemed a little unusual himself, in apparel. Though he wore a Captain's Haori, his uniform's right arm was sleeveless, exposing a bare arm, thin and not particularly well muscled at all. As he brought his left to rest on his desk, he revealed an exceedingly long sleeve that draped past his fingertips, like a child wearing a too-long sweater. The Haori was worn somewhat askew, as Aramis placed a small tablet on the corner of his desk, with his right hand, and seemed to pay it no further mind. The man had soft olive hair that seemed ill kept and messy, and had eyes to match his hair, which peered at Anthony for a moment. The eyes of the Captain flickered along Anthony, seeming to take in his entire appearance in a single motion. Captain Tezuka wore a pair of rectangular glasses, perched on the bridge of his nose, through which he examined the nominee to Squad 12. Apart from that though, there would be one awkward point of note. Across Aramis's lower jawline, and completely covering his mouth and the bottom of his nose, was a large black mask that somewhat resembled the lower part of a gas mask, completely masking the officer's mouth from view. Making lip reading virtually impossible. Aramis didn't speak for a moment, continuing to look at Anthony for a moment or two longer. Just to let the tension rise and see how he reacted. Then he reached up and removed the mask, breathing deeply as he did so.

"I don't particularly care if your Vice Captain asked you to leave Soul Society." He stated, his expression completely unchanging. Anthony might have been surprised by how young Aramis looked, or even, perhaps, how weak the Captain might have seemed. No doubt Anthony had once or twice seen a high ranking Shinigami clash in the training yards. Aramis's reiatsu and spirit pressure, although certainly well above that of most rank and file Shinigami, seemed quite low compared to even most Vice Captains. "Do you take this division for scavengers? Ravenously devouring unwanted scraps of other divisions?" Aramis didn't even waste time with a greeting, instead proceeding directly into Anthony's stated reasons for joining Squad 12. "F. Stating that your own division has all but disowned you does not build confidence in anything but your research ability. Squad 1 is a well respected division for its appraisal of quality." Aramis informed him brusquely.

"Your other reasons are more compelling. Particularly your secondary statement." Aramis continued, almost carelessly flipping through the paperwork with one hand, but it seemed his eyes barely glanced at the pages. "This squad embodies the pursuit of knowledge. Every beast in the animal kingdom has different strengths. They cannot all be the strongest. In a jungle ruled by strength, the wise beast carves out a new niche." Aramis informed him. The Captain seemed to pause in thought for a moment, his eyes flitting towards the office window. "....Hollows have mentioned certain densities of reiatsu and qualities of reiatsu having better tastes than others. Do you suppose that different races possess different nutritional value to a Hollow? Is a Shinigami more nutritional and would they provide superior nourishment than a spiritually awakened Human of equivalent power?" Col asked. "And what would the comparisons be? Would a Shinigami be more akin to a gourmet meal, whilst a Human is meat and potatoes?" Aramis stared out the window for a moment, as if distracted by his nonsequitor, before returning his attention to Anthony.

"We do study the soul in this division. Quite extensively. We have compiled countless research notes on the subject." Aramis hit a switch under his desk, and a shutter dropped down over the window, filling the room with darkness. Several light blue panels began to light up across the room, along which scrolling walls of text dotted and dashed around the room. Hundreds, no thousands of names and dates filtering through. "....Skimming the surface of the research carried out on the subject of the nature of the soul, how to manipulate, strengthen and study it over the history of this division." Aramis stated. "We have what you are looking for and the opportunity for it." He stated, flipping another page of Anthony's papers. "A+. A strong reasoning behind your decision and well placed. So the last reason you mentioned." He concluded, and studied Anthony for a long moment.

"What can you offer this division, Anthony Mortifero Kuchiki?" He asked. "Your spiritual abilities are low grade, and your mobility and auditory abilities are hampered. So what do you think you can offer this division? What are your strengths and capabilities?" He asked. "You have told me why you want to join with this division, now tell me why this division should take an interest in you."

[Deleted]

Silence. Well ok more specifically it was more situational silence, almost like he was being ignored. But admittedly he did walk into the captain of squad 12’s office. Even if he had “20 minutes” he probably was still doing some work or looking over something. That thought in mind Anthony didn’t exactly take it too much to heart when it took the captain a couple minutes before he turned around. Way to go sir, you said I had 20 minutes and you’ve effectively burnt through a few more and we haven’t even started talking yet… You are really going to put me at a disadvantage aren’t you? Just focus and do the be-is that a gas mask? What in the fuck, why in all the separate worlds would he be wearing that?! Anthony mentally facepalmed and much to his displeasure inward and outward he gave the captain a bit of a look, questioning mostly but quickly went back to his usual state with others. Calm, or at least as calm as he could be. Anthony waited a moment to see when the captain would feel like taking off the mask so they could talk as he was certain the other person in question was not deaf. When he didn’t move for it Anthony simply decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Throw the pebble into the pond; ripple across the waters, trace the boundaries, return. Bakudo #3 Sazanami.” Anthony held out his right hand forming up the familiar bubble of reiatsu before letting it pop. Though the other would feel the build up of reiatsu prior to Anthony’s releasing the bubble the after effects would be unable to be sensed, the pulses of reiatsu were too thin and frail. Anthony on the other hand putting his full focus on the captain was able to manipulate the spell to give a more refined ping of Aramis. Effectively allowing Anthony to bypass the gas mask and have a constant full body radar of the other and thus be able to “see” mentally his lips with which to read. To his surprise the other was not saying anything and was in fact just looking him over. Sizing him up and from a subtle, not so subtle guess he probably wasn’t terribly impressed. Admittedly Anthony wasn’t much of a capable looking individual currently but he was certainly able of showing off something that wasn’t incredibly obvious, his mind. Something that unfortunately for the captain would only be shown via his previous examination scores at the academy. But everyone knew those didn’t account to much in your respective squad and only gave minor indications at best.

That said Anthony was about to mention that he casted his kido to ensure they could talk but the captain beat him to it by simply removing it. Perhaps that was a test to see if Anthony could figure out if he had been speaking. Or perhaps he just didn’t remove it until then because he didn’t need to, from what Erika had described briefly about squad 12’s experiments there was any number of reasons that Aramis could have had that gas mask on for. None of it matter though given he took it off and it especially didn’t matter when he began speaking, rather harshly at that. "I don't particularly care if your Vice Captain asked you to leave Soul Society." Anthony just blinked for a moment as he’d skipped any sort of greeting and had just gotten straight into the interview. Hell not even just the interview but his reasons for why he joined and the first one, his main reason was just thrown out the window like last years garbage. Admittedly that did sting a bit but it made sense to a degree. This is a new squad, he shouldn’t care about the on goings in other squads because they weren’t his nor under his jurisdiction. Assuming he would was a mistake on Anthony’s part.

“Do you take this division for scavengers? Ravenously devouring unwanted scraps of other divisions? F. Stating that your own division has all but disowned you does not build confidence in anything but your research ability. Squad 1 is a well respected division for its appraisal of quality." Anthony just sat still, unable to move aside from blinking in response to the captain’s commentary. He couldn’t hear it but his vocabulary was more than enough to get the point across. He was woefully unimpressed and in fact probably looked down on Anthony for it, assuming he cared at all. Which given the first statements out of his mouth seemed to indicate that was a bit of a stretch, let alone that he cared about anything other than work related matters. Still giving him an “F” though for trying to leave an environment he could no longer be apart of nor actually be of use in? That didn’t sit well in Anthony. If anything a small unassuming spark made itself apparent in his stomach. He would need to address that flame after this interview regardless of how it went. For now he just focused on what the other was saying. What really grabbed his attention however were the questions Aramis was asking. Some of them admittedly seemed… obvious as far as an answer was concerned. Ok so now we are 1 for 2 as far as this interview is concerned. At least he acknowledges this is as a good reason. How ironic though my more heartfelt desire of learning about the soul for reasons of understanding “necromancy” better seemed to be right on the money. Still these questions… He’s not seriously expecting an answer is he? Some of these seem pretty obvious when you’ve looked into the books at the Kuchiki manor. Which if I had to guess there must be some of equivalent stature here for all their experimenting. I’ll keep them in mind just in case...but somehow I doubt he expects an answer given he can’t be asked to look me in the eye… This fucking guy... “

Anthony wanted to say something or at least try to answer the questions Aramis had spoken to probably no one in particular but yet again he was interrupted. However this time showed a much more interesting and important event to Anthony. The shutters closed almost instantly and only moments later more information and data about anything and everything there was to know about the soul was placed in front of Anthony. In fact Anthony had to admit it was actually scary just how much data there was in this squad, and he was only getting a precursory glance at it. However despite that yet again what Aramis had said spoke to him but only a single portion. Data on strengthening the soul. So it is possible. They’ve done it. I mean.. I can’t say I’m surprised given even Kyomei had to start somewhere but even still… they have the information available to do such. I could actually become something, or more aptly someone worth getting noticed. I could dare I say be useful on more than just research. I need this information and that means I need to make sure I get into this squad more so than ever now. Admittedly Anthony had already been giving Aramis his full attention prior but now he was refocused on what his goal was.

It took a moment before Anthony realized the captain was looking him over again. This time less demeaning and more in an evaluating manner. He wasn’t just looking at the surface where Anthony looked a mess he was looking inside and out. He wanted to see what was placed before him and if it was worth his time or his squad’s time to invest in it. "What can you offer this division, Anthony Mortifero Kuchiki? Your spiritual abilities are low grade, and your mobility and auditory abilities are hampered. So what do you think you can offer this division? What are your strengths and capabilities? You have told me why you want to join with this division, now tell me why this division should take an interest in you." Admittedly this last question was far less harsh considering it was a very valid question but the fact this captain was pointing out he had such physical and apparently spiritual limitations just irked him to no end. He knew it more than this captain ever could, ever would know. He wasn’t the person stuck in a body that couldn’t hear nor move on its own anymore. He wasn’t tied down to some fate or weight that would never leave him. This man was like all the other shinigami in charge, free to do what they wanted when they wanted. And if he was anything like his current VC they were going to clash harshly. But this time Anthony wasn’t going to be the one getting kicked anymore. Oh no. No no no no no. This one was going to see just how Anthony was without the Kuchiki background or the cripple background. And god help him if he wasn’t ready for it.

“Alright Sir I need to address something, you nor your resident researchers have high spiritual abilities. Maybe a few have anything worth writing home about. You're squad’s strength lie in making something to compensate for a lack of spiritual and physical prowess. Stating that as a reason to hinder my transfer is an “F” for you considering that what matters in this squad is an intellectual prowess and the ability to decipher a problem or hypothesis and get a legitimate answer out of whatever research your doing. Illegal or otherwise, per your own rules.” Punishment be damned for what his sass and inner frustration give him. He needed to say that to somebody and he didn’t have the strength or stupidity to say that to his vice captain. Aramis may not have fully earned it but Anthony was hell bent on making sure his current “combat” capabilities were addressed given he was not in a squad dedicated to fighting. At least not in any real capacity, the end results of experiments that needed to be put down could be handled, at least in Anthony’s mind, fairly easily. Especially given he was going to learn kido that could aid him, specifically binding if he was ever truly put in a position of danger.

A deep breath and a frown replacing his prior deadpan or submissive look Anthony now looked more like a tired author who was being criticized for his book when it wasn’t even released for the public yet. “To answer your actual question what I can offer depends on what the squad needs. I’m an available helping hand for the time being given from what Erika told me newbies are assistants before being allowed to conduct their own experimentations. Thus to any of the various members who need an extra hand or even just someone to manage paperwork I’ve got that covered, allowing them more time to focus on their experiment. Another strength is that I’ve access to the nobles information and data. I don’t like bringing up my family but it’s a well known fact the nobles hold information that not even the 13 squads are allowed to have. Thus I can help bridge that gap in your records wherever they may be. Aside from those two secondary points? The biggest thing I have to offer this division is all the work and data I’ll be collecting. I pointed out my interest is to understand the soul of every being. Hollows, Bount, Quincy, you name it. Each soul is unique and each race some inherent advantage somewhere. Quincy can collect reishi and add it to their personal store for an endless time and without a limit. Shinigami could very well benefit from figuring out how to do something similar even if it’s at a lower rate and temporary.”

“Bount can heal themselves and maintain a means of immortality so long as they consume other souls. Hell they can heal themselves just by consuming souls. Something Hollows cannot do given their focus is on evolving themselves via the power gained by consuming souls. Shinigami have no inherent ability to regenerate themselves let alone evolve. We focus on our blades in an effort to strengthen ourselves but what that’s doing is simply bringing the portion of our soul that’s settled within the blade back to the main body. But what about strengthening the body? The soul as a whole or at least the main portion of it? Even humans learned to adapt their bodies and powers at an incredible rate and now have the ability to control the world around them because they have power over the “soul” in objects. This is what I’m talking about. Whether I make it in your squad for 5 minutes or 5 years it doesn’t matter. I’ll be giving at least some amount of valuable data or information that wasn’t there prior. Or at best case I’ll figure out something and make a break that allows Shinigami to evolve or advance in some way that isn’t available currently. Squad 12 has nothing to lose in taking me as a member and only everything to gain.”

“ Especially if, or more accurately when, I look into something not sanctioned by the Soul Society and it inevitably becomes something important. Like when we deal with beings of hell. There’s scare amounts of information on them currently. And there’s a lot to be gained from looking into them. Especially considering the fact the Soul Society cannot adequately manage them as it stands currently. We can at best send them back and hope they don’t escape again. And considering the reports I’ve read while I was recovering they are coming more frequently now for one reason or another. So we need to be ready and take the opportunity to learn while it’s available. That’s what I’ve to offer. I just need the opportunity to show that I can achieve something.” With all that said and done Anthony could only continue to look Aramis in the eye quietly. He’d said his piece both about his conditions and about what they could gain from having him join their team. At this point it was pretty much up to Aramis to grade him and see if he was up to standards. Anthony admittedly wasn’t too confident but how could he be? He’d been shot down since he came back from his fight with Zahra. At this point to expect anyone would throw him a bone was ludicrous. His own squad threw him under the bus and while Aramis wouldn’t care about it Anthony most certainly did. And if nothing else that showed he was already determined to work on whatever project he could get his hands on so long as it revolved around the soul. Test subject or otherwise, though the assistant to the scientist was a far more appealing position for Anthony. For the time being until Aramis spoke again Anthony would simply watch him in silence. Arms on their rests, head and shoulders straight, and his eyes effectively dead locked into a staring contest with the captain. His attention was utterly and completely on the captain and whatever he was going to say.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis gave an approving nod of the head when Anthony cast his kido spell to better gauge him. "A." He stated calmly and succinctly, and nothing further. He solved the problem quickly and creatively. A good start indeed. Aramis gauged all of Anthony's motions and expressions as he delivered his preliminary analysis, and finally, allowed Anthony a chance to reply. And Anthony's answer was sharp and imminent. He criticized Aramis's lack of spiritual potency as well as that of his researchers. He cited the spirit of the division under Aramis as one of intellectuals and research not power, as a counter to Aramis's critique. Aramis looked at him, his gaze unshifting and unchanging. "Correct." He stated. "Which is why you are in this office, being permitted an application." He replied. "These disadvantages will not prevent your application into this division being successful. But they are complications nonetheless. Complications that could inhibit your use, and your ability to complete certain tasks. Complications I expect you to be able to resolve if you are selected for this division." He stated. "You need not do so alone. This division has resources to assist you. But to deny they are problems at all indicates a critical lack of self-evaluation." Aramis retorted. "We will move on."

Aramis could have informed Anthony that the "F" he awarded him, was for his initial reason. Aramis considered it a poor reasoning to say he wanted to join Squad 12, simply because Squad 1 didn't want him anymore. Some divisions may have even found it insulting, though Aramis did not. Even if that was not the case, it was poorly phrased on Anthony's part. And sometimes-- especially when you were writing on some illicit research, phrasing was everything. It wasn't a great thing to put down on paper as your reason #1 for joining a division, but Aramis was willing to let it slide, if Anthony could compensate in other fields.

Anthony then began to inform Aramis what he believed he could do to help the division. An assistant was reasonable, of course, and Aramis considered several responses, but allowed Anthony to continue speaking. Paperwork management was an acceptable side task, though Aramis would never hire someone to his division solely to do paperwork. Then he suggested the fact he had information regarding nobility. Aramis looked at him curiously for a moment. "The Kuchiki family? ...Yes, they like to get everywhere, don't they." Aramis commented. "I served under Sozen Kuchiki. I learned many things from him." He commented. "...C. A passable answer, though there are many other Kuchikis I could connect with. But not a poor answer." He stated, allowing him to continue.

Ah.... Now Anthony had a good answer for him. "B+." Aramis admitted. "You evidently possess at least basic knowledge of the capabilities of other races, and have provided a limited idea of how you would begin to pursue them. Good." He stated, as he began to rise from his seat. Then Anthony said something very interesting. Aramis paused in mid-rise as he mentioned how Shinigami dealt with beings of hell. He looked at Anthony. "...Everything you tell me in this room is strictly confidential." He stated, in answer to Anthony's mention about beings from Hell and an interest in increasing Soul Society's knowledge regarding them. Aramis finished rising and began to walk towards the back wall. He turned back toward Anthony to enable the Shinigami to see his lips moving. "You are a mouse, pacing at the entrance to a serpent's den. Are you prepared for what you might find inside?" He asked him. "How far are you willing to go to find the answers you are seeking? What are you prepared to do for the knowledge you desire?" Aramis stood at the back of the room, near a small control panel, but stood passively, seemingly awaiting Anthony's response.