Tenuous Bonds [Celes] [JT]

[Celes Shindazu]

Having moved close to Wynne, Celes was hoping that the Shinigami would reveal more about what happened. Sure, they had a bit of training going on, but there were a few concerns racing through her mind. To Celes, there was nothing more important than trust. The life of a Shinigami was certainly a difficult one, often requiring them to put their life on the line. They would never be alone though. They had squad mates to watch their back. This is where trust came into play. She had to be sure that the members of her division were dependable. That they would not be afraid to seek out help in moments of weakness. This is something that Celes was hoping to pass onto Wynne. It had to start small and grow, to blossom and truly bear fruit.

Celes did not know Wynne very well, but she had hoped that she could get through to her. She could try to help her. Be there for her. Though Celes was not quite prepared for Wynne's response to her caring ministrations. “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.”

It started off nice enough, but then it began to spiral. It stung. Quite a bit. Stabbing into her like a dagger. The warmth that Celes radiated began to fade as her expression deformed into one of annoyance. Then it became anger. She cared for Wynne, but there were parts of her argument that did not sit too well with Celes. The Captain closed her eyes and sighed softly, attempting to contain herself. All this time she had tried to be patient. She had tried to comfort Wynne yet the officer seemed to accuse her of sharing what others had confided in her. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and gave Wynne a rather stern look. This was completely unlike her regular demeanor. 

Celes approached Wynne even closer as the Captain gripped Wynne's arm. It was still not her full strength, but it was much stronger than what Celes had displayed earlier. She sighed and utilized a Shunpo, effectively moving Wynne along with her at incredible speeds that the officer was likely not used to. Celes had to get away from the training grounds. She had to take Wynne somewhere alone so she could talk without needing to hold back. Celes' Shunpo, allowing the two of them to move at speeds of nearly 6000, carried the two of them deeper into the forests scattered within Soul Society. The Captain knew the area quite well as when she stopped moving, still holding onto Wynne, they were now in a clearing. 

Small depressions in the ground, chipped rocks and crushed wood littered the area. This was where Celes had fought Yunorashi in her goal to achieve Bankai. It was a bit of a sacred place for Celes as she let go of the Shinigami, still giving her a stern look. She looked away as she began to walk to a nearby tree as she curled her hand into a fist. Her voice would be as stern as her expression, full of anger and regret. "Listen Wynne and let me be clear..." She continued looking away, focusing on the tree before her as she continued. "You speak as if you know me, but you don't know a damn thing about me. You don't know what I've done to try to protect those I care about.." 

She sighed for a moment. Her training had taught her to let the pain and anger go. This time, however, she had some things to get off of her chest. "You can't imagine how devastated I was when Camila left. I was the Vice Captain of the Tenth Division at the time and had to ask her many tough questions. She had arrived through a Garganta and had garnered much confusion and hate from her peers. She too had things that she refused to tell me, and I accepted it then. Later we met in the Human World to talk about what happened in a less formal setting. I thought too that she would confide in me. That she would be able to tell me what happened..." As Celes reminisced on the memory, the Captain growled in anger as she slammed her first against the tree. The wood splintered and cracked instantly from the sudden force.

"She truly though that I would cut her down then and there. That I would turn her in for rebelling against Soul Society. Now the official account is that she eluded me. It's the report I wrote." She slammed her first into the tree once more as more of it cracked, branches snapping and leaves falling. "But you know what really happened? I let her go. She was my best friend and I was left with a choice. To let her go or try to stop her. I chose the former and left it at that. Later I received an order that she needed to be eliminated. And guess who they sent.." It was evidently a rhetorical question and Celes expected no answer from her underling as she continued to speak angrily.

"They sent me to cut her down. I met Camila when she was freshly graduated from the Academy. Her and I went on missions together. We ate together and I had to throw it all away. I had to kill her. Yet...I couldn't even do that. I couldn't kill her. After a long and bloody fight, we were both exhausted. Throughout it, I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to try and kill her. I not only let a defector go, but I also disobeyed direct orders to try and end Camila's life. I just could not throw away years of friendship in favor of completing a mission to kill a friend!" Her voice rang loud as she stuck at the tree with all her strength, sending the already broken and battered tree sliding along the ground

The Captain's breathing was erratic, and she had just put all of her anger into that punch, clearly having difficulties coping with the memories of Camila. She would quiet down albeit temporarily as she began to approach Wynne once more. Once she drew closer, her voice would turn into more of a growl. "I lied to Soul Society, spared her in our fight and tried my best to help her work to a pardon from the Soul Society. I did this all despite my duties demanding otherwise...So don't you ever question my loyalty to my friends or to my Squadron of which you are a part of. If you don't wish to share the truth with me? Fine. You wish to confide in me once we have a better relationship? Fine. But I will not have my values described to me by someone else!" She sighed and closed her eyes, walking towards the nearby boulder on which she had performed Jinzen on so many times. She hopped onto it, pondering. Thinking about what she had just said to Wynne. 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Wynne’s words were harsh but true and it seemed Celes took offense to it, judging by her change of countenance. As her captain gripped her arm, Wynne allowed a sardonic smile to cross her face. Is this where it began? A beating thinly veiled as a training session? She hadn’t expected it from Celes, but neither had she seen her captain truly angry. And all it took was a few words on her part. Truly an impressive feat in her opinion. Good job Wynne!

In an instant Wynne was carried away to a nearby forest located somewhere deeper in Soul Society. She didn’t know exactly where it was located, just that it was where there were no witnesses. Which didn’t really bode well for her. She didn’t panic though as she had expected something of the sort when she came back, just not from Celes. Returning her captain's look with one of her own, Wynne stood her ground. If Celes thought she was going to back down just because she was stronger, then she had another thing coming. A little bit of pain wasn’t going to make Wynne take back the things she said.

"You speak as if you know me, but you don't know a damn thing about me. You don't know what I've done to try to protect those I care about.." Celes began her speech by looking away and rebuking Wynne for speaking her thoughts on the matter. Which was ironic since Celes didn’t know a thing about Wynne either. She then proceeded to talk about the situation involving her and Camila, which Wynne had heard the gist of, but never from this perspective. Something that meant alot to Celes judging from the damage she was inflicting to the nearby tree.

Camila didn’t have a lot of trust for Celes, which Wynne understood. When one committed crimes against Soul Society, you couldn’t just trust anyone. That was an easy way to get yourself killed. What was interesting was that Celes let Camila go, as she couldn’t bring herself to kill her. Yet she still fought her. Which showed that Wynne was correct in her assumption of where Celes' loyalty stood. Wynne on the other hand would stand by her friends first and foremost, that was the major difference between the two of them.

"I lied to Soul Society, spared her in our fight and tried my best to help her work to a pardon from the Soul Society. I did this all despite my duties demanding otherwise...So don't you ever question my loyalty to my friends or to my Squadron of which you are a part of. If you don't wish to share the truth with me? Fine. You wish to confide in me once we have a better relationship? Fine. But I will not have my values described to me by someone else!" As Celes berated Wynne, the tall shinigami closed her eyes in thought for a few moments before facing her captain. If Celes wanted her to bear her heart, then she would.

“Can you blame me for describing your values when they're so obvious? Tell me Celes, if you’re so honorable, if you were such a good friend, so loyal as you said. Then why did Camila tell me specifically not to trust you hmm? Why did you think I left without notifying you? She said you went out of your way to make things difficult for her, that’s not something a best friend would do now is it? So don’t try to take the high ground here. So yes CELES I am questioning your loyalty to your friends, because I don’t think you ever were to begin with.”

Raising her voice towards the end, Wynne clenched her hands into fists. How dare Celes lie to her face and act as if she was a saint. Camila had told her that Celes was a problem, and here she was acting as if the two had been best friends. Their stories weren’t adding up so clearing one of the two was lying. And one of them served the very place that Wynne hated, so she was inclined to believe one over the other. And if Celes chose to attack her over this, it would just prove her point even more. She was not to be trusted.

[Celes Shindazu]

Celes had to admit that she was fuming. Camila was a dear friend to her no matter what anyone, even Camila said. Though it was true that Celes believed herself to be loyal to those she cared for, she was also loyalty to the Soul Society. They had given her a home after all. Something to look forward to after her meager existence as a human had ended. To her, it was one of the only homes that she had left. It was where her new family was. It was not something she could simply abandon and forsake. She was a Captain after all. She had a responsibility to both herself and the Soul Society. She could satisfy both sides? Right? This was the main question that the Shinigami asked herself most days. 

But for now, there were bigger problems at hand. After all, Wynne had questioned her honor and integrity. To Celes this was one of the worst offenses. To a proud warrior such as Celes, honor was everything. It guided her principles and mindset. It formed the very basis of her core. To have that questioned stung. To have her friendship with Camila questioned stung. Why couldn't she tune it all out. Why could she not just stop listening to Wynne. For all her strength, pride was certainly her Achilles heel and Wynne was assaulting it without remorse. After having shared the story of Camila and Celes' history, the Captain was done ranting to her officer. Though the worst was yet to come. 

“Can you blame me for describing your values when they're so obvious? Tell me Celes, if you’re so honorable, if you were such a good friend, so loyal as you said. Then why did Camila tell me specifically not to trust you hmm? Why did you think I left without notifying you? She said you went out of your way to make things difficult for her, that’s not something a best friend would do now is it? So don’t try to take the high ground here. So yes CELES I am questioning your loyalty to your friends, because I don’t think you ever were to begin with.” Celes blinked at the Shinigami. Her voice rang in her head. "D..did she really just say that..." Her thoughts paused for a moment as she glared at Wynne.

The glare would soon become a scowl as it softened. Not long after, Celes expression turned blank. She wanted to say something. She wanted to retort, but she had nothing left. Was it true was Wynne had said? Features one Celes' face that once radiated with anger and hatred soon became melancholy as a single tear ran down her cheek. Then more began to form. Soon she was in tears, trying to compose herself. Though it was becoming difficult. She needed to remain strong even through Wynne's words which felt like they could rend through her flesh more than any other weapon ever could hope to achieve. She tried her best to tune them out. She had to. To remain stable. To remain sane. 

As she tried to tune out every sound, the world slowly began to slow to a crawl. The Shinigami could not explain it as the color began to slowly drain. It was as if a filter had been applied to the world around her. The color, which drained from the trees, the stone and even from Wynne began to coalesce. It all flowed unnaturally into one spot as the world still appeared to move at a snail's pace. The colors mixed as a dark, inky form rose from it. The form slowly took a more defined shape, shifting into a well-built male adult. Black spiky hair covered his head, a pale white much like snow stained his skin and as his eyes opened, blue, cold orbs peered at Celes.

Celes knew this entity. Not by name, but she certainly could recognize the appearance. To add to this, Celes heard a voice as the man spoke though not only from him. The air around her resonated with his voice and she heard it echo in her head. "Oh, my dearest Celes. It seems that you are in need of my help again." The Hollow slowly began to approach her and wrapped his hands around her chin for a moment. His hands then rose and began to move through her hair. His voice remained monotone as a condescending twist in his voice brought it all together. To add to his was his expression. It was unchanging. Unmoving. All she could see were the icy blue orbits piercing her very soul.

The Hollow then began to move towards Wynne as he inspected the tall woman seemingly frozen in time. His eyes skimmed over her as he grunted to himself. "Hmpf. With our combined strength she could easily be killed. Here she is questioning your honor and yet you hold yourself back from killing her. I don't know why you even bother..." He paused as the Hollow unsheathed one of the twin Zanpakutou that rested against his back. The Shinigami peered at the weaponry that the Hollow had drawn. She would notice that blade anywhere. It was Yunorashi! Though the colors were off. Inverted and twisted, Celes growled softly at the Hollow.

"I could just do it for you here. Right now. You could be done with this pest if you allow me to just..finish..this..job.." With each word, the Hollow rested the blade closer and closer to Wynne. Celes' eyes widened as she willed herself to move. It felt difficult for a moment, but she could. She began to run towards the Hollow at a slower speed. Her own voice rang in her mind. "This world..it..it feels like I'm moving through tar.." The Hollow looked at her inquisitively for a moment as his stoic expression broke. All she could see was a smile for a moment. As Celes began to yell at him, she found a shift in her consciousness. She felt as though she could move freely again as she appeared to be running towards Wynne's side. 

Instinctively, Celes yelled. "I won't let you hurt her!" It then clicked her in her mind as she stopped in place. By now she must have been a few paces away from Wynne as she looked at the officer. Her eyes still dripped, stained with tears, but the Hollow was gone. The color had returned to the world once more. Was this all in her mind? Could the Hollow really have pulled her into her Inner World which mirrored this location? Celes knew that he demonstrated this ability before as she shook her head. She must look crazy to Wynne and especially after they had just argued. To Wynne, the Captain just paused after crying and suddenly blurted out protectively towards Wynne while moving towards her. The Captain was speechless as she tried to relax her stance. Hopefully the officer would not ask too many questions about what had just happened. The former anger and later sadness had been replaced with one singular feeling. Embarrassment. Uncontrollably, Celes' cheeks flushed red as she looked at Wynne, dumbfounded by how foolish the Captain had just presented herself. 

Though despite this profound embarrassment that she felt, she heard the voice again. Though this time it was disembodied, talking to her no matter which direction that she looked at. "There will come a day when I will not be restricted to the depths of your mindscape. Be prepared for that day Celes. There will be blood." The Captain looked around frantically. Was he hiding anywhere? Was this yet another illusion? Was it all just in her head? She did not know. It was becoming so much to deal with. So much paranoia that flowed through her body. She continued to peer around erratically for a moment. Nothing. There was nothing. She bit her lip and peered back at Wynne, confused on what was real at this point.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

The moment her words left her mouth Wynne regretted them as Celes' face began to crumble and tears began to streak down her cheek. But the words were already said and what was done was done. She would have to live with her actions and deal with the consequences. "I won't let you hurt her!" As her captain began to blurt nonsensical words, Wynne leapt back several feet the moment Celes approached her, not sure what was going on. Was Celes going to attack her in a fit of madness? Reaching towards her zanpakuto, Wynne watched her captain warily. Even though she knew she didn’t stand a chance, if Celes attacked, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

As more seconds passed by awkwardly, Wynne took the time to examine her captain further. Celes looked to be a mess, way more than she had been a few moments ago. It seemed her words had really struck her to the core. Looking back, Wynne had to admit that she had phrased them in a way that had been a little more hurtful than they needed to be. Perhaps she should rectify that. “I apologize for my earlier words. You didn’t deserve to hear that. After all the kindness you showed me.” Looking away from Celes awkwardly Wynne removed her hand from her weapon. This wasn’t how she thought how today was going to go, and now she wasn’t sure what to do.

What were you supposed to say to your captain that you just made cry? Sorry? She wasn’t though. She meant everything she said, she just wished that she phrased everything in a better way. But in a way she felt like she needed to say the things she said in the way that she did. Sometimes you needed to be blunt to get the point across, but Wynne had to admit, she had never been the best at speaking, and clearly it showed. At least there were just the two of them here, so their conversation was private. No one would know what occurred here, which now favored both Wynne and Celes.

As Celes stared at Wynne with red cheeks, Wynne wondered just what her captain would do next. Recently Celes had been acting sporadically, and Wynne was worried about what she would do next. Would she break down crying? Would she attack her? She had no idea. Should she ask her about what just happened? Something told her that would just make the whole mood even more awkward even though she was curious about it. Kicking a nearby patch of dirt, Wynne continued to wait in silence. Since Celes was the one who brought her out here, Celes would be the one to end this period of silence. It was her duty.

[Celes Shindazu]

The Captain simply stood there, confused and concerned. The Inner Hollow had just threatened to kill one of her officers. That when he emerged from Celes' weakness, there would be blood. Celes was upset with Wynne over what she had said to her. That was not in question. Despite that though, Celes did not wish to hurt her officer. If there was any value that Celes truly did believe in if nothing else, it was that the Division she led was her family. She was not going to harm her family in any way if she could avoid it. Now though it seemed that there was some confusion in the air and Celes saw it immediately in Wynne's stance. Her entire disposition had suddenly changed. 

Celes watched as Wynne leapt back a few feet as her hand immediately fell to her Zanpakutou. Celes blinked as her mind raced once more. "Does she really think that I am going to attack her...?" The anger that had once infected Celes' very soul began to fade. On one hand she could not blame Wynne. Her movements and behavior over the last minute were erratic. Wynne must have felt that Celes was going to lash out at her over what was said. Then again, Celes had opened up to her officer. Told Wynne her perspective of the story and yet Wynne still fought against her. Throughout this entire conversation, Wynne still felt threatened by Celes. That stung most of all yet the Captain decided to let it go. 

The two of them would not move for what seemed like minutes. Celes stared at Wynne, trying to rationalize if the Shinigami would attack her. Celes naturally would easily overpower her officer. She could swat her away like a fly, but it was the Captain's goal to avoid conflict. She sighed for a moment as she relaxed her stance and simply peered at Wynne. It seemed that this had given Wynne a signal that Celes was not going to harm her. Finally moving her hand away from her Zanpakutou, Celes listened to Wynne as she spoke.  “I apologize for my earlier words. You didn’t deserve to hear that. After all the kindness you showed me.” The Captain's heart dropped in that moment.

Yet she could not afford to get too sentimental. She peered at Wynne once more and sighed. "I don't blame you for what you said Wynne..." Celes started to approach Wynne once more, soon standing next to her as she looked into the forest past the clearing. "Camila and I...our relationship naturally deteriorated as time went on. Myself as a Vice Captain, now a Captain, and herself as a rogue Shinigami. I'm sure that the divide severed our friendship over time." She chuckled for a moment and shook her head. "Though I would be remiss to admit that sometimes I wonder what would've happened had I went with Camila when she went rogue. If perhaps she may possibly be alive now..." 

Celes reminisced and sighed. Now was too late for regrets. She had made her choices. Camila had made hers. Only the future would tell how Celes' would affect her now. She then turned to Wynne as she spoke. "I understand that you may not trust me Wynne. Trust takes time and devotion to build. I was wrong to force it." She pondered for a moment and then continued. "I won't ask what's on your mind or what's plaguing you. I will only hope that we can get to know one another and that in time..you feel that you can talk to me. It is true that I have a duty to Soul Society. As Captain, I have to ensure its well-being. but I hope you can understand that I also have a duty to this Division. A division which I can proudly call my family. Soul Society gave me a home when I had none. Before I died, I had nobody as my mother and sister had already died years past. The Soul Society helped fill that gap."

The Captain paused for a moment as she reached her hand out to Wynne. "Camila has affected both of our lives. If she truly is dead, I wish to cherish her memory and promote a good relationship between myself and someone she trusted so dearly." Assuming Wynne did not take her hand, Celes would gently grab the Shinigami's arm as she spoke. "Well. Off we go." Another Shunpo at blurring speeds left the pair of Shinigami in the courtyard where they had left. Celes would let go of Wynne as she cracked her neck from side to side, eliciting a notable crunch. "Well, I believe we were in the middle of something." Celes readied her stance once more, keeping her Zanpakutou sheathed as she waited for Wynne to approach her. 

[Wynne Kuchiki]

"I won't ask what's on your mind or what's plaguing you. I will only hope that we can get to know one another and that in time..you feel that you can talk to me. It is true that I have a duty to Soul Society. As Captain, I have to ensure its well-being. but I hope you can understand that I also have a duty to this Division. A division which I can proudly call my family. Soul Society gave me a home when I had none. Before I died, I had nobody as my mother and sister had already died years past. The Soul Society helped fill that gap." As Celes talked, Wynne stood quietly and listened. This wasn’t the time to interrupt. No, it was the time to let Celes talk and understand what it was like to be in her shoes. Wynne owed her at least this much.

As Celes talked, Wynne came to understand why she had the beliefs she did. If the Soul Society was all she had, then it made sense why she relied on it as she did. With no mother or siblings to be close to, who else was there to turn too? Personally Wynne would have turned to friends, but who was she to judge? Everyone was different and Celes had chosen her path, a different one from her own. And she had made a new family, to replace her own one. Squad 10. And although it sounded nice, there was still a key component to Celes’ speech. It was her family, not Wynne’s. Only time would tell if she would consider herself part of it.

"Camila has affected both of our lives. If she truly is dead, I wish to cherish her memory and promote a good relationship between myself and someone she trusted so dearly." Wincing at the bluntness of her words, Wynne turned away from Celes for a brief moment, unwilling to look at her captain and not knowing what to say. She had known Camila for less time than Celes, but she still missed her all the same. Their situation had been similar and she could relate to the other girl, even now. If only Camila had survived, the things the two could have accomplished. The wonders they could have seen.

Taking her captain’s hand, Wynne felt herself vanish and reappear back at the courtyard in the same state that she had left it. Which was a surprise since she had thought Celes had ulterior motives when she had first been grabbed. But she had been mistaken and her body was woundless, but she doubted it would stay that way, judging from Celes' next words. "Well, I believe we were in the middle of something." It was impressive how quickly her captain bounced back from her breakdown, but perhaps she was just trying to forget what had just transpired? And if she was, who was Wynne to stop her?

“Yes, I suppose we were.” Nodding her head, Wynne lowered herself into what she thought was a reasonable stance before facing Celes again. She hadn’t really practiced with combat stances much, so she was basically just winging it. Basically she just did what felt right at the time and hoped it worked. Normally such a thing would be foolish, but thanks to her strength, such a strategy often worked in her favor. It was time to see if it would work now. Pushing herself off the ground and towards Celes, Wynne dove towards her feet and aimed to tackle her to the ground, watching to see what she did with her stance. She didn’t really think she’d succeed, but she was interested to see what kind of defensive stance Celes would take, and to see if she herself could copy it for future use.

[Celes Shindazu]

Having used Shunpo to reach the training grounds of the Tenth Division, Celes was eager to put the earlier discussion with Wynne behind her. At least the aspects that would incite her Hollow to react again. The dialogue that they shared was not all bad though. It truly allowed for Celes to finally open up about her past with Camila. To reveal years of history trapped behind a veil. Celes could not explain it, but it felt oddly liberating. Their conversation was clearly deeply emotional to both Shinigami with its ups and downs, but the Captain felt that she had much better understanding of her officer now. Wynne had reservations and that was okay. Celes would try to pick at them over time, hoping that the Shinigami could feel comfortable seeing the Tenth Division as her family as well, but it would take time.

For now, the Captain had unfinished business with Wynne. A spar that was left unfinished, giving Wynne the opportunity to continue it. Celes truly meant no ill will towards Wynne and wished to create an opportunity to review her own weaknesses. Though Wynne did have strengths of course. Celes could see clearly that the officer had much untapped potential that would likely culminate into a hidden strength. Just how strong Wynne would become was something that Celes had yet to see, but she noticed a few other traits that reminded her of a friend. Stubbornness...determination...a desire to speak her mind. It all reminded her of Camila which in truth warmed Celes' heart.

Celes readied her stance and was eager to see how Wynne would react to this. Would she try something clever? Something flashy? Or would it be simple yet effective? The Captain would hold her breath for a moment to see how Wynne would act. It seemed that as she began to move, it would be the latter though with a twist. Instead of just aiming to rush Celes, the officer seemingly dove for her. A tackle that came right out of sports like American Football. She chuckled as the Shinigami leapt for Celes. The strategy itself was sound. If an opponent got pinned by someone with Wynne's strength at her current experience...that would likely be the match. 

Though Wynne's movements only confirmed two things in Celes' mind. First, the officer was remarkably slow. She had great physical strength, but her agility wasn't anything to write home about. The Shinigami likened it to the speed of a human speed-walking if that. It moved nearly in slow motion to Celes' eyes. The other notable confirmation was Wynne's experience. Celes could pin her as an amateur a mile away. Wynne possessed impressive physical strength yes, but her technique was sloppy. Clumsy even. Celes narrowed her eyes as she made a rather simple movement. She simply stepped to the side. A sidestep at a measly speed of 100 did the trick as Celes almost appeared at Wynne's side.

Of course, the Captain could move faster. She could move a little over six times her current speed, but that was not the point. The point was that Wynne had left herself wide open. Without practice, it would likely be very difficult for her to reorient herself in midair like this. A faster opponent could easily take advantage of it. Celes looked down towards Wynne as the Shinigami was nearly at the end of her leap. She would likely slide against the ground, leaving the Captain to look at her body upon the floor of the training grounds assuming that Wynne made no other aggressive movements toward her in the meantime. Just in case, Celes kept her stance relaxed and her instincts sharpened. 

Celes began to speak as she rattled off some things that harmed Wynne's performance. "Your movements as they are now sluggish. If you grasp someone weaker than you I have no doubt that you will have a field day with them, but you'll have to reach them first. A faster opponent like myself may find it easy to avoid your current attacks." She smiled for a moment as she continued. "An experienced eye can also see that you've had little formal training in physical combat. You've likely relied on Kido for some time now which typically harms your sword form unless you practice vigorously. I would be careful on a move like the one you used. Leaves yourself wide open. I didn't attack, but you're also my officer. An Arrancar or something akin to that may not be as kind." She chuckled for a moment as she added a final point. "Throwing force into an attack isn't bad, but I'd be careful of foes that are good at redirecting force. You may find that your own energy may be your own worst enemy." Having finished her little session of critique, Celes stood still once more. "Let's see what other attacks come to mind." Her eyes were focused on Wynne, ready to try and anticipate and breakdown her movements to give critique in the hopes that Wynne could learn advantages and disadvantages to her strategies.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Ah speed. Something she so desperately lacked. And in the hands of her opponents, it was quite the annoyance. As was shown when Celes easily sidestepped her attack forced her to slide against the ground in a tumble of dust. “Oof.” Letting out a grunt, Wynne pushed herself up and dusted herself off. The fall did barely any damage, as her body was quite durable. With her current speed, simple attacks probably wouldn’t work against opponent’s like Celes which meant she actually had to use her brain. Pain. But such was the price of fighting smarter opponents. Once had to be devious to win.

"Your movements as they are now sluggish. If you grasp someone weaker than you I have no doubt that you will have a field day with them, but you'll have to reach them first. A faster opponent like myself may find it easy to avoid your current attacks." And that was the problem with Wynne’s whole kit. Her strength was nice, but it was only effective if her attacks landed. Her blows could break bones, but that was only if they landed on said bone. If her opponent ran circles around her, she would be as threatening as a fly. So she needed to remember to not let your speed lag too far behind her strength.

"An experienced eye can also see that you've had little formal training in physical combat. You've likely relied on Kido for some time now which typically harms your sword form unless you practice vigorously. I would be careful on a move like the one you used. Leaves yourself wide open. I didn't attack, but you're also my officer. An Arrancar or something akin to that may not be as kind." Looking back, her tackle was a foolish move to perform. It would be the last one of its kind she would perform. She didn’t particularly like picking herself up off the ground too much anyways, so it wouldn’t be too much of a loss.

“I’ll try my best.” Taking another stance, Wynne narrowed her eyes before approaching Celes once more. This time when she came within a few feet of her, she slammed her foot into the ground, making a crater several feet long with the two of them inside of it. Now with their footing unstable, Wynne lunged towards Celes, aiming to take hold of her arm and sling her towards the ground. Hopefully with the unstable footing she’d be able to catch her off guard. Surely this strategy was a far better one than the simple one she had used last time.

[Celes Shindazu]

Celes' eyes were focused on Wynne. On one end, Celes' criticisms could come off as harsh and unrelenting. On the other hand, Wynne was something like a student to her. For her to truly learn, Celes had to break apart and analyze Wynne's movements. There was only one problem with this. Celes' own fighting style would mesh poorly into Wynne's. The Captain was among the fastest Shinigami in Soul Society. Wynne may have shared her penchant for great strength, but she was sorely lacking in agility. Her form could also use some work, but this was nothing that practice and dedication couldn't fix.

Now it was time to see if Wynne would fall back into old habits. Would she utilize a cleverer strategy? What would her intentions be? That decided much in what strategy to use. The Captain found herself holding back her true strength most of the time. After all, her blows at full strength were bound to tear a hole through her opponents. Those with enhanced strength normally took a little to get acclimated to it. It was a bizarre feeling, for your natural strength to crack bone and tear flesh. To Celes, it was usual an uncomfortable feeling. Besides, she was a motivator. She wanted others to get stronger. Not die before they could reach their potential. 

Then Wynne executed her move. Celes was eager. Her eyes watching Wynne's every move. Then her foot came down against the ground with a thud. Crack! The earthen floor began to crumble, making the Shinigami stumble for a moment. Then Wynne executed a different style of attack this time. The attack earlier was a leap into a tackle, but this was more akin to a lunge. Celes could not help, but smile. Cracking the ground is a little trick that she used herself to catch her opponents off guard. It was certainly not a bad strategy and one that effectively leveled the playing field between Celes and Wynne. Celes could not just step out of the way this time. She grinned for a moment. "Clever.." 

Wynne having disheveled the ground also gave Celes a tool to use. Celes, much like Wynne brought her foot to the ground though unlike Wynne who merely cracked it, Celes kicked it with a notable amount of strength. The shifting and cracked earth changed in that moment. The pressure built up and kicked off as a wave of debris and dust shot out at Wynne. It would be akin to a shotgun blast of dirt, giving the Officer a troublesome situation to deal with. Wynne's strategy was not bad, and it may have been successful against a notably weaker opponent or at least someone who themselves did not use that strategy. Celes' decades of training and having monstrous strength gave her a flexible idea on how to use it. 

Celes did not expect Wynne to be able to contend with the sudden projectile coming at her? Perhaps she could Shunpo? Celes was not sure what Wynne would do, but she would be mildly impressed if the Officer found a way to avoid this. As the ground settled and rested after consistent abuse by two physical powerhouses, Celes kicked away, allowing her natural speed to carry her away from the crater. If Wynne got hit by the blast of dirt, she'd likely feel a bit of force behind it, but nothing that would debilitate her if she did get hit. Of course, if Wynne dodged it in some way, Celes would be eager to see how the Officer would retaliate if at all.

Assuming that Wynne was, for a moment, knocked on away or onto the ground by the dirt, Celes would approach her officer as she smiled. "That was not a bad strategy at all. You knew I had a speed advantage and you aimed to neutralize it. It could've worked against someone else. Unfortunately, I myself use that trick often. You used your environment which is good. Don't forget though. The environment typically does not play for one team." Celes thought about it and chuckled. Perhaps another opponent would do her some good. Someone who did not have to hold back so heavily. She knew just the person. Assuming that Wynne would take a moment to listen to Celes, the Captain continued.

"I think I have an idea that may be to your benefit. I have a disciple in the Eleventh Division. Her name is Kimiko Nakajima. I've told you about her when we first met. She may not have my penchant for physical strength, but she is certainly quick on her feet. Besides, I think it would be good for you to meet her in a more formal manner." Celes smiled for a moment. The Shinigami had run an exercise in the past, taking over for Miranda, in which both Wynne and Kimiko participated. The Officer would have likely gotten a display of Kimiko's skills from that training exercise. This would also allow Wynne to deal with someone of a lesser strength. 

"Do me a favor and seek her out sometime. With her you don't have to worry about your opponent kicking dirt at you." Celes chuckled for a moment as she sighed. She had some other matters to attend to. Paperwork and all. "Any questions about your assignment or about what we reviewed today?" Celes waited for a moment and looked at Wynne, awaiting any answer from the Officer. Assuming there was nothing of note, Celes would turn and begin to make her way into the Barracks once more. Before she would leave though, she turned and smiled. "Oh, by the way, Miranda is the current Third Seat. I still have yet to assign a Fifth and Fourth Seat. If you prove yourself, I certainly would not mind appointing you!" Assuming that there was nothing else that needed her attention, the Shinigami would travel to her office to try and finish up her paperwork. Oh, how she hated it. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Social Boost - 30%}

Forming New Bonds [Closed] [Squad 10]

[Wynne Kuchiki]

The cracked terrain gave her an advantage, but it seemed the advantage worked both ways, as was shown when Celes launched an earthen projectile towards her. As the debris and dust shot towards her Wynne raised up her left arm in defense, not seeing the need to dodge it. Sure a Shunpo might bring her out of range, but she trusted her defense more than she trusted her ability to dodge. Her uneven terrain now worked against her since it made dodging more difficult for her as well, something she would need to keep in more for the more dangerous battles.

As her left arm was pelted with debris, Wynne grimed in annoyance. The pain wasn’t too bad, but it still stung. Celes also managed to leave the crater easily, which meant her whole strategy was for naught, but this was a captain she was fighting. She would need a more in depth maneuver to trap someone of her caliber. As Celes approached her once more, Wynne dusted off the dirt that was now attached to her robes. Her clothing was a mess, same as the field. With the way the two fault, such an outcome was inevitable. Their strength was just too potent for the field to remain in one piece.

"That was not a bad strategy at all. You knew I had a speed advantage and you aimed to neutralize it. It could've worked against someone else. Unfortunately, I myself use that trick often. You used your environment which is good. Don't forget though. The environment typically does not play for one team." Wynne had learned that the hard way when Celes had counteracted and she realized she couldn’t dodge. Thankfully her attack hadn’t been too strong or else she might’ve suffered more than the stinging sensation she currently felt in her arms. For now though, she’d keep that valuable lesson in mind.

"I think I have an idea that may be to your benefit. I have a disciple in the Eleventh Division. Her name is Kimiko Nakajima. I've told you about her when we first met. She may not have my penchant for physical strength, but she is certainly quick on her feet. Besides, I think it would be good for you to meet her in a more formal manner." Nodding her head, Wynne put Kimiko’s name in her memory. Training with someone more of her skill level would be helpful as she might learn more than she would with Celes. Plus her captain was a busy person, so she didn’t want to monopolize all of her captain’s time.

“I’ll be sure to see her out. And no, I have no questions. Thank you for your time.” As Celes turned away, Wynne walked back to her home. There were a few awkward moments with her captain, but it had all worked out in the end. She still didn’t know how she felt about her squad, but she would stay in it for now. It wasn’t like she had a choice either, she still had her mission for Col after all. The question was, was she still going to go through with it, after everything Celes had told her? She just didn’t know. She’d have to think about it. As she’d been doing for the past several days.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Social Boost - 20%}
Forming New Bonds [Closed] [Squad 10]

[Deleted]

I counted 145 paragraphs, so normally, that'd be 725 TP for both of you.

BUT.

Due to social multipliers; Celes is going to be walking away with 942 TP, so we're going to round that down to 940 so that doesn't become a problem later.

For Wynne, she'll be walking away with 870 TP even!