Tenuous Bonds [Celes] [JT]

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Staring at the area in front of the tenth division, Wynne hesitated. She had been in front of the entrance for minutes now, unable to step in. For a myriad of reasons as well. She had first joined this Division because its goals and edics resonated with her. To protect the weak, the downtrodden, the less fortunate. It was here that she hoped to make new friends, people she could rely upon. But now that seemed so long ago. And she had been so naive then. She was so different then. These past few weeks had changed her, she was changed. Physically and mentally.

Could she truly step into these halls, know what she knew now? Knowing what she was here to do? The Tenth Division was here to protect against those that held ill will to the Soul Society. Something that she had. Although no one knew it, she had betrayed the Soul Society. And if everything had gone the way it was supposed to, she wouldn’t even be back. But Camile had vanished, so here she was. With nowhere to turn she came crawling back. It stung, but where else was she supposed to go? Hueco Mundo? Live with those monsters? No, that was no way to live.

And while the other shinigami didn’t care where she vanished off too, she also wasn’t part of their squad. She had a feeling Celes wouldn’t feel the same way. The question was, what was she going to tell the older woman. The truth? Hah, tell the Captain of the Bastion of the Seireitei that she betrayed the Soul Society? She might as well slit her throat here. The outcome would be the same regardless. But lying wouldn’t help things either. Some measure of truth had to be told. She had been gone too long. Some things would have to be told. But how much. Camile was gone, and she did say she had known Celes, so perhaps mentioning her to the Captain might help?

Either way, she had to face the music. And to do that, she’d need to actually go inside and not stand around like a weirdo. Taking a deep breath Wynne squared her shoulders and headed deeper in. She also had to figure out how to explain her increase in height. The last time Celes had seen her, she had been around 5 feet, now she was 6’2”. Quite the drastic increase. As much as she liked Col’s gift and the increase in strength it gave her, it also caused her quite a bit of problems too. Still, the topic of her height was not the worst thing she’d have to talk to Celes about, so that wasn’t really something she had to worry about. No, it was the corruption of her morals that was the problem.

[Celes Castellanos]

The early morning light was flowing through the window as it shined on someone's sleeping form. Resting her head against the desk, Celes' eyes fluttered open as she stretched. She yawned for a moment and cracked her neck and fingers. She had not slept well after a long and harrowing night of paperwork. It always was something she had reservations over. After all, paperwork was universally annoying to most officers of the Soul Society. Or at least this is what Celes assumed. She was not the information-gathering type in most situations as that duty fell on other Divisions for the most part. Hers was that of defense, but every now and then she would have to turn in reports and forms about incursions into the Soul Society.

The Shinigami Captain started to envy other divisions. They seemed to have manpower and allowed paperwork to effectively be dispersed and delegated if needed. Celes certainly did not have this luxury. Her highest-ranking officer besides her was Miranda, her Third Seat. Unfortunately, the Officer had found herself in a slump and it affected her duties. Celes did not hold it against her, but it certainly did pile the load on her even more. To compound this was the disappearance of one of her recruits. Not only that, but it was also a noble. Wynne Kuchiki. Celes did not much care for the politics of nobility, but she knew that her loss of a recruit would reflect poorly on her.

More than that, Celes just wanted to make sure that Wynne was safe. Celes was akin to a mother and the Tenth Division was her family. She was prepared to do anything to protect that family. Unfortunately, Wynne was currently listed as MIA. The Captain had no idea how or why she disappeared, but that did not matter. The Captain just had to find her and make sure that she was safe. A lot was on her mind as she stood and paced throughout the room. Sighing a bit, she decided to get ready for the day. Her Zanpakutou lay against her desk and her Haori covered her chair. She began to prepare a cup of tea as she heard rustling outside of her door. 

Celes tilted her head and wondered what all the ruckus was about. Suddenly her doors burst open with the presence of one of her Unseated Officers. His breathing was erratic and his eyes fluttered likely from fatigue. Celes looked at him and spoke calmly. "Calm down Jake. Regain your breath and tell me what happened. You look as though you've seen a ghost." The Shinigami nodded his head as he spoke after catching his breath. "O..of course. My apologies Captain Celes. It's just...there's a woman standing outside. Not one of ours I think, but I thought it would be best if you checked it out." Celes tilted her head as thoughts raced through her mind. Who was standing outside the barracks? 

The Captain simply sighed once more as she waved her hand. "Okay Jake. I will go check it out. Off with you now." Without another word the Shinigami descended into the hallways and corridors that marked the Tenth Division. Meanwhile Celes was wondering what awaited her outside. Could it be Wynne? After all this time? The Shinigami was not sure, but whoever it was, Celes would meet them head on. From the sounds of it, she was a fellow Shinigami, but the Captain knew better than to trust reports from her underlings at times. The information that they provided in the rush to get back to Celes sometimes would become distorted and confusing. 

Regardless of this, Celes prepared herself. She slipped into her haori along with fastening the sheath of her twin Zanpakutou to her hip. She then proceeded to walk out to the training grounds right before the Barracks of the Tenth Division. As her eyes descended upon a woman, Celes blinked. She was tall. About as tall as Kimiko even? Celes could read her physical build almost immediately. She looked physically built and rather beautiful at a glance. Celes chuckled for a moment. A new recruit perhaps? Regardless Celes slowly approached the woman. As she drew nearer, there was a slight familiarity, but Celes could not put her finger on it. With a calm tone she began to speak. "Hello there. My name is Celes and I am the Captain of the Tenth Division. Strange...I feel we have met before...May I ask your name and what you are doing here, dearest?" She would maintain this friendliness to warm up to her. Perhaps she would reveal her identity?

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Peering down at her captain with a sad smile Wynne wondered how long it had been since the two had seen each other last. Weeks? Celes had towered over her then, but look at them now. Although this time around, her captain didn’t even recognize her. It stung, but such was the way of things. Her strength came at a cost. Her frail body from before couldn’t handle Col’s power so it was forced to adapt to the Arrancar’s reiatsu, twisting her body and muscle, making her grow larger than before. It dulled her eyes, making them black and lifeless. Bleached her hair, causing it to become a mixture of black and white. She was an oddity now, but she was stronger. And she would have it no other way. Better a monstrosity, than dead.

“Hello Celes. We have met. It is I, Wynne Kuchiki. Long time no see. I have changed considerably have I not?” Giving her captain a small bow, she waited quietly to see what her captain would say next. She knew she looked considerably different than how she had looked before. Nowadays she rarely slept, so the bags underneath her eyes had only gotten deeper. Combined with the soulless look in her pitchblack eyes, it was no wonder one of the shinigami that had seen her had burst off running. She was no longer the charming woman she had once been. No, now she was just the husk of the person she was once before.

But with pain came strength. With loss came something more. Out in the endless sands of Hueco Mundo she also gained something important. Something dear to her. The strength to continue on. The strength to keep fighting. The Wynne of old didn’t have a purpose, didn’t have a reason to keep going. She was scared of every little thing. Afraid of what people thought of her, afraid of what her parents thought. She wanted to do the Kuchiki name right. Now, Wynne could care less what her parents thought. They didn’t even cross her mind anymore. She had more pressing concerns nowadays such as improving herself. The only person she needed to be concerned about was herself.

Still, it was interesting that she was still a little bit familiar to Celes even after all the changes her body went through. It spoke well of her captain, that her senses were so keen. They had only met a few times after all, and it had been weeks. Whether it was her kind nature or because of her skill, Wynne knew not. Now it was onto the hard part, explaining the reasoning for her absence. Even now she wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but she’d have to make the decision soon. As in the next few moments or so. An explanation was required, and Celes deserved at least that much.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes stood before the woman, eager to hear her name. After all, Celes was always happy to meet and mentor new members of the Squad. At least this is what Celes believed initially. She thought this one to be a newcomer. Perhaps someone she had seen around the Academy. She was not prepared for her identity, and it took her a moment to recognize her words. “Hello Celes. We have met. It is I, Wynne Kuchiki. Long time no see. I have changed considerably have I not?” The Captain merely blinked for a moment. Did she hear that right? Could this really be Wynne? No...No! The Wynne that Celes knew was much shorter. She had a sunny disposition to her. Celes was not about to call her a liar, but she continued to ponder on it.

Celes thought to herself. "Could she really be telling the truth? Was this really Wynne?..." Suddenly it hit Celes. It would explain the familiarity that the Captain felt to this Shinigami. Her expression became one of melancholy. Celes moved in slowly and wrapped her arms around Wynne, hugging her. At this point, so many different thoughts ran through her head. Yet as she tried to find the words, there was nothing to be said. She did not know how to effectively respond to this reveal except than to embrace her underling. She was worried sick after all. Worried that something had happened to the young Shinigami and that the death of a squadmate would haunt her. 

The Captain's expression turned to one of joy again after a few moments. She arose from Wynne, rubbing her eyes a little as she spoke with a bit of a shocked tone. "Y..Yeah Wynne. You look quite different. Though I'm not sure why..." At this point Celes was beyond perplexed. She had first met the young woman a few weeks prior and had learned a great deal about her. Her aspirations. Her history. Her dedication to the Tenth Division. Yet as Wynne stood before her, it was almost a completely different person. Celes simply smiled as she began to turn towards the barracks and wave for Wynne to come along. Her voice resonated with more joy. "Come Wynne...it seems we have much to discuss..." 

Assuming that Wynne joined the Captain, Celes would lead her to the office where she had first met her. She began to pull a seat out for Wynne just across the desk. Celes sat down and stretched once more, still clearly exhausted from her awakening. Assuming that Wynne sat down, Celes tapped her chin and peered at Wynne. She truly did have a different appearance. Seemingly more confident and certainly taller. Yet the question was why? Better yet, where was she without any word or notification. Celes knew that she needed to probe this situation. She clasped her hands as she looked at Wynne and spoke once more. "Now Wynne..I am more than happy to see your safe return. I was worried that something had happened. Though I must inquire what happened. Why did you suddenly disappear without a trace for these last few weeks?" The Captain peered at her, eager to hear a response and hopefully shed some light on her sudden disappearance from the Soul Society.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

As Celes wrapped her arms around her, Wynne stood still awkwardly for a few moments before eventually patting her captain on the back. She wasn’t used to physical contact and it showed. Still, she appreciated the kind gesture. Something she saw so little of nowadays. The embrace only lasted a few more moments before they separated and Celes headed deeper inside, guestering Wynne to follow her. Nodding her head, she took a deep breath and headed deeper within. They did have much to discuss. Much more than Celes realized.

Wynne was led to Celes office. Her second time here if she remembered correctly. The first time was when she was first welcomed into the division. Back when she had lofty aspirations and believed in whimsical goals. That time had long since passed. ”Thank you.” Sliding out the chair a little bit more and sitting down, Wynne met her captain’s gaze head on. She knew why she was brought here. Celes wanted information. Why had her subordinate up and vanished? Where had she gone? Why had she changed? What had happened? The question was, how much to tell.

Leaning back into her chair, Wynne stared at Celes emotionlessly for a few seconds. One second then turned to two. Two turned to four. Until a whole minute passed. “I…” A small frown appeared on her face as she struggled to formulate the words in her mind. Opening up was a lot harder than she thought. Straightening her posture somewhat Wynne rubbed her tired eyes before letting out a sigh. Perhaps she should start out small. Baby steps. Maybe then her story would be easier to tell. Camile was probably dead so telling Celes about her probably didn’t matter anymore. Plus didn’t they know each other or something? She vaguely remembered Camille mentioned that.

“I met a woman some time ago. Camile. We clicked. A natural bond I think. My first friend. Naturally I did what any foolish girl would do and went on a trip with her, disregarding any job or duty I had at the time. But something happened to her. I’m not sure what. Killed most likely if I had to guess. She had many enemies.” Staring at the ground bitterly, Wynne let out a pitiful laugh. Those moments with Camile had been the best times of her life. Yet now they were gone, like ashes from an old campfire. Never to return. Her friend was gone and she was left alone. As she would always be.

She was only telling the gist of her story, but that was to be expected. This was the captain of the Tenth Division after all. As much as Wynne liked Celes, she didn’t trust her that much. Celes still didn’t know all of the sins she had committed yet, and her transgressions ran deep. For now she’d see how her captain reacted. Camile said the two were amiable to each other, but that had been a while ago. Time changed people, who knew if that was still the case. All Wynne knew was Camile’s absence was still fresh in her heart, so if Celes insulted her friend, she wasn’t sure what she would do. Yet if Celes did something like that, then she wouldn’t be Celes now would she?

[Celes Castellanos]

It was time to get some answers out of this investigation. Celes watched Wynne carefully as the Shinigami hesitated for a moment. "I..." Celes nodded and continued to peer at Wynne with a hint of concern. The pause was almost agonizing as seconds soon turned to a minute. Though during this wait, Celes felt this strange sense of déjà vu. The office. The hesitation. She just could not put her finger on it. For now, she would continue to listen to Wynne. After all this was still one of her officers. Celes felt responsible for her and had to make sure that the Shinigami had some peace of mind. Though Celes could tell that it weighed heavily on her mind.

“I met a woman some time ago. Camile." The next few seconds were a blur for the Captain. She could only focus on that name. "Camile...does she mean Camila? She met Camila..?" The name invoked a torrent of memories within the woman. Camila was a dear friend to Celes and despite their differences, she had a lot of respect for the rogue Shinigami. After all, Celes felt that it was her fault for Camila leaving Soul Society. Perhaps if she had been a little more patient. If she had been more understanding. Celes was sure that she could have prevented it had she approached the situation with Camila differently. She sighed and continued to peer into Wynne's explanation. 

"But something happened to her. I’m not sure what. Killed most likely if I had to guess. She had many enemies." Celes blinked as expression was simply one of shock. She rose from her seat and looked out the window at the back of her office. She sighed and spoke in a melancholy voice. "Camila is dead...?" She sighed and peered at her officer, tears nearly streaking from her eyes. "Are you sure Wynne..?" Celes was devastated to say the least. The Shinigami Captain knew Camila well. She knew that she was not a pushover. It could just be anyone that killed her if Wynne's claims on Camila's death were accurate. Then again, Wynne had a suspicion.  

Perhaps Wynne was merely mistaken, but she had to investigate this further. This situation had gotten personal to the Captain. She walked back to her chair and sat down to continue the conversation with Wynne. Looking at Wynne she sighed a little more. Now that she knew that Wynne got roped in with Camila, this situation began to make a lot more sense. Despite their friendship, Celes knew the influence that Camila could have due to her distaste for the Soul Society. Regardless, Celes would continue to listen to Wynne. Perhaps she could get to the bottom of this if Wynne revealed more of her story. The Shinigami spoke calmly. "Well please continue. Where did you and Camila go off to...?" 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

“Not exactly but I’m pretty sure. She would have come back otherwise. We had plans after all. Not that it matters anymore.” It was funny, looking back. Back then Camila had been the spark in Wynne’s life. She gave her hope for the future, a glimpse of something better. And now it was all gone. But life wasn’t fair. And this was just another way she was reminded of such a thing. She had waited weeks with no word. There was no way she was mistaken. Camila was well and truly gone. No matter how much she wished otherwise.

“We went to….” Looking away from Celes Wynne wondered how to phrase this next part. Telling her captain the two went to Hueco Mundo would surely raise an eyebrow. While she wouldn’t state outright that she left the Soul Society with no intent to return, it would be pretty obvious. Yet she clearly couldn’t stop her story here, Celes needed to know the rest. She needed to see the rest of it through. “Hueco Mundo is where we went. Camila had a base there. Some sort of safe spot we could rest for the time being. It was only meant to be temporary before we could move on to somewhere else. But she was worried about a certain problem which she was vague about. So she left me there before heading out, promising to return in a day or two. And that was the last I saw of her.”

Even now Wynne wasn’t sure why Camila didn’t tell her where she was going. Was it to protect her? Or was it because of something else? Did it even matter anymore at this point in time? Probably not. “I waited weeks before realizing that something had happened to my friend. And that she would never be returning. Of course this left me with the problem of being stranded in Hueco Mundo. Hence the reason I was gone so long. I had to figure out a way to return here. Being as weak as I was then, if I was discovered by the hollows there, it’d be a death sentence for me. And discovered I was.”

It was here that Wynne stopped speaking and closed her eyes. The next part of her story involved Col and his gift, the gift that was still inside of her body. The gift that he currently controlled. Supposedly he could remove it at any time, so telling others about it wouldn’t be wise. As much as she liked Celes, Wynne didn’t trust her enough to mention the arrancar to her. Not with a piece of him still inside her. It was too dangerous. Until she figured out how to deal with the piece that was still inside of her, she would tell no one of what transpired there.

“Luckily I managed to fend off the hollows that noticed me. That battle was one of the hardest I’ve ever fought in my life. And in the midst of it I lost myself. I started to….consume some of the hollows I was fighting in order to gain the strength I needed to win the battle I was in. I was just so tired. I didn’t know what else to do. Naturally, my body couldn’t handle it. Turning me into the abomination you see before you. That’s why you could barely recognize me. Little Wynne, all grown up now. My eye color has dulled, my hair, bleached and black now. My bones, stronger and larger yes, but unnaturally so. A pathetic excuse for a shinigami.”

Staring down at the floor, Wynne ended her story. While some parts of her tale was a lie, her feeling still remained true. This was how she truly felt. At the time she was glad for the power, but after days of thinking it over, she wasn’t sure if it was worth it. Sometimes when she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t even recognize herself. She felt like a husk of her former self. A zombie trapped in the body of someone who didn’t deserve to live. Could she truly bear the burden of her sins? Yes she had the strength she so desperately craved, but was it worth all the things she had done to obtain it?

[Celes Castellanos]

This conversation was certainly going to weigh heavy on Celes' mind. This would not only reveal Camila's untimely fate if Wynne's suspicions were correct, but it would also give Celes insight into Wynne's affairs of late. Celes simply sat back in her seat as she listened calmly. “Hueco Mundo is where we went. Camila had a base there. Some sort of safe spot we could rest for the time being. It was only meant to be temporary before we could move on to somewhere else. But she was worried about a certain problem which she was vague about. So she left me there before heading out, promising to return in a day or two. And that was the last I saw of her.”

Celes nodded. Camila was always the one to seek out more potential. There was no problem with that. After all, she was much like Celes. Eager to face the coming day in hopes of improving herself. This information of going to Hueco Mundo, however, spoke volumes of Celes attention. She knew that she was a defector and that she hated the Soul Society. Was she really going to take it so far though? To fall in league with the enemy. Celes did not want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. But as she began to deny it more and more, the possibility became clearer and clearer. For now, she would not jump to conclusions. After all she would give Wynne that much respect.

As Wynne continued, Celes would listen carefully once more to try and take in all that Wynne was elaborating on. “I waited weeks before realizing that something had happened to my friend. And that she would never be returning. Of course this left me with the problem of being stranded in Hueco Mundo. Hence the reason I was gone so long. I had to figure out a way to return here. Being as weak as I was then, if I was discovered by the hollows there, it’d be a death sentence for me. And discovered I was.” The Captain sighed for a moment as she peered at Wynne. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together this entire situation as it unfolded. 

"Okay...that explains why she returned. Yet that does not explain the shift in appearance. Even the demeanor is different. Prior she was so reserved. Young. Yet her time in Hueco Mundo gave her confidence...Just what happened there..." Celes was prepared to ask her officer just that. What had invoked this strange change in Wynne. Luckily for her, she would not have to ask. “Luckily I managed to fend off the hollows that noticed me. That battle was one of the hardest I’ve ever fought in my life. And in the midst of it I lost myself. I started to….consume some of the hollows I was fighting in order to gain the strength I needed to win the battle I was in. I was just so tired. I didn’t know what else to do."

Celes' eyes widened. A visible shock touched her face as she tried to reconcile this. "She actually ate those Hollows? Had she gotten so desperate as to condemn the souls twisted into Hollows? Was such a thing even possible..?" The Captain pondered more and more on this. This was becoming more and more bizzare. She had a Hollow within herself, but she certainly never considered devouring Hollows. Could Shinigami even gain the same capabilities as Hollows from devouring them? To add the strength of others to their own? Celes was not sure nor did she really want to know. At the end of the day the thought itself repulsed her. She then continued to peer at Wynne as the Shinigami finished her story. 

"Naturally, my body couldn’t handle it. Turning me into the abomination you see before you. That’s why you could barely recognize me. Little Wynne, all grown up now. My eye color has dulled, my hair, bleached and black now. My bones, stronger and larger yes, but unnaturally so. A pathetic excuse for a shinigami.” Celes was conflicted. On one end she understood where Wynne came from. She knew what it was like to be weak. She knew what it was like to be humiliated and be driven to desperate measures. She had gone through both with Valentin and Orobas. Yet on the other hand...to resort to such vile means. To become like one of them was cruel. Unjustified. Once more, Celes was at odds with her loyalty to the Gotei and her own personal feelings.

Suddenly there it was again. That sense of déjà vu. The questions. The hesitation. Wynne's strange reappearance. She had been in this situation before. "It's...just like with Camila..." The Captain felt her heart drop for the Shinigami before her. She was hurt. Insecure perhaps even. Celes rose to her feet and began to saunter along the perimeter of the desk. She would reach Wynne's seat within a few seconds. She did not want to startle Wynne after all or make her feel threatened. She was the Captain of the Tenth Division, yes, but she had a heart. She understood ignorance and confusion. Feelings that ran deep within the Captain at a time. 

With a slow and gentle movement, Celes ran her hand along Wynne's shoulder in a soothing manner. She wanted to reassure Wynne to the best of her abilities. She knelt a little so they were now eye-to-eye due to Wynne's sitting. Celes spoke softly as she held her shoulder. "Listen here Wynne. You are not a failure. Am I upset that you left? A little. Am I disappointed in you though? Not at all. I am relieved that you are alive. That you found your way back and I will not have you talking down at yourself. We may not have known each other for a long time, but I assure you that we will figure this out together. You have my word as your Captain." Celes smiled, attempting to both instill hope within Wynne and cheer up the young Shinigami. 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Looking up at Celes, Wynne let out a sad sigh. She was glad for the kind words, but would her captain still say the same thing if she knew the complete truth of what actually transpired? Either way her story was done and it seemed Celes had taken it relatively well. She didn’t seem that angry, just a little upset that she had left in the first place. Which made sense, but it was what it was. Taking a deep breath to collect herself, Wynne nodded her head and began to speak.

“Thank you for the kind words. I guess we should make up for all the lost time then eh? Maybe with a training session or something? I find that nowadays I prefer more physical pursuits rather than the Kido arts that I used to enjoy.” From what she remembered, Celes was pretty skilled in close combat as well, so getting some training from her would work in her favor. Plus she could make amends with her captain for the way she had just up and left. While she didn’t like Soul Society too much, Celes had never done her any wrong, so she wanted to do right by her.

As for her lack of interest in Kido, Wynne doubted she’d even use it anymore. It just wasn’t fun anymore. Out there in Hueco Mundo it had been useless. Sure Col had been out of her skill level, but seeing it had zero effect had hurt her deeply. She didn’t know what it was, but she just wanted to focus on her body for the time being. Maybe in the future she’d go back to Kido, but she doubted it. Instead she’d focus on her own body and her swordwork. So far it was more reliable, so she was going to see how far it would take her.

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes tried to cheer up Wynne, she heard the small sigh from her officer. Celes could not necessarily blame her. She had run away with a rogue Shinigami...neglected her duties...and engaged in a perverse act that only their sworn enemies would engage in. Celes could understand how Wynne may feel insecure or ashamed of what happened. Though despite her admissions, Celes felt that there was more to this than Wynne was letting on. Given the current situation though, Celes decided she would not force the situation. Maybe little prods every now and then, but nothing significant unless the situation demanded it. 

For now, she would approach this with tact. That being said, it seemed that Wynne had a desire to break away from this conversation with an interesting proposal. “Thank you for the kind words. I guess we should make up for all the lost time then eh? Maybe with a training session or something? I find that nowadays I prefer more physical pursuits rather than the Kido arts that I used to enjoy.” Now this was certainly interesting to the Captain. She was vaguely aware of the capabilities that Wynne possessed. The last time Celes trained with her prior to her excursion to Hueco Mundo, Wynne practiced Kido. While she was inexperienced, she seemed to have a penchant for incantations and utilizing it. Did she do more than devour Hollows in Hueco Mundo?

She was not opposed to Wynne's focus on physical training, but it was certainly odd. Just how much stronger was she? She began to ponder. "Perhaps it would be prudent to explore her capabilities. To focus and hone what she has learned. Maybe this would also help her open up in case she is holding something back..." The Captain rose to her height and smiled at Wynne. Perhaps some training would help them relax. To help get their minds off of such bleak conversation. She looked towards the doors out of the office as she tapped Wynne's shoulder. "Well. Let's see what you learned." She smiled and began to walk towards the door at a leisurely pace.

Before leaving, Celes grabbed her twin Zanpakutou that were leaning against the wall near the doors to her office. She began to lead Wynne through groups of officers like her out to the training grounds. Dust kicked up off the ground with a slight breeze as Celes moved to the center of the field. Other members of the division were training outside with the stands while others were practicing movements involving Hakuda or Zanjutsu. It pleased Celes to see the members of division work so diligently on their conditioning. To aim to improve themselves and their weaknesses. She could not help but smile as she turned to Wynne.

Her voice would be gentle as usual as she addressed Wynne. "So then Wynne. I am eager to see what you have gained in your time away. Unlike Kido, I can assist you in your desires to improve your physical abilities. Among the Captains, and even among the Soul Society as a whole, I am one of the foremost experts in Hakuda. My martial prowess is equally skilled. First, I need to gauge your physical ability." Celes sighed as she peered at Wynne. She was excited, but there was also a minor sense of anxiety. What had she gained from her exploits in Hueco Mundo? That was yet to be seen.

The Captain kept her Zanpakutou around her hip as she readied herself with a basic stance. Her right foot shifted forward as her hands were hovering just before her sternum. The midpoint of the body, after all, was a very sensitive area to be struck. Celes peered at Wynne and spoke once more. "Now then. Here is what I want you to do.." Celes had a feeling that Wynne would consider her crazy, but this had to be discovered before she could fully assess this. "I want you to hit me with all you got. Every ounce of strength that you can muster. I will await your strike." Celes calmed her mind as she peered at Wynne carefully. She would not move. She just wanted to see what strength, if any, that Wynne commanded. This would also be a great visualize her agility. 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

"Well. Let's see what you learned." Picking herself up from her seat, Wynne followed Celes through the doorway and into the training grounds. The two moved further into the field where their other squadmates were out practicing. Due to her time away, the faces of each of them weren’t really familiar to Wynne. Perhaps in time she would come to know the ones training, but for now they were strangers. Still, for the ones that met her eyes she gave them a polite nod. She would probably have to work with them in the future, so a little politeness now would go a long way.

"So then Wynne. I am eager to see what you have gained in your time away. Unlike Kido, I can assist you in your desires to improve your physical abilities. Among the Captains, and even among the Soul Society as a whole, I am one of the foremost experts in Hakuda. My martial prowess is equally skilled. First, I need to gauge your physical ability." Hakudo had always interested Wynne, even if she didn’t know much about it. Hopefully she’d be able to fix that with Celes here, since her captain seemed to be quite knowledgeable about the subject.

She had gained a lot in her time away. At first she had just been fumbling around in Hueco Mundo, but as more time passed, she had gotten used to her new power. What she didn’t have in speed she made up for in strength. As long as she landed a blow, she made it count. Once Celes finished speaking, the blonde haired captain shifted into a stance and turned to look at Wynne before telling her what to do next. "I want you to hit me with all you got. Every ounce of strength that you can muster. I will await your strike."

While some others may balk at the statement they just received, Wynne just nodded her head in agreement. “Understood.” While she had gained a lot of strength in Hueco Mundo, she wasn’t foolish enough to think she was strong enough to actually harm Celes. If she was, then Celes didn’t deserve to be Captain. Captains just weren’t that weak. They were more than a step above the rest. They were shinigami to be idolized. People to look up to. Bastions of strength. Something people in their squad could look up to in their time of need.

Taking a step forward, Wynne raised her right arm and swung it towards Celes' chest as hard as she could, holding nothing back. If Celes wanted her to attack with all of her strength, then she would do so. Her blows might not be fast, but she was confident in her strength. She was strong, and getting stronger by the day. It was time to show her captain what she was capable of. And what changes her time in Hueco Mundo had done to her.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes was prepared to take anything that the Shinigami gave her. Yet as she waited, clearing her mind of distraction so she could focus on this single strike, Celes wondered just what kind of strength Wynne would have. Within the Soul Society she held a distinction for having monstrous strength. It had been trained over decades of harsh training. There was only one other Shinigami that she had heard rumors about that could match her in physical strength. That individual was another Captain yet she did not know the name. She was quite eager to meet her one day, but for now, she'd have to focus on Wynne. 

Having given her instructions, Celes got the affirmation that she needed. “Understood.” Celes breathed out calmly. She then watched Wynne take the step in. This would be the first sign of an attack. Though there was something notable about it and it stuck out to Celes like a sore thumb. She was moving at a rather slow pace. Sure, they were nearly touching each other before, but the movements seem sluggish. Naturally Celes would have no problems dodging this with even the most minimal movements. That was not the goal of this, however. She was trying to gauge Wynne's physical strength and she would happily take a hit from her officer.

Though Celes would not go about this foolishly. If Wynne said that she had been focusing on her body, then Celes would recognize that and take a precaution. The trajectory of the strike would be Celes' chest and the Shinigami would immediately tense her chest. Every muscle would suddenly tighten. Now it was time to wait and see if Wynne could deliver on their previous comment. The fist suddenly collided with Celes' chest and to Wynne it would likely feel like an iron wall. Dust kicked up due to the impact as a wave of air began to rush over Celes' chest and across her skin upon impact. She breathed out calmly as she took the strike with dignity, handling it quite well. 

As the dust settled and assuming that Wynne's fist rested against the Captain's chest, the Shinigami breathed out and relaxed a bit. She could not deny that there was a decent bit of strength behind the hit. Most others in the Soul Society would likely be sent flying back a few feet if not more. Thankfully Celes' strength allowed her to adequately defend against quite a few physical blows. More than that, she was among some of the fastest in the Soul Society which allowed her to truly take advantage of her increased strength. Now having gauged, Wynne's strength, it was time to gauge her speed. Celes smiled as she executed her own set of movements. 

The Shinigami had some practice in the marital art known as Baguazang. A notable element of it was circles. Moving a much slower speed, about 50 or so, Celes began to flow like water. Her steps and movements were designed to remain close to Wynne and get to her side. As she attempted this, she moved her hands at the same slower speed to grasp them around Wynne's arm. Then using about one-fourth of her own strength, Celes tried to whip Wynne over her shoulder and plant her on the ground. Her goal was simple. To see how Wynne would react. This would also give Celes a more accurate measure of Wynne's newfound strength.

Could she resist the strength that Celes was planning to use in the grip and the throw? Could she even avoid her in general? That was yet to be seen, but Celes had to gauge her capabilities before truly being able to train her. Though this is what Celes longed for. A display of purely physical prowess. Assuming that Wynne was planted on the ground, Celes would let go of her arm. If she evaded the initial grab, Celes would smile at her and shift backwards using her impressive speed. That shift would be at a speed of roughly 500 which would appear as a blur for the officer. Regardless, Celes spoke once more. "Well you certainly were not lying. You have grown much stronger during your time in Hueco Mundo. It's certainly impressive for someone of your skill level, Wynne." 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

As Wynne’s fist collided with Celes’s chest, dust arose from the nearby surroundings. Sure enough, her captain barely had a reaction. Just as she assumed, Celes was nothing to scoff at. It was like hitting a brick wall. If the bricks were made out of some sort of impenetrable material. Wynne knew from first hand experience that the stronger you were, the stronger your body became as well. It had something to do with how your reiatsu worked, at least those who focused on the physical aspects of the shinigami arts.

Before she could pull her arm back, Celes began to do her own set of movements. Twisting her body in some sort of circular manner, her captain soon arrived by her side. Grasping her arm tightly, Celes attempted to grab Wynne over her shoulder and toss her to the ground. Naturally Wynne resisted the maneuver and planted her feet firmly into the ground. A test of strength? Normally she would lose such a thing but it didn’t seem like Celes was using all of her strength. So she might just stand a chance. She’d have to give it a go and see.

Twisting her body, Wynne grabbed the arm that was holding on to hers. Holding onto Celes tightly, she finished her body’s rotation and aimed to throw Celes’ across the field, using her own strength against her. She was already trying to bring her downwards, so all she had to do was redirect the energy somewhat. Sure her plan wouldn’t work if her captain used all of her strength, but if Celes did that, then what was the point of the spar? She’d just be a sore loser at that point. And even if she did do that, Wynne would still be a victor in her own way.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes had to admit that she was loving every moment of this. Here was an excellent opportunity for Celes to face someone with some decent physical strength. She would close in upon Wynne with ruthless efficiency as she practically circled around her opponent with rather fluid movements. Gripping onto Wynne's arm, Celes was prepared to flip her over and plant her on her back. She certainly had the strength to do so. Though it would require only a fraction. After all, hers eclipsed Wynne's by a good bit, but Celes expected nothing less. It had yet to be seen what the depths of Wynne's strength were, but the Captain would certainly love to see how they developed. 

For now, however, she had to see what Wynne was capable of. Could she react to this set of movements? It seemed that she could. As Celes felt that her arm be gripped by her officer, the Captain grinned. There were a number of options that Celes had available to her. She could easily break out of it using more of her strength, but Celes did not decide for this course of action. It would be far too simple and Celes felt that it would be counterproductive to the exercise. She needed to give Wynne the potential to fight whatever Celes threw at her. 

It was time to see what Wynne's plan was. She would play along as she continued to attempt to toss her. It seemed that Wynne had something similar planned. She twisted her body and utilized a combination of gravity and her pure strength to effectively toss the Shinigami Captain. Celes smirked. "Well..it's certainly not a bad attempt. I'll give her this one.." Celes began to flow with the movement. As Wynne prepared to toss her, the Captain would give no resistance. Instead, she would allow herself to be thrown, effectively yielding to her opponents' force.

Assuming that Wynne tossed her, the air would suddenly rush past Celes as she was airborne for a good couple seconds. To be thrown was certainly exhilarating and a sensation that she had not felt in a very long time. Her dominating physical strength normally allowed her to withstand the physical capabilities of others. Allowing herself to be thrown and succumb to Wynne's strength would let her appropriately gauge Wynne's capabilities. She continued to rush through the air as she did her best to reorient herself. She would draw her Zanpakutou with impressive speed and dug it into the ground with equally impressive force. Using her Zanpakutou, she effectively pivoted back downward as she came crashing against pathway of the training grounds.

She would rise to her feet as she peered at Wynne. Her officer had shown a decent level of strength and despite also showing herself to be sluggish she displayed the ability to react. She dislodged her Zanpakutou from the ground. With finesse and experience, she slid her blade along the sheath and quickly slid it in. She began to pat her Shihakusho along with her Haori as it got covered in some of the debris of their fight. She sighed and moved her neck from side to side, cracking it, a big grin on her face. She began to move towards Wynne assuming that the officer made no hostile action towards her.

Assuming that Celes reached Wynne, the Captain would place her hand upon Wynne's shoulder. As she spoke, her voice would be rather jovial. "Well Wynne you have certainly shown an impressive capability. You have certainly become a much more physically dominating force. It is certainly impressive for you to improve in such a short amount of time." She smiled and paused for a moment. She gently nudged Wynne's shoulder with her first, bumping against harmlessly. "Are you feeling okay Wynne..? Is there anything else on your mind that you have reservations about? Anything else that you feel I should know as your Captain?" Celes did not have plans to stop their training yet, but she did at least want to periodically wish to check on Wynne. She was her Captain after all. 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Wynne’s throw would be true, and her captain would fly through the air gracefully. Twisting her body, Celes would reorientate herself downwards before thrusting her sword below her, digging it into the ground. As it scraped into the soil, her speed would drastically decline until she came to a halt, and rose to her feet, peering back at Wynne. Quite an impressive feat, but she expected no less from Celes. That maneuver also tore up the ground, which also posed the question of who was going to fix that. Wynne never really thought about it, but whenever she came back the next day, the ground was also back to the way it was the day before. Perhaps there was a special Kido just for situations like these? 

Looking back at her captain, Wynne watched as she dusted off her robes and approached her. Her toss didn’t have much of an effect, but that was to be expected. It was more of a counter if anything. She did it to stop Celes' attack, not to launch an attack of her own. So either way it was successful since Wynne wasn’t the one on the ground. It was the only move she could think of to get Celes off her back at the time. Anything else and she didn't think she'd be successful in pulling it off. 

As her captain got closer, Wynne wondered what Celes was going to do next. It didn’t look like her captain was going to attack, so perhaps she had something to say about their last exchange. Maybe tips on how to improve? Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Wynne tilted her head in to listen to Celes’ words. "Well Wynne you have certainly shown an impressive capability. You have certainly become a much more physically dominating force. It is certainly impressive for you to improve in such a short amount of time."

It was. Most of the reason was because of Col’s gift, but not all of it. She had put in a lot of hard work over the past few weeks and it showed. Her determination and effort to improve was the reason she was so strong. Col’s gift only gave her a headstart, if she had slacked off at any point in time, she wouldn’t be where she was. Celes then nudged her shoulder with her fist before saying something that confused Wynne. "Are you feeling okay Wynne..? Is there anything else on your mind that you have reservations about? Anything else that you feel I should know as your Captain?"

Looking at her captain in confusion, Wynne wondered what she was supposed to say in response to this line of questioning. She thought their spar was going fine, but then Celes started saying this out of the blue. Was she feeling okay? Not really, but what did that have to do with their spar? She had reservations about a lot of things, but she and Celes weren’t that close. Did her captain really expect her to just open up, after merely one exchange of blows together? Letting out another sigh, Wynne wondered how she was going to word this. She liked Celes, she really did. But the last time she opened up to someone they went off and died literally the next day. She’d hate for that to happen to Celes.

“Celes….I like you, I truly do. But I barely know you. You can’t expect for me to just open up just like that. You say we’ll figure this out together, but at the end of the day that’s just words. And I’ve been lied to before. How do I know you’re telling the truth Celes? We both know where your loyalties lie at the end of the day. I will never be comfortable bearing my entire soul to you ever, as I will never know just who you will tell my secrets too. We both know this is true. I don’t blame you for this, that’s just how it is. So I do have a lot on my mind, it's just things I am unable to talk to you about. I hope you can understand.”