Lessons Abound

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Shinōreijutsuin, Shin'ō Academy, otherwise known as the Spiritual Arts Academy. Pride and joy of Tamajosho Aryuusai, long passed Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, it is from which the celestial guardians of Soul Society and Humanity are born. In other words, it is where denizens of Soul Society who have the slightest bit of reiatsu within their bodies can develop that spiritual energy into something which can be transformed into a weapon to be wielded against Hollowkind. As one can imagine from such a prestigious description, this historical monument is seen with great importance by the Shinigami and Central 46. Without it, there would have been no guidance for the many who have passed through its gates and wandered within its walls, and no means for these many to become the powerful warriors they then became. More importantly, without it, the chaos which once ruled this heavenly realm would have never ceased, and only the powerful would have been able to rule forever.

Of course, at times, it is rather difficult to understand the importance of this monument, as despite its massive cultural imprint, it is in essence still very much a school. In fact, today in this 21st Human Century, it is rather difficult to differentiate it from the typical universities sprawled about the Living World. Like them, it possesses a courtyard, classrooms and dormitories. Students are separated in uniforms which depends on one's gender, assigned a select number of teachers, and are tasked to complete a set of classes over the course of a six-year curriculum. There are even clubs that one can join at their leisure, each very unique in nature. Realistically, in every sense of the word, it is truly an Academy, or rather, an educational institution. The only difference is that they it teaches one how to master their reiatsu and ultimately battle Hollows with it. Some Shinigami who have visited the Living World or have just recently joined Soul Society even tend to compare it to Japanese scholarship.

It is thus unsurprising that events are at times being conducted at this Academy. Indeed, these temporary activities only available for a limited time to students do exist here too at Shin'ō Academy. They are perhaps just as varied as the clubs themselves, ranging from political presentations to contests, and provide to these spiritual scholars a means to break their monotonous daily cycle. In a few cases, it even provides them a way to directly impress those within the Gotei 13 and to value themselves before them as potential candidates for their squads. For example, roughly more three hundred years ago, a young Ana Preobrazhensky was able to showcase to commanders of the Second Division her prodigious knowledge of stealth, covert operations and tactics, assuring her the position of Seated Officer upon her official admission into the Gotei 13. She went on to serve as one of the most powerful agents to have ever served Soul Society.

Coincidentally, today is the day one of these events will take place. This one event was a simple matter in concept: a conference. Each Division of the Gotei 13 was tasked to send two of their top soldiers to the Academy so as to showcase the skills of the Gotei 13. Although Captains and Vice-Captains were once the ones who were supposed to be sent, it was instead decided to settle with Seated Officers, as their duties are simply too important for them to pay attention such an activity. The idea came from a particular teacher within the institution who, upon recalling the glorious battle between a prodigious student and a Vice-Captain, wished to awaken the innate potency of the present students of the Academy. Although his goal was seen as rather doubtful by the administration of the school, especially another teacher who believed it to also be downright ridiculous, it was nevertheless seen as ultimately very inspiring by many Seated Officers of the Shinigami corps.

And so, here Kimiko was, walking onto the path that would lead her towards the Academy's courtyard alongside Siegfried, her comrade, with stress painted all over her face.

"Siegfried... You didn't tell me that you were bringing me to something like that...!" She told him with her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she looked on over to him. Her eyes were widened in what could only be described as utmost panic, and her reiatsu was humming quietly around her. It was the first time in a long while that she had actually felt like this, and she was still having a very hard time describing that feeling. All she knew was that she was more than a bit peeved about all of this, something that was very dearly noticed by the spirit in her sword who couldn't help but be a bit amused by it all. Meanwhile, none of this seemed an issue for the larger warrior at her side who merely brushed all concern away with his usual loudness.

"Indeed, I have not!" He declared with a wide smile as his blue eyes turned towards her gaze, unfazed by the frustration that was directed towards him. "A warrior must be ready to face any battle at any time! I believed you to already be aware of such a fact!"

"Well, yeah, but... this isn't the same thing!" She tried her best to explain to him without outright stressing herself even further. Her face had become so contorted by her stress that it made it all appear rather comical. "You're... gonna mostly be doing all the talking, right? I can trust you on that, right?"

"Of course! You can trust me, for my name is not Siegfried of Balatoria!"

"F... Fine! Fine... Damn it..."

She could not believe this. To say that all of this was sudden was a complete, utter understatement. Right in the middle of her work, she had been pulled away by Siegfried for something that he had said was, in his own words, "urgent". Given the way he had worded his invitation, the swordswoman believed that it was for something important regarding a mission, training, or even something as benign as finding some papers from another squad altogether. But no, instead, it was this. Somehow, she now found herself following this man towards an event she had absolutely not only no knowledge of, but also no preparations made whatsoever. She had no idea of how long this was going to take, how many people are going to be in it, or even how it is going to go. It all made for a terrible cocktail that unsurprisingly made this antisocial soldier curse it all for even happening in the first place. Sure, going back to the Academy every once in a while is fun, but not like this! Never like this!

This better not be too stressful!

---

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, students were starting to congregate behind a few posters that had been set about the courtyard. Onto them were laid a paper which guided the ones looking at them towards the location of the event alongside the time in which it was going to begin, which was around noon. By these papers also stood teachers and counselors meant to give aid to those who were lost. Thanks to their conjoined efforts, there was already a notable amount of people in the large courtyard, so much so that it made it appear as though it was not that large at all. It seemed that the fame of those which surpassed them in the Gotei 13 - or, rather, the sheer will to converse with them and maybe learn from them - made sure to create a most popular event. It has yet to even begin, and despite that, it was already potentially about to become one of the biggest that were ever going to occur at the Academy in recent times.

Among the teachers which guided the student was the aforementioned one who started it all. He appeared as an old man who today wore a gray kimono for an attire. His whitened hair was raised upright on his head, contrasting well with his rather impressive eyebrows and mustache. Somehow, his sharp features appeared soft before the mass of students. He was clearly pleased by the display. "Ah, what a wonderful view," he could not help but comment openly at it all. In the meanwhile, he turned his eyes towards a small stand that had been formed near one of the main walls of the courtyard. For now, it was empty, though it was expected to be filled by the upcoming Shinigami in a few minutes. He wondered who would come then. Would a Captain unexpectedly appear before them? Will there be missing squads? Latecomers? It was hard to tell, and perhaps there was beauty in that. Whatever happens, he is sure that it will be a great time for all.

[Rei Takagi]

Potential that was not tapped into, was potential that was ultimately wasted. Rei had only been in the Academy for what he perceived to be a short time, but such a measurement was...subjective. A year can be constituted as a while by many, and in that six year tenure, one could really acquire so much experience with no idea of what expectations would be had to make such pay off. These were skills to battle Hollows with, but...The question remained, ever present, even if unasked.

What was life outside of here like? What was life as a full Shinigami expected to be? Takagi Rei had caught wind of a conference about that exact subject that was being held today, and given he had a bout of free time between classes by then, it struck him as prudent to at least attend, at least hear these officers out. In all likelihood, hearing about the subject from people with proper experience could lead to insights previously unseen.

...Yet the possibility that they may well be full of...No, no, let's not think that way of our betters. Coming into the courtyard proper greeted him with the very thing he had wished to try beating here. A crowd. No doubt this experiment had made a bit of headway with the other students...And it didn't seem like anyone he had known was here.

Unfortunate...but, still workable. Yet...where exactly was one to go? Rei thought to himself for a bit, before he made his way towards one of the stands. And yet.

...

"...Oh, it's...empty." Oops. Was he supposed to wait or...what? Uncertainty. Oh dear. He glanced around towards the other stands, then back here. Perhaps there was no harm in waiting here for a few minutes, was there?

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The professor gazed from one end of the courtyard to the other as he continued his observation. Once again, he could not help but continue to feel astonished by the view. So many students had come. Young ones, older ones, each fueled by their sheer excitement for the event. He could even recognize a few of them as being among those who attended his class. In this moment, he could not but feel eternally grateful for the people of the Gotei 13 and the administration of the Academy for having even allowed such an event to occur. With a crowd such as this, one which already presented a future with such potential, there was no way this event was going to go wrong. Well, at least he could not foresee it going wrong himself. If anything, the presence of the officers who will soon come here will only ascertain the will of these students and bring them onward ever-so-closer to the rank of aspiring Shinigami. It would not surprise him if a few of these students even go as far as to pass early, just like that one particular woman from back then.

As he observed, however, something caught his attention. On the lone stand laid against one of the walls of the courtyard stood a single student. The sight made him blink in confusion, unsure as to what this meant. Was this... one of the people of the Gotei 13 that had come to gather? No, absolutely not: he definitely wore the male robes of this Academy. Moreover, his reiatsu was still meager and in no way representative of the most powerful of the Gotei 13. From that point onward, it did not take long for the old man to understand what was going on. The poor thing must have misunderstood our instructions, he concluded with a bit of a smile. This was not the first time he has had to deal with an aloof student; after all, he had been one himself a long, long time ago. Still, with a crowd like that staying away from the stand, he had at least hoped that everyone would have understood its significance here. In any case, it would perhaps be a good idea to get him off the stage before the event officially begins.

Heading off towards the stand from where he previously stood did not take very long for the teacher. He still had time and he was not that far away from it, so at the time, he doubted that this student was going to get in trouble for his actions. Unfortunately, as he had approached the stand, someone else joined the man: a Shinigami. She appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Her long silky hair was of a raven black, spanning from her head to the very bottom of her back, with a few strands flowing in front of her effeminate visage. Her eyes, sharp, rested behind rectangular glasses. They were currently staring right at the student. There was a very small difference in size between the both of them, with the woman being roughly around 5'8', but even so, she appeared as a much superior individual compared to the student. "I will have to ask you to get off the stage, student," she told the student with a gentle, yet sturdy tone of voice. It highlighted a clear social difference between the both of them.

The teacher wasn't sure what to make of this at first. To him, it seemed like an odd thing to treat someone who was willing to become a Shinigami in such a way. However, after careful analysis, he was soon able to recognize the figure. He recalled someone who looked similar to her from at least a few number of years ago. What he also recalled of her was her vanishing from the Academy soon after she has had a meeting with someone of the Kuchiki clan. There was no doubt about it: this was one of the newer members of the clan. She must have been somehow adopted into it with the approval of its leader or a kind of committee. Unfortunately, information about the clan and how they even recruit individuals into their ranks is rather scarce even for teachers of the Academy. "You are... Ito Sakura-san, I presume?" He attempted to pull the woman's attention away from the student as he stood near the stand, smiling kindly to her. "It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Academy once more."

The woman said nothing at first, instead merely turning her eyes towards the instructor. Eventually, however, she decided to speak again. "You must be Abe-sensei," she said then as she analyzed the old man. "I understand that it has been some time since we have met. For your information, you will have to acknowledge me as a member of the Kuchiki clan from now on. I am part of the Ito family no longer."

"My apologies," the old man simply replied with that kind smile of his. He could not say that he appreciated the girl's tone with him, but suffice to say that he had no real power to wield against her. She was now a Kuchiki, a noblewoman of Seireitei, and although he is currently a teacher of the Academy an an elder to boot, he never was of noble heritage in comparison. If he reveals his true feelings towards her attitude right then and there, it is possible that he will suffer social consequences that are just not worth the hassle. "In any case... Please, young man, follow me. The event is about to begin."

Meanwhile, as Abe requested the man to get off the stage and follow him to the crowd, his eyes wandered back to the Kuchiki woman. It seemed that she had no more attention to give to both he and the student, as no sooner after the matter was settled, she turned away and headed for a man who was waiting for her on the far side of the stage. The man did not look remarkable, though with the way she stood near him similarly to how she stood near the student, it was obvious that he was not her equal, but rather either a subordinate or a sort of retainer for her clan. His presence here most likely was not voluntary, as judging by the way he acted when conversing with her, it instead seemed to have been an order given to him. How disappointing, the old man could only think then. The Sixth Division's hierarchy truly will never change, and neither will the Kuchiki clan if they keep recruiting individuals such as this one into their fold.

[Rei Takagi]

Whether it was a simple misunderstanding or absent-minded wanderings (the latter might have been the case), Rei blinked for a moment as he was addressed, before he quickly nodded to the bespectacled superior. "Ah, sorry about that! Won't happen again!" A quick apology and shuffling off of the stage and...hopefully that was the end of an interaction that was a bit more startling to Rei than anything.

Actually looking her in the eyes did seem to tell a lot more about her than anything she had just said, though. This woman carried herself with no small amount of grace, status--and she had every reason to. The Kuchiki were a pretty prolific clan from what Rei had heard in his travels to even get here. Yet...to coldly reprimand Abe-sensei for not addressing her correctly like that...

...

That sort of bothered him more than it should, even if he could shake it off in theory. It wasn't as if he could do much about it, but he nodded to Abe-sensei, following him off and into the crowd. "Of course. ...Again, I am terribly sorry about that." Not the best way to start the event off, but...that wasn't everything. If Rei could, he'd likely be attempting to apologize a hundred times over, but that would be...such a waste! Besides, there was more to the day than that. As Abe had said, the event was about to begin!

What did it hold?

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The teacher, Abe, studied the student's reaction with an acute eye, absentmindedly analyzing his movement and speech as the older man led him away from the stage. Despite the rapid apologies, he could tell that the Kuchiki woman had left an impression on the student as much as he had left an impression on himself. Frankly, it was difficult to blame the younger man for reacting in such a fashion to this. Although Sakura was nowhere near as rude as some of the other members of her clan that he has had to interact with over the course of his long life, she had presented herself as a superior being right off the bat, consciously reprimanding both he and the student for not treating her as a noblewoman the moment they made eye contact with her. One may have believed to only be but a simple matter of appearances, but even from where he stood further away from the stand, he could still feel the coldness of the spiritual energy that emanates from her body.

Nevertheless, he was not going to let this interaction ruin the student's experience with this event; after all, she was only one of many. There are plenty of other officers that are supposed to come here, each with their own quirks and beliefs. It was doubtful that all of them are going to react the same way she did. "There is no need to apologize for such a simple mistake. You were not the first student to find themselves in such a predicament. Once, long ago, I found myself in that very same place," he reassured the student with a kind and friendly smile, with a chuckle even coming out of him once he revealed that bit of information. The further he distanced himself from the cold reiatsu of the Kuchiki woman, the more he felt himself become at peace again. It was a strange sensation, enough so to temporarily make him wonder why it was so. The Kuchiki are of course rather renowned for their grace and authority, but never once as he felt such an odd emotional mixture pushed against his core.

It took some time for the sensation to leave, roughly about a few more steps into the crowd away from the stage, though it eventually did subside. By then, the other students that formed the aforementioned crowd were making way for his presence. As soon as they saw the grey of his kimono, they would steadily step away with a brief nod. It made the old man smile. That Sakura may have been cold with him, but that did not mean he had lost any prestige as an elderly being of Soul Society. Casual conversation may thus be better completed here. "With her arrival, I suppose that this event is about to begin," he hummed as his gaze briefly resumed their previous sweep of the courtyard. Again, he found himself beaming at the sight of it all. For him, a teacher of the Academy who typically has no say in how the administration handles its planned festivities, a suggestion of his becoming so popular was more than what he could have wished for. "I would have never expected such numbers to have gathered here today."

Eventually, the man's eyes returned to the stand after he finished unconsciously reconnoitering the area, and by then, his body found himself stopping with a light grunt of surprise coming from his lips. It had only been a minute or so since he had led the student away from where they previously were with the Kuchiki woman, and yet now, there were many standing there on that wooden platform, so much so that they almost filled it completely. Where there was once only two officers, more specifically the ones from the Sixth Division, there were now instead more than two dozens. Twenty-six black-robbed swordsmen in total. There were so many of them that it was at first admittedly difficult to understand from which Squad these individuals came from. However, it would seem that the organizers were kind enough to lay banners onto the wall behind the officers each displaying the insignia of their division. Given their diversity, it was perhaps more needed than he cared to admit.

The sheer difference between each officer was rather unprecedented. There were tall ones, small ones, ones that did not care about the reiatsu that surrounded them, others that suppressed them. Not even their Zanpakuto were remotely similar compared to one another. Some of these sharp things were as tall as their being while others instead only appeared to be small knives at best. The only exception to that rule of difference seemed to be the officers that had come to represent the Fifth Division, which appeared to be two blond twins, though even so, they still differed in the way they revealed their spiritual energy. These people were obviously not Vice-Captains and even less so Captains, as noticed from the lack of haori which so symbolizes one's Captaincy and the armband typically adorned by the right hand of their respective division, but they definitely were perhaps just as impressive, if not more so. The potential here was just unprecedented.

One of them, however, stood out to Abe above the rest.

"Oh...?" The teacher found himself blinking in disbelief as his eyes gazed upon the figure of a woman who stood behind a behemoth of a man under the banner of the Eleventh Division. The short hair, the crimson eyes, the quiet and shy demeanor... There was no doubt it. "My word... Not even ten years have passed, and yet..." 

The latest prodigy of Shin'ō Academy, Nakajima Kimiko, stood there in the flesh.

---

Kimiko was absolutely frozen. She stood there motionless onto the platform, eyes wide as she stared right back at the crowd whose attention was now turning towards her. Somehow, what Siegfried had told to her in detail prior to coming here was worse than what she had expected. She had imagined the event would be nothing more than some sort of classic meeting that would be completed in about an hour or so, a sort of presentation, really. However, this was almost the exact opposite of what she had believed it to be: it was a full-blown ceremony. Well, perhaps not a ceremony per say as it wasn't quite as bombastic (or was it?), but rather a sort of showcase of what all the members of the squads could do, one that seemed incredibly similar to that one time some soldiers of the Gotei 13 had come during her first year at the Academy to present them what the could do with their abilities. It was a hundred miles away from her comfort zone, and it bothered her immensely.

She wanted to leave right away. This was supposed to be another normal day of training, a day that she could enjoy with the others and Shizukakane, as always, not any of whatever this was! Obviously, though, she couldn't. If she left now in front of all of these people, it would most likely cause everyone in the Gotei 13 to mock her for several years to come. It wouldn't be so bad if she was Human, but considering that she is now a Soul who can live hundreds, if not thousands of years... she'd rather avoid having to deal with such painful memories. Moreover, it was doubtful that Siegfried was going to let her leave anyway. Although she currently outranks him, she has always felt as though he was more powerful than he really was, and as such, she doubted that she would be able to run away without him noticing and immediately bringing her back. It was him who brought her here, so there was no way he was going to allow her to leave. That was just how Siegfried was.

Well, at least she wasn't the only one out here. If she had stood there on this platform before this entire crowd, she would have probably ran away for sure. So, in search of comfort, her eyes wandered to the rest of the officers that were there to join her and Siegfried to this event. There were many of them, many of which she did not recognize. Well, no, that's not right: there were those annoying twins. She has met them during that disastrous trip to Karakura Town back when she was still a student, and they had been annoying during the entirety of that trip. There was also another girl, one with long hair as dark as hers, that seemed familiar compared to the rest. For some reason, although there never was a girl as cold as she in her memories, she felt as though she had spoken to her before. It was odd. Was it the glasses she wore that caused this familiarity? Whatever it was, it was now starting to bother her.

Well, whatever her feelings were about all of this, Siegfried was pretty damn happy about being here in comparison. He smirked before the crowd, aspiring confidence through and through. One could almost mistake him for a knight in shining armor. "Do you see this, Kimiko? An army of promising fledglings!" He basked in the numbers of the crowd almost as much as Abe did before, completely ignoring the fact that nobody was actually giving him praising looks. On the contrary, the grand majority of the crowd was either acting as though he did not exist or, worse, glared at him with anger or fear. Kimiko couldn't help but sigh at their venomous gazes. This was the work of the good old reputation of the Eleventh Division, she reckoned, forever bound to be absolutely terrible no matter the generation.

"Yeah... I see them alright," she simply replied awkwardly as she tried her best to remain quiet. Damn it... This was starting to feel embarrassing now. Although she was aware that the event hasn't begun quite just yet, it felt as though she was just being paraded here. Is this ever going to start? Maybe once it does, she'll be able to leave as much as possible.

Fortunately for her, soon after she made that reflection, a single woman then appeared on stage. She was wearing the female student robes of the Academy, hinting at the fact that she seemed to be some sort of volunteer rather than someone who worked for the administration of the school. She was holding a sheet of paper in right hand and what seemed to be a microphone in her left, something which one of Squad 12 officers were currently both watching with utmost attention. There wasn't a single ounce of stress on the student's face. In fact, she looked sunny and bright, smiling as happily as Siegfried. "Hello, everyone, and welcome! Thank you for joining us today, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you all~!!" She said with emotion and happiness as she waved to everyone, which caused the crowd to beam back at her for some reason, and for Kimiko to stare at her in complete and utter disgust. "Now, please, listen to me quietly, okay~?"

"Oh god..." the cringing swordswoman's voice moaned underneath her breath at the sight of it all. It was so painful, so horribly painful to watch this girl act in front of this crowd. It was perhaps even more painful to see the crowd go along and cheer at her idol-like acting. She must be a new student who grew very popular over the course of the years she wasn't at the Academy... and Kimiko really did not like this.

[Rei Takagi]

...It would seem that conduct may not have been a strong suit for Rei at this exact moment in time. Which was alright, not everybody was supposed to be PERFECT in the Academy, were they? At least, he hoped not. Regardless, Abe-sensei had found empathy in the situation. Rei had not been the first, nor would he be the last to find themselves in a situation like that. It...seemed like something that just happened, believe it or not.

It was a source of warmth where the ice of the Kuchiki had been a minute or so prior. "Her, and many others, I'd presume." Rei added onto Abe-sensei's musings. "I can guess why so many would be here--most students from what I know come here knowing that there's promises at the end of the path that the Academy offers. I personally wanted to see what perspectives can be offered from that...other side. However, I cannot speak for others."

People came, and they came in droves indeed. Rei had delegated himself to following Abe-sensei around for this event, so of course he was going to take note of the behemoth of the 11th, and the crimson-eyed woman behind him. "Another former student, I take it...? She looks menacing..." Tried and tested was another pair of descriptors that could have sufficed there. Regardless, the event was now seeming to begin PROPER! With an infectiously cheery woman taking the stage and grabbing everyone's attention.

Rei waved back with a small smile. There was no cringe to be had--just someone enjoying their assigned...er...voluntary job? Yeah.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The teacher would present a smile to the student after the latter added a comment of his own onto the former's. He was happy to see that the cold of the Kuchiki woman which was once so omnipresent within the both of them had slowly been discarded in favor of something which he was much more used to. Although it has not long since he has been made aware of that individual's most recent identity, It was much more pleasant to hear the young man's opinion of the event than anything that seemed destined to having been born from one of her thoughts, as impolite as that conclusion may be. "Indeed, I thought much of the same," the older man would agree as his eyes trailed over the larger crowd yet again. "The future is yet uncertain for so many of even the younglings under my care. Even now, I have noticed that there are many who have yet to form but a guess as to where they would go once their studies come to an end. Perhaps those who bear such lacking certainty like yourself form the majority of this crowd."

As he spoke, his smile would eventually become a bit softer. He did not want to reminisce openly in front of the young man once again so as to not appear as the old man he was, but he was once again reminded of himself. Back then, during his younger days, it had taken him almost a year or two to even begin trying to start theorizing about where he would go after the end of his own studies, and after that, it took him almost the rest of the curriculum to form a conclusion. By the end of it, he had been assigned to the Fourth Division due to his innate understanding of both humanoid and bestial anatomy. Just thinking about it and how badly he had reacted to the decision almost brought a chuckle out of him. "Aw, not Squad 4!" He had told the examiners then with such venom. "Literally nobody I know goes into that squad! I'll be seen as a laughing stock!"  Oh, he truly was a different man in those younger years, truly a person from a different time.

By the time he was finished being reminded of such an embarrassing memory, the matter of the scarlet-eyed woman that suddenly came into view was put into the spotlight of the conversation. Abe was definitely shocked to see her here. His eyes were wide open and he generally looked astonished. It took the young man's question and impressions to get him out of his stupor. "Ah, my apologies," he would nod rapidly as he regained his composure with a smile. "Yes, she indeed was a student not even a decade ago. Nakajima Kimiko... When she was still studying here, she was seen as a prodigy of the sword. I remember the stories my students told of her then. Many were wrong, of course, but there were a few that held some truth." His speech ironically branded the mark of the reminiscing elder despite his previous attempt to not appear as such, though it was not for a lack of concern. At the time, he had seen her fight against the Eleventh Division's very own Vice-Captain, and he had seen her terrible spiritual energy. For their own good, he hoped that she had rid herself of that darkness, but something told him that that was not the cause.

Before he could say anything more, he was then interrupted by the loud voice of the student that had appeared on the stage right in front of the officers. The sight made him blink for a moment. Well then, this was... oddly energetic? He has yet to hear about this young woman. Was she new to the Academy? With a personality as seemingly radiant as this girl's, you would think he would have noticed her by now alongside the rest of the teachers here. Of course, seeing her did not deter him or discourage him from listening to her. In fact, given how excited the rest of the crowd suddenly seemed to be, he found himself chuckling. "Oh, this must be one of those new trends the younglings have been mentioning to me for the last few years," he said as he continued to stand by the previously-lost student. "Hm, how do they call it again? Idoling? Dolling? Hm, that cannot be right." It was clear that he was out of line, but he at least was right in attempting to connect with cultural events throughout the ages he has visibly gone through.

The woman was, meanwhile, still very much excited on the stage as she held onto that piece of paper, smiling to the crowd as she seemingly tried her best to appear as cute as possible. "Now, now, everyone~, quiet down, quiet down~!" She would call again to make sure everyone would finally stop talking in the crowd before she would then continue. "Good~, thank you! Now, we can finally begin the Great Day Of Shinigami Fate, presented to you by yours truly, Moriko Ko!" It was a very flashy way for her to present this event, and quite frankly, it was starting to become so flashy that it appeared more as a concert than what it is really supposed to be. A great number of the Shinigami officers behind her were giving her looks of various expressions ranging from shared happiness and energy, shock, disbelief, and finally, pure and utter embarrassment. Even the Kuchiki woman seemed to be taken aback by what she was seeing. Fortunately, her introduction did not last for very long, for she would then speak again. "This will be very simple, I promise~! For the remainder of the day, the court will be separated into thirteen groups, one for each squad! Over there, you will find Shinigami that have to come to present to you everything there is to know about being a Shinigami of their respective squads, duties and all~! You'll be able to talk with them, interact with them, and some will even show you tricks! Ain't this cool~?"

Without much surprise, the crowd would then openly agree with Moriko, which would make her chuckle before she then raised her microphone again. "That's cool and all, yes, but there's nothing cooler than rules to make it all happen~! There are three rules that we want everyone to respect! Number one: no violence! We will not tolerate pushing, punching or kicking in the crowd! Number two: no magic! Don't use spells in the middle of the crowd! Those are very dangerous, you know~? Finally, number three: have fun~!" She put emphasis on the last rule, which caused the crowd to clap openly before she would then bring a conclusion to her little speech. "Well then, it was very nice talking to you all like this for now~! I will be available if you ever need help! Have fun, everyone~!"

And with that, the speech was over, which caused him everyone to let out an energetic cheer. Abe, the teacher, would simply let out a chuckle as everyone exploded around them, then turn his gaze towards the younger man at his side. "Well then, that was quite the spectacle," he remarked before he then smiled. "Should you ever require aid once more, you are free to communicate your woes to us teachers."

Once he was done speaking, he would then start walking away into the crowd, leaving the young man alone and free to go where he pleased.

---

Oh, this was... this was bad. This was so, so bad. The further Kimiko listened to that woman speak, the further she felt pain and suffering fill her mind. "Why...? Why would you... Why would you present this thing like this...?" The poor woman would comically cringe to the highest heavens imaginable. "This... This sucks... Oh, god, this sucks..." This person... She was an idol, wasn't she? A true idol in both mind and body. She had seen people like her back when she was still in Human in the World of the Living, but she had never believed she would have been able to stomach even standing close to one. Well, now she knew why. The flashiness and rainbow-puking happiness that came from her was so fake that it was causing her to hate it with a burning passion. She wanted her to stop, to just end her miserable drivel right away so they could move on and not have to just stand there looking at her making even more of an absolute mess of this thing Kimiko already believed it to be, as meanwhile, Siegfried would simply smile brightly.

"Such energy! So this is the power of youth!" He declared powerfully as he laughed like he has just witnessed something amazing. "I shall treasure this moment as long as I possibly can!"

"Please, don't."  

Fortunately, the girl's speech did not last for much longer as it eventually was able to come to an end, leaving the Shinigami officers to disperse towards their assigned spaces. Siegfried had obviously been informed as to where they needed to go as members of the Eleventh, given that he was already starting to move off the stage hoping that Kimiko was in tow. "We shall move to the northern-most walls. Once there, we shall present the might of the Eleventh Division in all of its glory," he said with a proud smile as he moved through the crowd, causing the students in it to give way to behemoth and the immense blade on his back. To say that there were many who would stare at him in awe was a bit of an understatement.

At least his presence kept everyone from looking at the swordswoman for too long as she stayed behind him, furtive despite her generous height. There were a few who nonetheless did give her stares, though not much as Siegfried. It was very clear that the rumors about her prodigious abilities with the sword were still very much alive in the Academy, something which at the very least covered the embarrassment and nervousness she was currently filling with a little bit of pride. That was nice, at least.

[Rei Takagi]

As Abe-sensei spoke of the...worrying (to Rei) amount of students that hadn't even put much thought towards where they wished to go? The young man could not help but agree with the teacher. "...It's important to consider one's path towards the future before it suddenly comes knocking." And you would do well to remember that, he told himself. That was why he was here, wasn't it? To help figure out what he wanted to do for that future. It felt like a stroke of good fortune that this event had come along as he had begun to put thought towards what he wanted to do from that...distant point.

Graduation.

Would he even make it? Most certainly--he had to! He made the trek here, he had to make the effort to see it through. As it turned out, however, Rei's question was right on the mark as it had brought Abe-sensei back from the nostalgia of the times before the now. That menacing woman, Nakajima Kimiko, was indeed a former pupil. A prodigy of the sword? "If people were telling stories about her, then such a title has to hold merit." Maybe not a lot of it given there's the potentiality of embellishment, but the fact remained.

If you were good enough at something that someone's telling stories about you? Then you definitely had to have some skill. Several people telling stories meant that the former statement just applied with further certainty. Yet, it can't possibly have just been this woman's swordplay to give her such a storied reputation, right? Was it something about her spiritual pressure? Some Shinigami had that going for them, after all...Kami above knew what the heck that lady on stage was doing, though.

"I...really don't know. I think it's a sort of culture that took root long, long after I came here." Idols were a mystery to Rei. He lived and died in the 1800s, after all. As it was, the Great Day of Shinigami Fate was officially underway--with the court being split into 13 groups. One for the Gotei Thirteen's thirteen squads! Rules were simple enough...The energy presented was rather contagious, given Rei had found himself smiling as everyone erupted into cheering.

"Thank you, sensei. I'll be sure to seek you out if I've got any trouble."

Once again, Rei was left to his own devices, and...better-equipped with an idea on where to go this time. There was a rather enigmatic duo moving up to the north--the prodigal swordswoman herself, and...A very hyped individual. Siegried's passion was about as titanic as the blade he wielded, that much was for certain. Rei figured it would likely serve him well to know what things were like from a prodigy's point of view, sooo...He opted to head north. Calmly.

If he had the opportunity to speak, then he'd take it. He might not have been the first one there, and if that happened to be the case then he'd obviously wait his turn. "Comrades of the Eleventh, what's life like beyond the academy?" Maybe...not the best start in the world, but...One had to begin somewhere.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The march towards the northern walls of the court did not take long. In total, it took about a minute or so for Kimiko and Siegfried to reach it from their position. However, for the scarlet-eyed warrior, that minute almost felt like an hour. She absolutely could not believe how many people were currently attending this event. At best, she had expected them to be in the dozens, if not a hundred. This, however, was definitely more than two-hundred, and she was not taking the time to count them all! There were students everywhere just staring at them, at Siegfried, at her, and it all just felt horribly embarrassing. It was true that many people were staring at her back then while she was still a student at this scholarly institution, but that was nothing in comparison to now! Back then, it was, what, about two or three students staring at her as she walked down the halls? Now, it was maybe about ten times that amount! This was the worst. Truly, the worst.

Siegfried, of course, enjoyed the attention. The knightly fellow he was, there was no way this living giant was going to pass on the occasion to share his happiness of the situation. "Please, make way! We shall speak to you all once we arrive at our station!" He called to the students who were in front on him with his booming voice, which unsurprisingly caused many to take a few steps back. Ironically for our poor Kimiko, this only made more attention be brought their way, and soon enough, many would be able to witness the comical difference between the sunny behemoth and the gloomy woman trailing behind him. It was hardly surprising for the girl to not share his enthusiasm. Beyond the embarrassment she was currently feeling, she could see that there were many who were laughing at his words awkwardly or mockingly, ascertaining the fact that the reputation of the Eleventh has not changed since she has left the Academy. Despite this, Siegfried was none the wiser. "Please, please, make way!" 

At a certain point, the march would finally come to an end, and they would have been able to reach the northern walls. Kimiko was, by then, in mental agony. She wanted this to end, to go back to training so that she could leave this all behind and never go back. The sight of what was set up at these aforementioned walls at the very least quelled the anxiousness within her to a degree. Apparently, the people of the academy who were responsible for the making of this event were kind enough to actually prepare a table and chairs for the Shinigami representatives. It was all done somewhat flamboyantly with a huge banner of their squad insignia hanging from the wall behind them, but it was all done rather well. Well, at least they have chairs. It's better than nothing, the swordswoman's mind would comically mention in the moment as she and Siegfried approached the decent installations. I won't have to stand up in front of all those people.

One more minute or so would then pass as Kimiko and Siegfried properly settled at the this booth they were oh-so-generously allotted for today. As to be expected, and much to the swordswoman's comical doom, the larger Shinigami's personality was more than enough to attract quite a number of people. The most of them had not expected one of the members of the Eleventh, this presumed squadron of horrifying thugs that only wish to do battle with everything and everyone every single day of their lives, could actually have someone as naturally charming as Siegfried in their ranks. Still, the numbers were split between the two representatives, as there was a considerable number who actually instead went straight for Kimiko. Many of them seemed to be downright shocked to see her in person, and as to be expected, there were quite a few who were speaking to one another about her achievements at the academy. To them, it was like staring at a legend... a legend that absolutely did not want to be there in the flesh.

For the sake of the wellness of this activity, a system would appear to be adopted by each booth. Two lines would be formed in front of the representatives of the Eleventh so that each student would be able to converse with the Shinigami to the best of their ability. In the case of the Eleventh's booth, Siegfried would actually remain standing behind the booth as he answered everyone with a bright smiling expression. He would speak with grandeur of the division's achievements, ranging from the elimination of many Hollows to the safeguarding of the Soul Society, and would speak of the Eleventh with great respect. The way he spoke visibly caused a lot of students to somewhat start admiring him, even though they had never seen him fight in the slightest. That was hardly surprising; after all, his mannerisms were akin to the great knights of old, and as it turns out, they appeared to be a rather popular time for many. They must have read a lot of fairy tales during their youth.

Although still embarrassed, Kimiko would, in comparison, eventually tense down after she would sit on her chair and then answer a few questions. Like she had predicted, the fact that she would not stand in front of all of these people did alleviate her personal turmoil quite a fair bit. Moreover, the fact that she did not need to speak to everyone all at once, but rather one at a time made everything quite a fair bit less intimidating. The problem was that most of the people that spoke to her were not so much speaking of the Eleventh, but instead... solely about her. They asked her questions about her training, her Zanpakuto, and her achievements rather than, well, anything about her squad. It felt less like she had been dragged here to represent the Eleventh and instead more so like she had been forcefully brought into some celebrity convention. Even so, she would try her best to answer the questions that were told to her. It wasn't very fun, but oh well.

It was only once a particular individual finally reached her that her interest would finally be somewhat raised. He appeared as a small, scrawny-looking boy (?) who appeared to be in his late tens at best. His purple hair was somewhat short, and his overall demeanor seemed to be the kind that would typically not be noticed in a huge crowd like this one. The most notable thing about him was the lack of expression on his face. It was odd. However, Kimiko was not the kind of person to criticize people by their looks. After he was able to position himself properly in front of the booth and speak to the swordswoman, he would ask her a question that differentiated itself from the rest that she had received thus far. It caused her to grow out of her embarrassed, pseudo-bored phase and stare at him with a bit more interest. "Beyond the academy, huh...?" she would hum quietly before then looking him over again. After she did so, she would settle herself more comfortably in her chair. 

"The Eleventh Division is also known at the Attack Squad... You probably already knew about this, but it gives you an idea of what we usually do," she would first start before growing a little bit more relaxed as she spoke. "Like every other squad, we train, we go hunt important Hollows, and we do reports. It's soldier work, basically." Her tone was natural, which made her bluntness less bothersome to listen to. Even she had to admit that Shinigami work, in essence, is nothing more than the equivalent of working for a military force. "However, the biggest difference between ourselves and the others is that we're always preparing ourselves to fight. We train the hardest, and we hone our blades the hardest, because at any moment, the Soul Society might face a really big threat from out of nowhere. It's hard work, and for some, it might be too much... but that's what the Eleventh is mainly about." After everything was said, she would then comically and somewhat immaturely pout before letting out one last comment, completely breaking out of her seriousness in the process. "Oh, and we hate magic. Like, magic sucks, big time."

[Zeich Yajuu]

Alright, by paragraph count:
Kimiko - 46 Paragraphs, so you earn a 40% Social bonus to your a thread with Rei!
Rei - 15 Paragraphs, so you earn a 10% Social bonus to a thread with Kimiko!