Steel Reason (JT/Shawn/Celes/Ask to Join)

[Miranda Frost]

Squad 11, sister squad to squad 10 and mild annoyance to Miranda Frost during her time as acting captain for her squad. She groaned at the memory of it all. Scheduling all the training and tasking while making sure all the work was properly distributed out. To keep discipline, one had to keep the soldiery busy and distracted. This didn't mean denying them leave and free time. Hard workers should be rewarded with hard playtime. A member of Squad 10 wasn't glamorous. Being the main defense squad during a time in which the soul society is not being attacked means the Squad was often tasked with more menial tasking.

 Janitorial duties were often on top of these jobs. Scrubbing the pathways  around their barracks area were a necessity. Keeping a clean and sharp appearance was important to the job of soldiering. the upkeep of such thing improves one's eye for detail, discipline, and organization. Along such things they would be tasked with, reconstruction, training, assisting with patrolling the rukongai were among one of the more common duties. All of these things when adding in the pettiness of a squad full of hyped up angry bois become much more intolerable.

 Still, she couldn't blame her for the problems she had been facing. Sure, they were annoying. Sure this annoyance coupled with the stress of being acting captain led to loss of sleep, degradation of good work practices, and loss of the discipline Captain Hotaru had instilled. Miranda wasn't ready but still answered the call. She turned to alcoholism. Although it did help her cope, it would give her bad habits that followed her when she received her new vice captain, Celes, formally from Squad 11. It was good to see a face she recognized, but she would find out personally that this Celes wasn't the shy, timid girl trying to find her way in the service anymore.

 No, she was strong and took command quickly and readily. She turned this squad around and brought order where Miranda could not. At the end of it all, Miranda had to answer for her alcoholism. For something like this she could have been imprisoned or even executed if the consequences of drinking on duty did anything controversial, but this wasn't the case. A new discipline report would be added to her file and she would be tasked with helping training up the new squad 11 recruits for about a month or until Celes decides enough was enough. "This isn't you, Miranda... Maybe this will help you find yourself again", she'd said to her.

 Miranda shook her head and begrudgingly entered the compound, giving a playful, albeit snarky, "Hope you two are standing a smart and professional watch~", to the gate guards who quit their conversation upon seeing her approach.  She could nearly hear their heart race as she passed them, entering directly into their training grounds. It was in a layout similar to theirs. Even the buildings seemed to resemble hers in layout. She'd smile and stretch her arms over her head, waiting for the Squad 11 members to assemble. Granted she was early, however because she is here means she isn't being tasked by something silly.

[Celes Castellanos]

Within the heart of the Seireitei, from the large doors that led to the Captain Commander, Celes was returning from an anxious and life-changing moment in her career as a Shinigami. Wearing a white haori over her black shihakusho, the once former Vice Captain of the Tenth Division had recently risen to its Captain. Her shoulders tense and mind filled with numerous worries of failure. It was all so fresh on her mind yet she could only recall glimpses of it amongst the anxieties of failing. Her mind immediately drifted back to the start of this entire ordeal. The pit in her stomach must have been as deep as Tartarus itself at the time. Truly it was a vile feeling.

Her thoughts would clear after a moment to review the past hour or so. As she walked in to the council chambers of the Captains, she had noticed the Captain Commanders and three other Captain. Celes knew the process to ascension well. Three Captains as well as the Captain Commander himself needed to bear witness to Bankai. One of three ways to rise to the legendary ranks of Captaincy. At the time, she simply waited to see why she was received. Suddenly she was met with thunderous voice of the Captain Commander who began listing off some of her achievements. She was being recognized. As she had been asked to step forward, the Shinigami had done so without a shred of hesitation. 

As the meeting continued, great faith was placed into Celes as it was mused for her to succeed the currently missing Captain of the Tenth Division. The Shinigami's eyes gleamed brightly as she stood with respect befitting a proud warrior such as herself. There was only one more task for her to complete. Only then could she rise and become a Captain. She was already one of few Vice Captains who had learned Bankai, but the feat needed to be witnessed. With a calm intensity, the Captain's looked upon her, awaiting the display of her Bankai. The Vice Captain could feel the eyes on her. She was getting nervous. Could she do this? Could she call upon her Bankai without consequence. 

With a resolved nod, the Vice Captain unsheathed the twin Zanpakutou from her sheath. A rarity among many Shinigami, Celes wielded the twin blades in their sealed form. Displaying impressive dexterity and near mastery of her weapon, Celes effortlessly held one of her blades in a reverse grip across her left arm. The other was in a normal position. She began to speak in an excited tone. Even more anomalous among Shinigami, Celes' call for her Zanpakutou was not a simple phrase. Instead it was a plea. A plea for aid. One of faith as she called to the Goddess Athena to grant her power. "Goddess Athena guide my heart. Grant me the strength, so my spear may strike true. Protect my body and guard my soul, Kishin Yunorashi."

The Vice Captain knelt instinctively as her twin blades began to glow red. Each began to give off a heat similar to that of a searing fire. Her left arm slowly became enveloped by a circular form as it was protected by a durable shield. Meanwhile her right Zanpakutou elongated and instead became a spear. Already she was looking like a Spartan warrior of legend but just as the glow left the blades, a much more soothing blue glow began to emanate from Celes. The glow molded to her physical form as it began to take shape. In mere moments, Celes would be covered in an imposing armor that protected a majority of her body. Consisting of plated-armor, leather straps and a battle-scarred cloak at her back, Celes seemed indomitable. 

Two more aspects about her were anomalous at this point. First, her Bankai did not change the weapon of her Shikai, but instead became a part of her body. Two, her Bankai was not very flashy. It did not summon a dragon made of fire nor did it create millions of sheets of paper for her to use. Her Bankai was simple, but this was in line with who she was. She did not play tricks. She was a proud warrior and only a fool would enter battle without some manner of insurance. Celes smiled as she stood before the three Captains and the Captain Commander, ready to be judged worthy of Captaincy. Suddenly her memory stopped her as it faded back into the recesses of her mind.

She would start relaxing as she realized it was over. She had what it takes to be recognized as one of the superiors within the Soul Society. Her pride would not have allowed her to accept the position if she did not feel she was at least somewhat ready. It would be a great future opportunity to meet the Captain's on a more personal basis. To ask for advice and defer to her elders. Celes saw no shame in asking for help. If it meant becoming better at what she did. Truly it was a momentous occasion for her. Rising to Captaincy was always one of her dreams and now that she had it in her grasp, Celes would be sure to shape the Tenth Division for the better. 

Now, however, she had somewhere to be. Her task became even more meaningful given her recent promotion to Captaincy just a few moments ago. She had to oversee the disciplinary action of Miranda, her Third Seat. Celes had met her twice before for very short bursts of time. At the time she was looked after by Miranda due to her inexperience. Little did Celes assume that she would rocket past the Third Seat and one day become her superior. Despite this, Celes would never allow this position to get to her head. At the end of the day, they were all Shinigami with a divine charge. She would be sure to continue mentoring the new generation such as Kimiko as well as treat her Squad like family.

As she began to make her way over to the Squad 11 Barracks to check on Miranda, she reminisced on how it had gotten to this. Miranda had returned to alcoholism which was host to a number of problems that the Soul Society simply did not have the time to effectively deal with. As such it fell on Celes, a Vice Captain at the time, to make the call on what to do. Celes saw talent in Miranda. One that shouldn't be squandered. Out of principle, she chose a formal write-up along with minor disciplinary action. In this case, Miranda had to mentor recruits of Squad Eleven and train with them. It was a simple task that was a far cry from what others may have placed upon Miranda. 

Soon the Captain would arrive at the Eleventh Division Barracks. As she gazed upon the Training Grounds she immediately noticed that it was still. It had not been used for a few days. No blemishes of battle. Celes was a little dismayed. She understood a free day and took one herself at some points, but her sister Squad were equally proud warriors. All of them needed the ability to fight to their fullest more than any other Squad besides her own. After all, the two Divisions were just as equal as they were different in duties. In peacetimes, however, both would find little work to do related to their actual purpose. This would give Celes a good opportunity to see who was slacking and who was not. 

As she finally approached the doors to the Barracks, the the guards piped up upon seeing Celes' haori. She would be immediately marked as a new Captain of the Tenth Division. With a nervous rise, both would look at her as one stammered out, "Welcome to Squad Eleven, Captain Shindazu. Congratulations." A frown touched Celes' lips as she chuckled and raised her hand. She would speak afterwards. "Don't worry. Just Celes will do. Captain Celes if you wish something semi-formal. I used to be one of you remember? Standing on ceremony is by no means necessary. However, I am happy to see such respect. Keep up the good work you two." 

A blush seemingly touched both of them as Celes was let into the Barracks. As she gazed upon the Training Hall, she saw a number of fresh recruits that could certainly use practice. Due to her own martial prowess, Celes had a distinct yet somewhat limited ability to size up others physically. A number of them appeared to be perfect canvases to mold. While some still held true to the archaic believe that Kido had no place within the Eleventh Division, Celes cared little for it. As long as they could defend themselves and fight to the best of their abilities, Celes had little care for what strategies they employed. As long as they had some degree of honor to them.

As her eyes gracefully danced from person to person, she saw just who she expected to be here. It was Miranda. Celes would immediately flash her a smile. Making her way over to the Third Seat, Celes made sure to reach for her shoulder and nudge her gently assuming that she did not see her approach. Celes would speak in a rather joyous tone afterwards. "Miranda! It's been a bit since we've seen each other prior to all of this. How have you been? I hope your as excited as I am to see what these new recruits are capable of. I hear they can be quite promising." Celes of course had personal experience with her disciple, Kimiko. For now, she would stand beside Miranda. She would allow her to take the lead. After all, this was her disciplinary action, but Celes would be comforting. She would supervise it for now. 

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Stretching after standing up from his seated position Shawn knew it was time to head back to the barracks from his little peaceful training area in the Rukongai. Inhaling the sweet flowery smell from the field of daisies and a multitude of other flowers, this helped ease Shawns mind after the dream of memories long past that he woke up from. While he isn't one that usually sleeps during some solo training it can help keep the body and mind going if the time is planned out.

Refreshed and eager to get back Shawn starts moving towards the small Rukongai village nearby in order to follow the road it has inward towards the Seireitei. Traveling for a good hour plus he finally made it back to the Seireitei entrance which being a Shinigami meant he went through unimpeded. Walking a little bit longer he finally made it to the squad 11 barracks where two officers were on guard duty. Spotting Shawn they immediately began throwing small jabs at him due to his rather unique fighting preference when compared to most of the squad 11 members.

"Oh, Look, Shawn's back from his solo 'Training', bet he didn't grow at all", the officer on the right stated before laughing like a child and waiting to see how Shawn would defend himself. "It's not my fault I understand the importance of training the body and mind, what about you? I've only sparred with you twice winning both times." Saying this Shawn wasn't really upset just tired, this wasn't unusual for him to have to deal with being in a squad who mostly are stuck with the mindset of brawns and physical fighting skill beats all. The look on the officers face after Shawn said this spoke volumes as it went from being a grin to a slight sneer.

Moving past them Shawn headed inside and it didn't take long for him to realize how quiet it was near the entrance, Wonder if something happened? Heading through the halls he first makes a stop at the sleeping quarters where yet again it was empty and quiet. Dropping some things of Shawn continues through the rest of the barracks wondering where everyone went. Deciding he should pop into the training hall since he still had nothing to do right now and even on quiet days someone is usually there he headed straight for that destination. Coming around the corner letting him see most of the training hall it seems he was correct, there where a good amount of people, most of which looked relatively knew and unused to the work that could come with being a member of squad 11.

Glancing over all the faces brought a familiar face, it was Celes and to boot she was now wearing a captains haori, Oh, maybe she became captain of squad 10! Due to his excitement and less than decent eyesight Shawn failed to notice the squad 10 3rd seat, instead he focused mostly on Celes basically power walking up to her. Stopping close to her he salutes with his right hand on his chest bowing to her, "Congratulations on becoming captain of squad 10 captain Shindazu!" Rising from his bow a question still remains, "Is something going on that I didn't hear about Captain?"

[Miranda Frost]

Displinary as it were, this tasking was one more suitable to her liking. It almost wasn't a punishment at all save for the fact it would be squad 11's recruits she would be breaking in, not her own. This was probably for the best. These soldiers had no bias in Miranda's favor while those under her command had seen her rise from among the weakest to the third seat. Miranda was no prodigy, but those men cheered her on every step of the way. Most of these recruits had not as much even heard her name. Every inch of ground she gained was fought for with pain and blood. Never once had she ever won an important engagement and would grow stronger from her survival of events she had no right to survive.  Miranda watched the recruits pool in, forming lose groups and idle chit chat with each other. It was still early, yet  most seemed to have shown up. Frost would smile with nostalgia, remembering her introduction to squad 10 with a similar event. That day was a bit fuzzy upon recollection, but that was to be expected. Being put into the infirmary for a week or two by the Vice Captain would do that to most others.

 Miranda shifted her weight slightly to her left leg, turning halfway to see her newly appointed Captain, Captain Celes approach wide-eyed with joy at the sight of the smooth preparations. Miranda remembered that look when she first met them during that anomalous event just a few years prior, or was it longer? She had that same look of wonder, of innocence, but such things did not award her the rank of Captain. No, that unmolded girl from the past had gone through her own trials and reached the summit that Miranda herself craved. Frost would smile her way as she approached, feeling her strength as she greeted Miranda, shaking her by the shoulder. "I was wondering when you were gonna come out. That Hoari looks wonderful on you.", she'd say softly, stepping back from her and bowing politely in greeting. "I still remember the day we met. That scar has stuck with me since then~", She'd laugh nudging her Captain's arm with the same elbow that housed the scar she mentioned.

 The third seat wished she remembered more from that day and how they escaped that day, only that she'd wake up later in the infirmary. "I guess there are some habits I'll never shake", she'd mutter as she flipped through the recollection. Turning to see a squad 11 recruit approach the Captain directly, completely disregarding her. Miranda's eyes narrowed at the blond haired, taller fellow, the steel of her gaze sizing him up. Like she and Captain Celes were long ago, he too was  bright-eyed and eager. She stepped a bit closer to him, silver eyes staring daggers into him as he conversed with the captain. There was somethin' about this fellow, this man. He clearly took care of himself and held a positive attitude within his breath and discipline within his posture. His strength, at first glanced, seemed nothing more than the others, but so did Miranda's and even Celes's at one point.

 "Is something going on that I didn't hear about Captain?"

 With that line Miranda smiled wide and excitedly. Without giving her Captain a chance to respond she'd promptly answer his question. "You came just in time, big boy. Luckily for you guys I am here to teach you and your friends that which the Academy would never teach you.", She'd pause and stand back up from her intrusiveness, her hands folding delicately before her. Her eyes widened when a wonderful idea sprung to mind. Excitedly she'd giggle and wave her arm, causing a small, life-sized lily to materialized, formed from the crystalized reishi that surrounded them all. It orbited around his head and embedded its stem snuggly above his right ear, tangling itself in his fluffy blond hair. "I love volunteers. Keep this gift safe and if you have properly kept it from harm, I will personally make you stronger than you could ever imagine getting in one. singular. day.", She'd wink mischievously at him and brought her right arm over her chest, stretching it all nice and good while showing off the scar Celes had given her years prior amongst others. "I've got a good feeling about you."

[Celes Castellanos]

Making her way into the Barracks, Celes was hit with an immediate sense of nostalgia. She remembered the days when she was a Third Seat in these hallowed training halls. Part of her missed it. Learning many new things. Nowadays she was seasoned. She could still learn, but there was overall less to learn. With that she looked over at Miranda with a smile as her Third Seat commented on her new appearance. "I was wondering when you were gonna come out. That Hoari looks wonderful on you." Celes chuckled for a moment as she nodded a thanks to her Third Seat. Before she had a chance to comment further, Miranda continued. "I still remember the day we met. That scar has stuck with me since then~"

She remembered it all too well herself. How her own naivety caused trouble. She had grown and despite that, Miranda was forced to carry that scar with her. A perpetual symbol of the utter fool Celes was back in the day. She shook her head for a moment as she smiled and placed her hand upon Miranda's shoulder. "I remember it all too well myself Miranda. But I think we've grown more because of what happened." She chuckled for a moment as she looked at her Haori. "Thank you by the way. It's actually the reason I ran late. I was just recently promoted to Captaincy. I'm sure that in due time I will have the pleasure of having you at my side not just as my Third Seat, but as my Lieutenant." The Captain smiled briefly before turning her head.

As Celes looked upon the plentiful faces of new and eager recruits, there was one in particular that caught her eye. It had been a while since she had seen him. It was Shawn, an unseated Shinigami of the Eleventh Division that Celes had gone on a mission with in the past. She fondly remembered him being quite clever with Kido. It was a trait that Celes admired and respected. Ingenuity. Creativity. All concepts that could allow one to surprise their opponents in unique ways. It seems that she was immediately recognizable to him as well. Sure, Shawn was not a very physically inclined Shinigami, but he did not need to be. He showed promise in his own unique way. 

The Captain then overheard him issue her a greeting. Though just like before, she chuckled as Shawn was standing on ceremony. It was not that she did not appreciate the sentiment. No that was not it. Instead she simply wished to be seen as one of them. Was there a gap in experience and power? Possibly. Yet despite that all of them were here. They were all named Shinigami. They all accepted their sacred charge. Furthermore, the Eleventh Division was a sister squad to the Tenth. Her personal edicts of comradery were applicable her as well. Just as with her own division, each and every one of them were brothers and sisters to her. 

"Congratulations on becoming captain of squad 10 captain Shindazu!" Chuckling a little, the Captain raised her hand. She would respond to him in her usual tone. One of care, almost maternal. "At ease Shawn. No need to address me as Captain Shindazu. Captain Celes or simply Celes will do. Your sentiment does not unnoticed though and is definitely appreciated." As Celes looked past and beside Shawn to gaze upon the brilliant warriors that was the Eleventh Division, Celes spoke up. "That goes to all of you as well." Celes began to pace from side to side next to Miranda as she made her point. "How do I differ from all of you. My status as Captain, sure, but what really matters? More importantly, how do you all differ from one another?" Celes would give everyone a moment to ponder as she received different answers. With a smile she shook her head. 

"All of us have unique skills and traits that make us who we are. I'm not well versed in Kido, but I promise you that I have great martial prowess and experience with a variety of weapons." She pointed at Shawn. "He may not be very physically adept, but I tell you that he is creative in his style of fighting. All of you. You each carry something within you. Let it blossom and help define how you leave your mark on this Division. I used to be one of you. Part of the Eleventh Division I mean. Every day I asked myself how to improve. How can I become a better Shinigami. I challenge you all to do the same. Set your sights high. With dedication, you will all meet your goals." The Captain sighed for a moment as she reviewed her first inspirational speech after becoming Captain. 

She then turned to Shawn once more. "As for what you may have missed Shawn. My Third Seat, Miranda, will help you all with training today and much more over the next few weeks." For the briefest of moments Celes looked over at Miranda. She of course knew that this was more disciplinary than anything, but she was not about to humiliate her. Instead she continued with a different story. "The Tenth Division has done exemplary work so far in protecting the Seireitei and the greater Soul Society as a whole. As such, I've decided to focus our efforts on the new generation for now. All of you." Celes chuckled for a moment as her voice became filled with excitement. 

"Make no mistake. All of you will be pushed. You will be challenged. I trust that Miranda knows how to whip others into shape. I will be supervising, but you shall defer to her authority for these trainings." With that, Celes turned to Miranda. "I suppose they are ready for you now. Enjoy." Celes relaxed her stance as she then proceeded to listen to Miranda speak about how she will expand their skills. Allow them to reach new heights. Celes of course approved. It corresponded beautifully with her preaching so far. As she watched Miranda form these little crystals which rested on the ears of each Shinigami, she chuckled a little. Especially once she hard Miranda. "I love volunteers. Keep this gift safe and if you have properly kept it from harm, I will personally make you stronger than you could ever imagine getting in one. singular. day."

The Captain would simply play along. She knew the power of placebos and she was excited to see how Miranda would instruct these recruits. After all, this would give Celes a good opportunity to watch her Third Seat develop her teaching skills. More importantly, she could inspect how qualified Miranda would be for Vice Captaincy in the future. It was no secret. The Tenth Division had vacancies in the upper Echelons of its command structure. Celes was eager to fill the slot so she could confide in someone about their duties. To develop a more professional relationship than with Kimiko. Kimiko was her disciple yes, but that was deeply personal to her. 

For her Lieutenant, Celes needed someone experienced. Level-headed. Eager to expand their horizons. Celes felt that Miranda fit the bill, but she needed to see how the Third Seat did in a situation like this. Could she take control of a bunch of eager and hotheaded warriors. Could she train them effectively? The Captain was eager to see her plans. After all, this would be an important step in who to appoint as her Lieutenant. After all, she had the freedom to pick anyone she wanted. If Miranda could prove herself, she would be a step closer in Celes' eyes to fitting the bill. For now she stood there. Hushed. Relaxed. Eagerly waiting to see how her Officer would tackle this.

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Letting go some of the tension Shawn had due to the fact he was now facing a captain, Sure it was Celes, but she was still a captain now. It seems even she finds it strange to be called captain because she immediately told him to talk to her less formally and more as a friend. Shawn would keep this in mind and give a quick reply, "Will do Captain Celes!" Unable to release all of the formality. At this point he would listen to her as she begins explaining how similar she is to everyone standing in the training hall, how everyone has their own skills and traits making them who they are.

Being used as an example was both weird and nice simultaneously, though Shawn already knew this example would go well past anybody who has been in Squad 11 for as long or longer than Shawn. It was an issue that he intended to correct at some point but for now the mass majority of Squad 11 put physical and martial prowess high above the ability to use Kido or anything resembling Kido. The only exception to this train of thought was they did respect Squad 4 and their ability to heal, however, they didn't believe Squad 4 was strong either.

As Celes continued to delve farther into her explanation Shawn finally gets the answer to the question that was asked before she began her speech. Apparently the woman who was standing close by to Celes was in charge of training everybody here. Shawn isn't quiet sure if this means everybody who was told to be here or just anybody who knew and/or found out about the training session today. There is no way he would miss the opportunity to train with someone who was probably superior in combat to himself, so when the other woman began to break into the conversation Shawn was a little bit excited.

With promises of teaching Shawn things he never learned in the Academy Miranda materializes something resembling what Shawn could only believe to be a true sized lily, having it orbit his head before planting itself into his hair just above his right ear. After such a show Shawn is to keep that lily safe apparently, from what he wasn't sure but was probably going to find out very soon. Just before Shawn would speak she adds in very suddenly that she has a good feeling about him, Well, that makes me feel good, just hope I can make that feeling true.

"Thank you for taking the time to train us, I have to ask though, what or who am I supposed to keep this safe from?" Shawn will say this while pointing at the lily currently embedded in his hair. Allowing his reiatsu to flow through his body Shawn prepares for whatever form of training she was about to put him and the rest of Squad 11 that where with him through. He will wait and listen for whatever response she might give him but droping his guard is something that won't be happening now.

[Miranda Frost]

 Miranda smiled and scratched her chin with the tip of her claw, thinking over the plan she had developed for this day. "You'll see, go stand before the group, do not join them. Others will join by your side soon.", she'd instruct before going before them herself. They were chatting amongst themselves. Some of them were excited while others were irritated at the prospect of being forced to be here today. They would all see soon enough.  Miranda would clear her throat, ready to project herself to such a crowd. Miranda detested vocalizing herself in such a manner to this many of people, but it was something to be expected of her from time to time due to her position. She was no lieutenant or captain, but she still held an important role in assisting her captain in running their squad. 

 "Hearken to me, Soldiers of Squad 11. You are standing here today to get a taste of what its like to finally be one of us. Many of you are new acquisitions, straight from the pump that is our glorious academy, while the other few have been here for a time longer.", she'd look around, ensuring that their squabbling had ceased and gave her their undivided attention. "That being said, only those of you who came here from the same classes know each other very well.  The first step in our training exercise for today is to break these boundaries that you have erected and forge a bond between your new squamates in its entirety.", she announced, glancing to the gate of the training area in which five medical staff from squad four arrived, standing out of the way to the side. One of them who had helped nurse Miranda to health a number of times waved cheerfully at Miranda. She'd nod and smile at her, thankful for their presence.

 "Now then, split into four groups of equal members and do it quickly. You have a minute to do so.", She'd command sternly, ready to get this session going. "And don't think about sneaking off to other groups. I will notice." They'd look at miranda with anxiety and scurried off to various groups. Chaos erupted as certain social groups were simply too large to house them all. Despite the last minute decisions, by the time one minute had passed each one was equal in number. Good. "So. 20 of you were in formation, meaning there should be five per group... Good. I see they taught you how to count in the Academy. I guess your training wasn't entirely useless.", She'd laugh, scanning over them. "Now then. for each group, choose one among you to join Shawn here before you. You have one minute to decide. Go.

 Miranda watched them send their ideal candidates. It was good she didn't reveal her cards to them quite yet. This would test their ability to plan against an unknown challenge. They need only know that there is a test involved, and that it would require them to send one of their limited pool of soldiers to confront it. There was no real correct answer to this problem, as they will soon find out. Rushed plans will, often if not always, fail. Who knows, maybe they will get lucky on this account. Miranda snickered and watched them, observing their process. The first group didn't discuss much. They looked at each other until one of them volunteered and stepped forward leaving his group and approaching Shawn and Miranda. He was a bit on the scrawny side and a bit thin, but he held the look of determination. Miranda nodded approvingly at him who but bowed in return and took his place by Shawn's side. He will soon find out that determination alone is not enough to succeed.

 The second group appeared to be a group of females crowding around some hunk of a man, urging him to step forward. He protested in indirect ways but Miranda knew that he wasn't ready. Good looks and great hair aren't enough to survive out there in battle, though his physical stature seemed impressive for a new recruit, Miranda could guess that he recognized his own lack of skill to be put on the spot. Still, he put on a brave face and walked with false bravado that almost deceived Miranda and took his place by Shawn's side. The third Group was a bit more heated than the others. They were yelling and arguing about who would be the proper one to take the slot allotted for them. Eventually, as the time began to cut close, one of the wolves backed down, leaving a very heated woman to approach Miranda's group. She cursed and spat at the ground before joining Shawn's side. Miranda snickered to herself and shook her head. A loss of temper is a loss of control. A loss of control will likely get you or others killed on the battlefield.

 The final group was a bit more logical in their conversation. From what she could hear, they assumed that they would be sparring with Miranda. The conclusion surprised the 3rd seat, but they took a wrong turn in their logic. They would send their weakest who just so happened to appear to be the weakest of the five standing before her. Frost could guess by that reasoning. There are viable tactics in which you would screen the field with weaker or lesser equipped soldiers to test the lines of an enemy or to harass them, or even to serve as a speedbump sacrifice to buy the main force more time. This could be a good decision for them, given her plans.

 "Time", she called when they finished choosing and stepped before the group. Before them a flower identical to the one she had given Shawn would appear before them, and each would embed themselves in the hair of each, marking them from the main group of 16 shinigami. She'd stop before Shawn and pat his shoulder assuringly. "Shawn, this is your team, lead them to victory at all cost", she'd say before turning to the other team members. All of them were relieved at this announcement, except for the hot headed one, but at least she kept what she wanted to say to herself. Miranda could tell she wanted to have that honor, but at least she was willing to back down when she needed to. Good. 

 Miranda would turn to the others, her arms stretched wide. "Soldiers of the 11th, there may be a time where your swords will clash upon one another. There will be times where you will fight those who fight as a Shinigami does or come across deserters and traitors. You will need to learn that the business of war is unkind to all and put aside your petty feelings. Just as your blade is an extension of yourself, you are an extension of the Sereitei." Miranda announced, stepping to the side of the group. "Hearken to these rules: Each team of four will be responsible for capturing your candidate's lily. At no point will that lily touch this filthy ground. Should it fall, both that candidate, and the team they came from will be disqualified  and will have to quit the field. Those who fall will be disqualified. Those who touch the wall, me, or Captain Celes will be disqualified."

 The third seat approached the team of Squad 4 members who agreed to assist her in this exercised. She bowed to them respectfully and they returned the gesture. "For this exercise you will be allowed any and all methods to achieve your objective. We also have the honor of being graced by a team of medical professionals, for many of you may require them, but if any of you so much as touch them, let alone 'accidently'  harmed, I will personally ensure you need them before this is over. Is that understood?", she'd ask them sternly, her fists clenched hard. She knew how many of the combat focused squads felt about squad four. Many of them *chose* to serve in the medical field, and many of these so called 'Warriors' think this an act of cowardice. They couldn't be more wrong. Without them, many of them will not come back to their squads from their missions. Without them, Miranda would have been dead several times over.

 "Yes Ma'am!"

 "With your groups, discuss your plans of attack and defense." Miranda smiled with approval and began walking towards her captain. She'd bow politely before her and rise before crossing her arms  across her chest. "Is there anything you would like to say to them Captain before they start?", she'd ask, glancing over at the conversing recruits.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

A week has now passed since Nakajima Kimiko, one of the newest sword prodigies to graduate from the prestigious Shin'ō Academy of Soul Society, was assigned to the infamous Eleventh Division, home to some of the most powerful yet violent men and women of the Gotei 13. For all intents and purposes, for once in a long while, it almost seemed as though the squad was being granted a peaceful day void of any dangerous activities to deal with. There were no missions to fulfill, no dangerous Hollows to hunt, no criminal activities to take care of within the most savage parts of Rukongai. Instead of all of those pesky things, the only thing there were was a colorful day with a bright blue sky shining above the white of the Seireitei. It was, in essence, a quiet day for many, even the brutes of the Eleventh Division. However, for those who newer to the Division like Kimiko, it was a day that was a bit more important than the ones that preceded it.

The new Shinigami's arrival within the Division has been something, to say the least. Due to her interactions with its members before her graduation namely through her previous spars with officer Shawn Rabuburēdo, officer Siegfried of Balatoria and Vice-Captain Tsukuyomi Kawada, the rest of the squad wanted to see much of what she could do, and as such, there was already a mountain of expectations that was apparently being built just for her by a majority of the lower officers of the Eleventh. It was to be expected; after all, it was not often that one would hear of a student of the Academy somehow proving to be capable enough to survive a Hollow attack pretty much on their own. Nevertheless, expected or not, Kimiko would have honestly gladly preferred all of these expectations to remain on the down low, for they led her to acquire a mountain of paperwork that was almost equal in size to the amount of expectations people were holding for her.

Much of her first week was thus spent working on random papers assigned to her by her superiors. Most, if not all of them, were things that were deliberately been given to them because she was new and thus required some sort of baggage for her to understand what kind of work she would need to complete during her time here as a proper officer of the Gotei 13. Meager inventory reports, member check-ups... It was all very boring work in Kimiko's eyes, things that she had hoped to avoid after being assigned to the Division which she once believed to have the least amount of paperwork. At the very least, she was able to fill in the gaps between her work with training with some of the officers of her squad, all of which were very eager to train with her so that they could see what she could do. Their motivation alone was currently enough to keep herself from throwing any more paperwork that she receives in the nearest pile of garbage in her field of view.

It was therefore a boon for Kimiko to hear that a joint training exercise would be held today for the rookies of the Tenth and the Eleventh Divisions. Although she had trained before with other members of the Eleventh, this exercise seemed much more coordinated than any sessions she has had so far with another member of her division as it would be led by officers of the Tenth. Having personally trained with a member of the Tenth herself for a good while now as her own disciple, the swordswoman could only grow excited at the prospect of possibly seeing something that was a bit more unconventional compared to a simple spar. Who knows: maybe Celes herself would be here today to somehow coordinate everything. She did hear that something important had happened to her position recently, however, so perhaps she was a bit too busy to do something like that today. Oh well, either way, she was sure it was going to be a more exciting day compared to another day of grueling paperwork.

With her excitement having led her to train a little bit before the joint exercise would begin, Kimiko spent her morning practicing her sword techniques in the training grounds before she had returned to the barracks' main rooms to finish the smaller papers she had to complete for the coming day or two at table available to the members of the Division. The excitement she held for the event was powerful enough to bring her to finish the papers with utmost efficiency in a matter of around an hour. Her calligraphy was just as fluent as it always has been in both her Human life and her time at the Academy, properly drawn and well-laid out on the papers she filled. In fact, it was so well-written that the people that passed by her as she worked on her papers would give strange glances at it all, almost as if they could not believe that she was even capable of doing something like this. Eventually, one of them came to her as she finished her work, pushing himself to stand by the side of her seat before knocking on the table with a smirk.

"Hey, new girl!" He called to her with a chuckle before he patted her shoulder excitedly. "Leave that for later! Rookie training's about to begin!"

The motion surprised Kimiko, almost as if she wasn't expecting such an interaction to happen in the first place. Although it has already been a week, she was still somewhat getting used to the social terms, banter and overall attitude of the members here. It was difficult to be a quiet person within the Eleventh, to say the least. "Uh, yeah, gimme just a sec," she told the man with a quick nod as she started ordering and putting her papers in place, then picking them up and heading towards such papers needed to be submitted. She did so with a quick step, almost going through the barracks as fast as she possibly could just so that she could get back to the training grounds in time. She was so quick that she would pass by Shawn and barely acknowledge him as she passed by, comically zooming past him like a bullet as she went to submit her papers. Eventually, though, she went back on her feet and returned towards where she was truly meant to be today, and only then would she finally stop running.

A group of about twenty people had already formed within the training grounds, all of which were visibly from the Eleventh Division, which was enough to make Kimiko grow a little pale. Was she... Was she late? Damn it! That damned paperwork had taken too long after all! Oh well, it at least didn't seem as though she had arrived too late, for she did so just in time for some kind of instructions to be delivered to everyone. Due to the crowd and her being more or less as tall as most of the brutes around here, she couldn't quite see who was standing in front of them and so had to move a bit through the crowd to see who was there. "Sorry..." she'd tell them in a mumble in an attempt to get the people in front of her to at least somewhat step out of the way. By the time she did, her eyes would finally set upon Celes and Miranda.

"Ah," she could only let out as she saw Celes wearing new garbs that were most familiar to her newly-graduated eyes. Her exclamation wasn't too loud (well, at least not loud enough to interrupt Miranda), but it sure was enough to at least get the attention of those who were standing near her, which caused them to stare at her with incredulous eyes. These robes... they were the traditional haori of the Captains of the Gotei 13... meaning... meaning that Celes became a Captain! Her mentor, a Captain! So that was why they haven't been able to train very much together lately! Well then, this sure was slightly awkward. At least she wasn't the only one between the both of them that was wearing new clothes, for Kimiko too had adopted a new outfit. Gone were the student robes of the Academy of white and red, for she now wore the proper black Shihakusho of the Shinigami. It fitted her surprisingly well, causing the red of the eyes to appear somewhat brighter due to the darker coloration of her hair.

As much as she wanted to congratulate Celes for her newfound Captaincy, Miranda's instructions kept her from opening her mouth any further than it already has. Kimiko did not know much about what kind of activity they were supposed to be doing here, but apparently, it was supposed to be some sort of team-based activity pitting four groups of five against one another. She did not necessarily mind this: at least she would not have to choose her own teammates or be chosen by another, right? That was always something that she struggled to enjoy due to her closed personality. Unfortunately, after the teams were formed and she ended up with a team which luckily seemed to be less heated than the other ones that had been formed, the officer then went on to explain that that each members of the team would have to be given to Shawn, her fellow squadmate and Kidō specialist.

The very moment this information was announced, many people among the other teams started conversing with one another, and Kimiko's team was no exception to this. Among the five of them, there was one standard muscular man that fitted well with the rest of the Eleventh Division, another with a shaved beard who looked a bit groggier due to what seemed to be a lack of sleep, a small teenage woman with a visible scar on her cheek and a feeble slender, long-haired man who was quite skinny and almost looking completely unfit for duty. How the latter came to this particular division was a bit of a mystery to Kimiko, but she has long since stopped judging people by their appearance. There is no point in according strength to the appearance of spiritual beings, not when there's children-like Shinigami who can destroy entire buildings with a flick of a finger and enormous anthropomorphous animals in Rukongai who couldn't even hurt a fly if they wanted to.

"What do you guys think?" The teenager spoke first as she looked at the third group which stood not too far from them with a bored glare. "I don't know what she has in mind, but it's definitely gonna be, like, a spar or something."

 

"A spar, huh...? Yeah, that could be it," the groggy man hummed and nodded quietly as he rested his head on his raised left hand. "She's a Third Seat, right? In the Tenth Division? If so, she must be pretty damn strong. All of us will definitely be having a hard time if we don't keep our strongest around."

"Well, if it's strength we need, then I suggest we keep our finest!" The typical officer pointed out in a glaringly-obvious fashion, which caused everyone to stare at him with comically-annoyed gazes. Unfortunately, this went completely past him, for he then went on to point at Kimiko. "I suggest we give her to them!"

This made Kimiko raise an eyebrow for a moment. Her, the weakest? She isn't the strongest at all, but surely, that was just a mistake of his. Well, if it is a mistake, he sure is pointing for a while... and he's still pointing... and pointing. "Right... Can you just lower your finger down?" She asked with a light glare before looking onto the others. The both of them were not amused by his attitude.

"Shut up, Dai. That's Kimiko. There's no way she's the weakest," the teenager sighed in exasperation before she looked on over to the sickly one. "Hey Gideon, no offense, but would you mind if we send you to them? Like, you don't really seem strong among us. Again, no offense."

"No offense... taken," the man spoke a gravy voice behind his long hair before he then headed away from the group with a calm walk, leaving the four on their own for now and Kimiko staring at him go with a hum. Well, guess she was now stuck with those three. She couldn't say she was particularly fond of any of them at the moment, especially not this Dai who was definitely trying his best to appear as annoyingly tone-deaf as possible, but they at least seemed to all be fit for combat. If this is really a spar against this Miranda, then everything should go well, right? Well, again, it seemed that it didn't end up being this easy, for it didn't end up being a spar against the Third Seat officer at all, but rather some sort of tag activity involving those which have been sent to occupy Shawn's team. Apparently, their objective was to capture the lily that was now stuck on Gideon's hair, something which the skinny man seemed to be... really fond of all of a sudden. The sight of him definitely liking the flower made Kimiko almost chuckle, but she kept her composure before the others.

"... What are Gideon-san's strengths?" She decided to ask the others after Miranda had finished speaking, enough to get everyone's attention away from the flower-loving skinny man towards her. The groggy man let out a quiet sigh as she thought about it before she rubbed the back of her head.

"Binita, Gideon and I were in the same class," he said as he pointed towards both the teenager and Gideon. "He's not that fast and he's not that strong either. I didn't watch all of his exams... but he never performed well in a lot of them."

"Charles, you slept, like, through most of his exams," the teenager rolled her eyes at the groggy man's words before he looked on over to Kimiko with a shrug, "but he's not wrong. The only reason why he's here is because he can wield a sword okay."

Kimiko's gaze became a bit more serious as she listened to their words. Hearing them coming out of their months was not really a fun experience. For all sense and purposes, these two had absolutely no faith in the strength of their comrade, so much so that they did not even bother to remember more than just one of his most critical skills. She found that not only disheartening for the training exercise, but also downright insulting. There's no way that someone can graduate from the Academy, end up in the Eleventh Division looking like the way Gideon does, and then be universally referred to as being rather weak and unimpressive. There must be a catch here, something behind the curtain that she's missing. "Well... I hope you guys are right," Kimiko could only sigh out for now before she prepared for the beginning of the event with a few stretches. "I doubt taking that flower from him will be that easy..."

[Celes Castellanos]

Listening to the way that Miranda started her orientation on less conventional trainings, Celes could not help, but chuckle. It was a chuckle of enjoyment and amusement. After all, Miranda was acting like quite the drill sergeant. Not that it was a bad thing. Celes was not the type to be extremely strict. In fact, Celes was very gentle with those she trained. She was a stickler for rules at the end of the day and its where her strictness could sometimes emerge. Besides that though, Celes did not have an iron grasp of sorts when it came to teaching. She liked to ease in slowly. Miranda seemed to display an interest in seeing if they could follow instructions.

Just as before, the Captain did not consider this a bad thing. It could certainly make an interesting dynamic if Miranda were to become her second-in-command. For now, the Captain continued watching and listening with a large grin on her face. Seeing them all scramble into groups was certainly a joy to behold. Besides Shawn, there was one newcomer who arrived a little on the later end who immediately caught her eye. It was her own disciple, Kimiko. If the smile on her face was not intrigued already then now it was certainly noticeable. In the moment that Kimiko and Celes' eyes met, the Captain nodded her head in respect. Not that she did not want to jump for joy. She did. So much so.

Part of being a Captain, Celes realized, was maintaining appearances. Normally she would not care as much, but her new position granted her a prestige along with a rather close eye from students, her own squad members and likely others in the upper chain of command alike. For what she could not show in an overly outward display, Celes showed her disciple with the smile. It was one of pride. A hint of mutual respect. It took Celes a moment to notice Kimiko's new wear. A black shihakusho which was normal for each Shinigami that graduated and was assigned to one of the many Divisions of the Gotei. She likely still had much to learn, but Celes quickly developed a happy expression from seeing her come so far.

It hadn't even felt like that many years had passed since Celes had taken her on as a student. She remembered it fondly. The reasons that she chose Kimiko. She saw potential. Potential that was different than what her instructors may have been looking for. She was not very gifted at Kido much like Celes was. She was headstrong. Impulsive. Perhaps even arrogant to an extent. But she had so many more traits that defined her. Passion. Willingness to grow. Kindness. If Celes were to meet her end at any point, she knew that the values she had entrusted within Kimiko would live on. It was like leaving her mark on the world. A legacy. The Captain chuckled as she slowly began to be drawn out of her thoughts. 

As her vision returned to the present, Celes looked upon the groups of Shinigami that had divided themselves. The final result were 4 original groups and one single group with Mirandas' crystal flower in their hair. Celes was curious to see where this would go. The Captain was ashamed to admit that she knew very little of Miranda's battle capabilities at the present. She had only seen her in action perhaps once and it was a long time ago. Were these simply constructs that she could fashion? They were quite beautiful, but Celes was intrigued as to their combat value. Perhaps it resided in her ability to shape the crystals into whatever she desired? She was not sure. She'd definitely need to inquire.

What Miranda said next would certainly strike a cord with the Captain. "Soldiers of the 11th, there may be a time where your swords will clash upon one another. There will be times where you will fight those who fight as a Shinigami does or come across deserters and traitors. You will need to learn that the business of war is unkind to all and put aside your petty feelings. Just as your blade is an extension of yourself, you are an extension of the Sereitei." This served as a grim reminder of how many times Celes has traded blows with other Shinigami. Namely one of her best friends, Camila. Regardless, Celes listened, intrigued to see where she would take this. 

"Hearken to these rules: Each team of four will be responsible for capturing your candidate's lily. At no point will that lily touch this filthy ground. Should it fall, both that candidate, and the team they came from will be disqualified and will have to quit the field. Those who fall will be disqualified. Those who touch the wall, me, or Captain Celes will be disqualified." So that was the point of this exercise. Celes chuckled and was happy for Kimiko's team. After all, had they chosen her, it would be likely that they could not keep up with her. Not that Celes wanted to gloat. She was simply confident in Kimiko's abilities. They were much like her own in terms of agility. 

Yet among all that Miranda said, the next part would resonate with her the most. "For this exercise you will be allowed any and all methods to achieve your objective. We also have the honor of being graced by a team of medical professionals, for many of you may require them, but if any of you so much as touch them, let alone 'accidently'  harmed, I will personally ensure you need them before this is over. Is that understood?" Celes knew well the value of the Fourth Division. Those that had patched her up oh so many times without a word of complaint. It was something that Celes admired. The Gotei's literal life line and by far a Squad that had an impact on each Shinigami as an individual. 

Finally when the floor returned to her, Celes blinked as she chuckled. For a moment she would ponder as she stepped forward. Her voice rose throughout the quiet halls as most went silent. "As I look upon each and every one of you, I see not individuals." Murmurs of confusion were beginning to emerge from the group as Celes raised her hand to silence the few that were confused. "I see something much more. A cohesive group. One of the Gotei's proud Divisions. As you look at each other, know that you stand among your brothers and sisters. People who will fight by your side. People who defend your back. People who will be willing to die for you." 

The room grew quiet for a moment as Celes chuckled. She would then continue. "Now then. I may not be of your Squad anymore. Despite that, I see each and every one of you as my brothers and sisters as well. The Tenth and Eleventh Division hold a close bond. We are the Gotei's sword and shield. We live and die by the blade. By our values. By the Gotei. Now tell me. Who are you?" She would look at one of the Shinigami from the groups. With a meek voice, she would respond. "I...I.." Celes nodded. She only needed that little push. "Remember what I said. Who are you?" Her voice returned with a little more force as she perked up. "S..Squad Eleven." 

Celes nodded joyfully as she bellowed out. "Yes. Excellent!" Her gaze would return to another. "Who are you?" He would chuckle and with vigor would respond. "Squad Eleven." Soon more and more murmurs would arise. Each of them would slowly begin to rise in volume as the individual groups became more cohesive. More uniform. Finally Celes roared. "Tell me. Who are all of you?" The resounding roar of the Eleventh Division came back at her and Celes smiled. "Great. Now that you are all fired up, devise those plans. This exercise will require strategy, timing, and cunning. Use your groups assets wisely and I have no doubt each of you will succeed." The Captain smiled as she walked back to Miranda's side and bumped her shoulder a little. With a hushed voice, she would speak after chuckling. "Quite the excellent idea, Miranda. I am eager to see how they perform." 

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Shawn stood there quietly after the groups were being formed, thinking during that whole process, What is she going to have us do? It can't be as simple as trying to fight her, after all, I'm still by myself. These questions only grew when Miranda began telling the groups to pick one person and send them to stand next to Shawn, Now I'm definitely starting to believe this is not a spar against her.



From the first group a guy stepped forward after a small staring contest seemed to happen, the guy was a bit scrawny and thin but looked as if he was ready for whatever was coming. The second group all but forced the only male among them to leave their group, he was a muscular looking guy, Shawn wasn't going to complain with this, he just hoped the guy wasn't all muscle and no brain. The third group took some time as they argued among themselves, finally a very upset looking women moved away from the group, spitting on the ground and cursing. Finally the fourth group, this group actually decided to calmly go over their options, in the end they sent over their weakest looking member more than likely to test the waters.



With that everything was finally set up and Shawn would get his questions answered, Miranda would take some time to explain how it's possible they may eventually have to face a fellow Shinigami. Apparently this exercise was to pit the four groups against Shawn's single group, specifically they were to take the lily's that were now nuzzled above those that left the groups groups right ears just like Shawn. There was rules of course, if the lily's touched the ground both the candidate and the group the candidate came from would be disqualified, they couldn't touch the walls, the captain, or Miranda, or else they would be disqualified. To finish it off the final rule would be obvious to some, if any where to harm a member of squad Four they would be disqualified and find Miranda's wrath upon them.



After Miranda finished describing the rules she looked at Cele's for some final encouraging words, to put it simply, they were encouraging as by the end she had everybody including Shawn screaming Squad Eleven. With that pep talk out of the way it looked like it was time for planning, how was Shawn supposed to lead this group to victory, he wasn't sure but this doesn't mean he won't try. Looking over his teammates one thing became clear, only two of them seemed to be fit, the other three (Including Shawn) appeared to be on the physically weaker side.



"Alright, lets figure out the important things first, If it comes down to a drawn out physical fight I'm going to lose, so, does anybody else have something they struggle against?" Listening to the others on his team Shawn has learned that the fit man is not the best in tactics, surprisingly easy to get that information from him. The girl has some anger issues, found this out when everybody looked at her and she began cursing at us. The man from the first group (who had green eyes), he was similar to Shawn, a long drawn out battle is not in his favor, however, he was skilled in the art of Judo. The man from the last group (he has Brown eyes) was also in the same category as the one before, but when it comes to sword skill he is pretty good.



Discussing different ideas and tactics they end up with the decision of Shawn providing support while the others guard him from all sides, staying close to one another and not separating. While this might seem strange to most it would become very obvious why they were sticking with this plan, thanks to Shawn's knowledge of some Kido he could ensure his teammates don't fall immediately to their original groups, on the other hand this makes it easier for him to be guarded as the attackers might struggle to get passed his allies. In the end he still has other tricks up his sleeve but he intends to lead his team to victory.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

“Squad Eleven!”

Hearing the shinigami around her chant the name of a squad she wasn’t in left a funny feeling in her stomach. When Wynne first arrived here for the joint training session, she had told the guards at the gate that she was a recent graduate. And with their help and a few directions, she had finally found where she was supposed to go. Feeling more comfortable around people of her own gender, she had chosen to join the group of all women. Sure they had one hunk of a man, but the rest of the group quickly booted him out, leaving them an all female squad.

It was only as time went on that Wynne realized she probably should’ve mentioned that she was from Squad 10. She had assumed it was obvious, but looking back, she had never directly stated what squad she was from. Only that she had just graduated from the academy. And she was still pretty nervous conversing with new people, hence the reason she hadn’t told anyone where she was actually from yet. But so far, the women in her temporary group were pretty friendly. She hadn’t managed to talk to them much, seeing as how they were listening to Miranda speak, but the atmosphere was still cordial.

It seemed the goal for this training session was to steal the lily from the candidate they had chosen to leave their group. Well, at least their target was noticeable. It was hard to miss someone of his size after all. If their lily fell, they would be disqualified. If they fell, they’d be disqualified. If they touched the wall or certain people they would fail. As Miranda kept listing rules, Wynne quickly realized that there was a problem. Quite a glaring one to be honest. This type of training would be an absolute nightmare for her. Perhaps she should’ve asked what it was about before joining?

Not only was Wynne fresh out the gate, she also preferred ranged combat. Not only because she was good at it, but because she was absolutely horrendous at physical combat. She could barely swing her sword properly, let only move the way she wanted to. She was pretty clumsy, which was part of the reason she didn’t move when she attacked. Maybe her team could cover her weaknesses. Judging from the muscles on her fellow compatriots, it seemed that physical things were their strengths. Maybe her set of skills could actually help them here?

“Hey everyone, I’m Wynne Kuchiki, a recent graduate from the academy. It’s nice to meet you.”

Various sounds of confirmation and welcoming would sound out from the group before they began to talk about strategy. The first person that described themselves was an enormous woman over six feet tall. And at this size she naturally towered over Wynne’s short five foot three frame. Staring up at the masterpiece of a woman in awe, Wynne listened to her squad mate describe herself.

“Name’s Rinkah. Yall could prolly tell from looking at me but I specialize in close combat. I’m relatively decent with a sword, but fighting with my hands and feet is where I really excel at.”

The other two of her squad mates were around the usual height someone of their age would be. Their two strengths both lay in the sword, with one of them having more strength while the other one was quicker. So all in all, their group was quite well rounded. At least in the close combat department. And now it was her turn. Here goes nothing.

“Unlike the rest of you, I actually specialize in Kido. Not really good at close combat.”

“You are? Seems kinda weird to join Squad 11 then.”

“Oh about that...I’m actually from Squad 10.”

“Really?”

“Huh.”

As her squadmates looked at her in a new light, Wynne scratched her head. This whole situation was as awkward as she thought it would be. It could be much worse though. Judging from the personalities of the other groups, it seemed she lucked out in having a relatively chill group herself. Even if her squadmates were now giving her weird looks.

“Don’t really like ranged combat much myself, but it could work in our favor. Just stay in the back and support us then. We’ll be able to handle the rest.”

As the muscular woman flexed her muscles, Wynne felt her mouth drop. Judging from Rinka’s enormous biceps, she was quite sure the woman could handle the rest. She could handle much more too from the looks of it. Pointedly looking away with a blushed face, she tried to calm her racing heart. If these were the types of people in Squad 11, maybe she should’ve joined this squad…..

No! Bad Wynne! Don’t be distracted by your fellow squadmates' bodies. Squad 10 was the right squad for her. She would not be swayed. No matter how impressive the women around her were. They had a battle to win anyways so she needed to get her mind out of the gutter. And she’d try her absolute best! Less for actually winning and more for impressing her squad. If she impressed them enough, maybe she could even get a hug? Ignoring her heated cheeks, Wynne prepared herself. She was risking it all for this battle!

[Nakajima Kimiko]

With Shawn's team now formed, Kimiko made sure to give another good look at them after hers sent Gideon away. Her eyes bounced from one member to the other, analyzing them as much as she possibly could so as to perhaps create some kind of strategy that could exploit their weaknesses. From where she stood, however it didn't seem as though she had much information on these people at all. Gideon himself was a problem, yes, as she preferred not to believe the words of his previous classmates despite his strange look to him, but so were the others. In hindsight, it would be easy to judge them all by their appearances. If she did that, the muscular one that was booted from the now all-female team could be depicted as the dumb brawny man who could not think straight with anything else but his weapon, the upset woman could be described as an impulsive warrior who would be easy to taunt and divert away from major conflict, and the last one could be seen as a thin and scrawny man who most likely would have a hard time swinging a sword properly. None of these descriptions completely pleased Kimiko. She would need to learn more in combat.

She at least knew much about their leader. This wasn't the first time she and Shawn have met in some kind of battle scenario, as two years ago, they both battled each other in a spar. The rather dreamy feeling associated to that memory aside, she had learned much from him then: his weapon of choice, his overall defensive strategy, and his preference for Kidō. Now, the problem was that their previous spar prevented Shawn from using any spells. For her, it was nothing more than a simple detail, but in his case, it rendered him incomplete that caused him to be effortlessly overwhelmed by her swordsmanship. In comparison to that, Miranda's "capture the flower" event seems to be completely hands-off. He is more than likely to use Kidō to give himself an edge in this. How many lame spells he has at his disposal, that, she honestly has no idea, but they will probably allow him to turn the tide at any moment. Frankly, just thinking about it eventually brought a light groan out of her.

"Wizards..." she complained quietly under her breath with a light shake of the head. Perhaps it was a bit immature of her to complain about such a topic again. After all, how many times has she complained about it? Dozens of times? Hundreds? At this point, she'll probably complain about it even ten years from now to the spirit within her blade if he ever decides to meet her by then. However, she really couldn't help it. The ranged aspect of most of the spellwork available in a Kidō master's repertoire, the confusing nature of the grand majority of spells which cannot possibly be predicted even by listening to their incantations, the fact that some masters can just not need to provide any incantation at all for their spells to work... It was outright maddening. There is no honor in such discreet diversity, no respect in this versatility. Sure, it is a system designed to take down Hollows and those monsters typically do not have honor or even the ability of speech for that matter, but in her mind, it just felt cowardly. The beasts, as cruel as they may be, do not deserve such disrespect. 

Embarrassingly enough, her comment did not go unnoticed. Shortly after Kimiko let out her complaint, the teenager girl - Binita, was it? - let out a noise that could only be described as a grunt. "You're talking about Kidō people?" She asked then, though it sounded less like a question and more so just an affirmation. "Yeah, they suck ass. Like, I don't get the point of focusing in that kind of stuff. It's lame."

Hearing her words made the red-eyed Shinigami's blood run cold. She hadn't thought that the girl would even hear her. What impressive hearing. "Uh... Yeah," she agreed then, shocked to find that someone actually agreed with her so openly. "Yeah, I was talking about Kidō..."

"Hmph, what? Is someone going to use Kidō against us?" Dai's voice rose up before he punched his open fist. By then, his smile had twisted into a large, cruel grin. "I will crush these cowards like twigs!"

"That's what everyone says before they end up burning to death," Charles commented on the conversation with a sigh that seemed to have been born out of bother for the brutish man's attitude, which caused the latter to wince from the image alone. "Kidō isn't a joke. I never learned the incantations, but I know they can be pretty dangerous."

That was definitely an understatement. As much as she hated Kidō, Kimiko has to admit that it is unfortunately very powerful. It was primarily why she hated its discretion. More often than not, history has shown that Shinigami who are fluent in the magical arts can level out an entire army of Hollows by simply casting the right incantation, sometimes to the point that they don't even need a Zanpakuto to fight. In a moment's notice, they can conjure water, earth, fire, air or any other natural element that one can possibly think of so as to completely transform the battlefield. Worse yet, they can even conjure magical and spiritual components to immobilize them or render them no more suited for combat. Some even use poisons and other debilitating spells. Of course, there is a very low chance of seeing powerful renditions of these spells here, but just recalling some of the ones she had to study (and fail to properly replicate herself) at the Academy was making her fully understand the danger behind even the weakest spell.

Before she could comment on any of that, however, the group's attention was pulled from them towards Celes as she conducted her speech, and so, Kimiko's own attention followed suit. Like the others, she remained quiet throughout, listening to it with focus. Hearing her mentor speak such grand words to all so as to rouse the pride in everyone's ability brought a smile to her face. Although she was not being directly addressed to, it felt just like any other time she has been with the now-Captain in general: a learning experience. It didn't matter whether it was a full-blown spar, ample training, or a simple meeting to the nearest ramen shop. Whenever one is with this woman, they will learn something and become something better. Maybe that was what Kimiko admired the most in her mentor, and considering her newfound position, maybe it was something other people in the Gotei 13 admired too even if they preferred not to show it emotionally. So, naturally, she straightened herself and called.

"Squad 11!" Her voice boomed in unison with the others, and in one fell swoop, the negative emotions that she held for Kidō users vanished. Instead, what replaced them was brimming excitement for the event to come, a battle between Shinigami that will not only dictate which one of them is the strongest, but also showcase the greatest this Soul Society has to offer to mankind. Her excitement was such that a sheen of reiatsu now covered her, causing Binita to blink, then smile.

"Well then, now we just need a plan," she remarked as she shared Kimiko's emotional energy, causing her to start jumping in place."Like, I'm good at grappling. If I grab Gideon, he's fucked," This motion caused Charles to simply nod as she sighed, stretching himself as he unsheathed his blade.

"Right," he almost yawned away before he held the blade in a reverse-grip, keeping it near his left side like a combat knife. "So, we're rushing them down. Fair enough."

"The weak ones are mine!" Dai declared loudly then as her violently took his weapon out of its scabbard and held on it on his shoulder. There did not seem to be any technique to his holding, like he was going to use the blade as a bat more so than a sword. "We don't need worms in this competition."

Kimiko considered everyone's opinion on this carefully. It didn't seem like much, but in the matter of less than a few seconds, everyone in her group had revealed their archetype to her: a grappler, a knife specialist, and a brawler. In a way, it was as though she was staring at her own team of fighting game characters. The thought admittedly made her smile a bit, and in that moment, he was glad her back was turned to her comrades so as to not cave to its ridiculousness before them, but it wasn't that farfetched. It was like that one game she played back then, Marine vs CompCap 3, which had teams of three characters pitted against one another. The only difference here was that she was a fighter too. "Then... let's go with that," she nodded as she spoke to them. "I'm fast enough to take care of the Kidō users, so I'll try to get their attention away from you guys." She stretched and allowed her eyes to focus onto the Kidō users in the crowd. "Let's win this."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}

Statistics

Physical	Spiritual		Sensory	Miscellaneous
Strength: 87 (115-28) Speed: 378 (280+98)	Reiatsu Strength: 30 (40-10) Spiritual Pressure: 405 (300+105)		Instincts: 190 Senses: 150 Energy Sensory: 25	Light Aura: 60 Dark Aura: 40 Healing Expertise: 0

Skills

Mental	Battle		Body	Utility
Analyzing: 2 Strength of Will: 2 Learning: 1	Iaijutsu: 2 Martial Art - Hohō: 2 Battle Analysis: 2 Martial Art - Hakuda: 1 Battle Focus: 1		N/A	N/A

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes was rather pleased with the events as they transpired. This was, after all, her first day as a Captain and she had already offered a rousing speech and words of encouragement to those participating in the training exercise. She could sense it in the air. Rivalries had already started forming, plans were being hatched and spirits were high. Celes could not ask for a better environment to facilitate positivity and comradery. Sure, it sounded cheesy, but she firmly believed that for divisions to effectively function as teams, they needed to learn to trust one another and have a sense of unity. Mistrust bred selfishness which would lead to someone getting killed. Sure. It was part of the job. An occupational hazard of a Shinigami, but she wanted to avoid it wherever possible. 

As she continued to ruminate on the squad dynamics that she felt were valuable, she returned to reality and had a good look at the teams. She smiled as she saw them huddled together and discussing strategy yet among them a few stood out. First, of course, was Kimiko. She was her disciple after all. Celes had high hopes for the Shinigami in this scenario. She began to inspect her carefully and it took her a moment, but she noticed the change in clothing. Just as Celes now wore a haori to denote her position as a Captain, so did Kimiko now wear black Shihakusho to denote her status as a fully-fledged Shinigami. Celes shot her a notable smile. They would have to celebrate at some point. 

Then there was yet another familiar figure of the Eleventh Division. Celes knew him as Shawn as he had accompanied her on a mission into the Human World before. She knew little about him although she was well aware of his favoritism towards Kido. Not that she minded. The Captain knew the versatility and power of Kido well. While it is a path that she rejected in favor of focusing on her martial prowess, she did not condemn others for walking a more traditional path. Regardless, Celes already had her suspicions. She knew that Kimiko despised Kido with a passion and would likely have a few issues with Shawn and his group. Celes would definitely have to keep an eye on them to make sure that this did not escalate. 

The final figure that Celes took note of was a peculiar sight. A young, short and blue-haired Shinigami that stood among a group of women. Celes eyed her carefully as it took her a second to recognize her. After a few moments, she tapped her chin and smiled. She had met this one before. She was a member of her Division, that of the tenth. Admittedly and much to her chagrin, Celes had not taken much time to get to know Wynne besides the original time they met as Wynne became a member of the Tenth Division and had a little chat with the Captain. It was too early to tell but based on their conversations and her sizing up of her, Celes had a feeling that they would have another Kido user in their midst. She chuckled realizing that it would not be Kimiko's day. 

The planning period was soon to come to an end, but that's when Celes heard it. Panting and wheezing as a Shinigami burst into the Barracks. Celes stood and eyed him carefully. She knew him quite well. It was one of hers. He began to stammer in slight shock. "H..h..hollow. H..hollow sighting in the Rukongai! O..one of the outer districts!" Celes sighed as she raised her hand in an attempt to calm him down. He flinched for a moment as the Captain placed her hand onto his shoulder. "No worries. Go to the Barracks and catch your breath. We will dicuss the details later..." He nodded as he left the premises, clearly exasperated. Celes sighed once more and closed her eyes, breathing out calmly.

She looked at Miranda with a bit of a frown. "I hate to do this Miranda, but can you check on the situation for me? As my Third Seat, I'm sure that you can handle this situation comfortably. No worries. I will look after the training session here." Celes could see disappointment in her underlings' eyes, but she would acquiesce and depart swiftly to check on the situation. Celes would certainly feel her heart ache as she knew that she owed Miranda a favor. Not out of obligation, but she would be sure to make it up to her Third Seat in the future. For now, though, it seemed that she would have to manage this little training session of theirs. Miraculously, the flowers still remained so the Captain just decided to roll with it. 

She turned towards the group and sighed. "I apologize for the disruption, but do not let it deter you. Miranda's original regulations are still in place despite her absence. I suggest you follow them to the letter. I suspect that we will begin soon. Begin finalizing your plans." The Captain would patiently wait for everyone to finish up their last-minute decision making before addressing the group once more. "Just as before, Shawn and his group are tasked with protecting their lilies. Each of the other groups will work to get lily of the one you sent to meet Shawn in the middle. Though that isn't to say that your groups cannot work together to achieve this goal. That being said, I will permit the usage of Kido within reason. Harm anyone in a serious manner and Miranda will be the least of your worries. With that being cleared up, you may begin upon my signal." Celes walked back to the wall and took a seat as she chuckled. She was not sure how this would go, but she was hoping that Miranda would make it back to see most of it. With that thought she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. "Begin!" It was time for the training exercise to officially start. 

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Looking between each member on his team, it seemed they came to an agreement that his plan might just be the best. The only major problem of this plan was the single Kido user he noticed out among his current opponents. Wynne could easily be the wrench that put an end to an otherwise decent plan of action. As none of his teammates seemed to enjoy the idea of another Kido user being among the enemies. It was already bad enough that he kept getting glances from his team, clearly uncomfortable working with him like this.



The other three quickly take up a spot surrounding him in a triangle formation, giving him enough breathing room to use the Kido and similar Techniques he needed to. With a simple good luck spoken be each one of them they were ready for the challenge that lay ahead of them. Everybody was ready to begin, then suddenly a guy came running into the training grounds wheezing and shouting about a Hollow sighting. Well, this certainly dampens the mood, what's going to happen now I wonder?


As if all of Shawn's thoughts were heard, Celes seems to answer by asking Miranda to go and check on the situation, apparently the Squad 10 captain was going to take over from here on. As if fate wanted this little session to continue, as soon as Miranda left the flowers seemed to stay, unfazed by the dissapearance of the one who created them. Once again Celes goes over the rules, Shawn was in charge of the group with the flowers and each other group had to take the flower from the one they sent over to be with him. So it was up to Shawn to lead his team and protect them the best he could.



With the explanation of the rules once again spoken, Celes shouts the signal, "Begin!" Without hesitation Shawn quickly reaches his hands through the open spots between his allies, flicking his wrists in a way that allows the string he produces to form a sort of web around him and his team. If anyone get's to close he will let them have a shocking surprise, however, until then he and his team holds there ground, waiting for the opponents to make their move.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}Strength - 100 Points (-50%=50)



Speed - 100 Points (-50%=50)



Spiritual Pressure - 50 Points



Reiatsu Strength - 115 Points



Light Aura - 100 Points



Dark Aura - 0 Points



Instinct - 100 Points (-50%=50)



Senses - 75 Points (-50%=37.5)



Energy Sensory - 0 Points (-50%=0)



Healing Expertise - 0 Points





(Type: SSv1)



Rank 1

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}Analyzing: 1



Calm Mind: 1



Learning: 1



Strength of Will: 1



Battle Focus: 1



Martial Arts- Kyusho Jitsu: 1



Battle Analysis: 1



Mental Incantation: 1



Weapon- Jian Sword: 1

[Wynne Kuchiki]

The goal of their group was to retrieve the lily from the man they had sent away. Judging from the formation he was currently in, it wasn’t going to be a simple task. The question was, should they go in first or wait. Narrowing her eyes in thought, Wynne compared their group to the other one. There were a few key differences between the two, with the key component being her. For one, she wasn’t part of Squad 11, which meant she was a Kido user. Which meant she excelled at long ranged attacks. So if Shawn’s group wanted to huddle up and sit around all day, then she could just pepper them with attacks until their formation broke. As long as she was here, that type of formation didn’t favor them.

“If they keep standing around like that, I can just bombard them with Kido. Once there’s an opening, you guys can go in and grab the lily.” Turning her head towards Wynne, Rinka nodded her head before giving her own response. “That’s true, gotta be careful though, you’ll attract attention that way. Most people don’t like being attacked like that.” “That’s why we’re here idiot.” As the group began to bicker lightheartedly, Wynne took in a deep breath as she prepared herself. She had a big role to play and she didn’t want to let her team down. She wanted to win, and win she would!

With Rinkah next to her and her other two squadmates in front, Wynne was ready to begin. Raising her arm at their male teammate that they sent away, she began to speak. "Arise god of thunder! Awake mother of storms! Unleash the lighting on the sinners!" As a lightning bolt was sent his way and towards his chest, Wynne waited to see his response. Sure this was supposed to be some sort of brawl, but Kido was what she specialized in. If they didn’t want her to use it, they should have said so. Plus she aimed for the chest, so he’d survive, it was well within the rules. And if one attack wasn’t enough, then she’d use another.

~~~

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}

Strength: 38 - 33%= 25
Speed: 25
Spiritual Pressure: 50
Reiatsu Strength: 50 + 50% = 75
Instinct: 38 - 33% = 25
Senses: 25
Energy sensory: 29 + 50% = 44
Healing Expertise: 25 - 66% = 17
Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0
Total SP: 280

Mental Incantation: 1
Charisma/Leadership: 1
Stealth: 1

Reiatsu: 475/500 Remaining
Reiatsu Strength of Byakurai: 83

SPOILER: Click to show

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

Class: 7

Technique Type: Kido

Technique Element: Thunder

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

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

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