Introductions Beset Chaos [Aramis / Luna]

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis didn't have time to address Luna's commentary on the Piranha Plant. That could be addressed when her life wasn't in danger. Luna's evasion was on point and timed well enough to avoid the massive flora's bite, and that was all the time Aramis needed. As Luna tripped, Aramis paused only a split second to catch and stabilize the girl with his left arm. Something was unusual about that-- and not the "Aramis didn't like physical contact" bit, that could reasonably be excused by the imminent peril of the situation. Something very hard and solid was under his left sleeve-- armor perhaps? Some mechanical device? The brief contact was hardly enough to know for certain, as the moment Luna was stabilized, Aramis broke off contact and moved to the attack, his movements little more than an indistinct blur.

A tarnished and rusted looking iron-bladed rapier flew into the Captain's hand. "Erase, Revenant." A blaze of green/black reiatsu surged around Aramis's sword, drawing the plants' attention. The poor thing hadn't the instinct to realize it was outmatched, its jaws opening to try and admit the newfound prey. But the tarnished rapier had now become one of gleaming silver, with a gold inlaid guard, and a glossy black leather grip. Aramis's blade flickered forward at the Piranha Plant, fast enough that to Luna's eyes it was scarcely more than a flicker of light, glinting off the blade, and then the plant was gone.

Just... gone. Aramis hadn't severed the stalk, hadn't seemingly split the beast down the middle or somehow uprooted it. The plant was simply gone. Vanished without a trace. The Captain paused for a moment, his eyes locked onto where the plant had been, blade held loosely in his right hand. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to Luna. "Warned you to be wary." He stated. "Correct assessment. Piranha Plant. Permit access to Human World media in division. Find it useful. Inspires ideas." He stated. "Other creations here, similarly inspired. But another time. Piranha Plant. Not excessively dangerous compared to others. May not be able to react in time next time. Perhaps when stronger." He stated, moving to guide Luna out of the room, not taking his eyes off of her, but also not sealing his Zanpakuto until they were clear. Anticipating Luna's query as to what he had done to the Piranha Plant (or perhaps answering her question), Aramis angled up his rapier for a moment.

"Revenant possesses ability to banish. Objects. Creatures. Attacks. Shields. Sends them off to pocket dimension. Will return once Zanpakuto is sealed." He lied. But this was a common lie that Aramis had refined over the years, and few in Soul Society had the Energy Sensory to realize the lie. What Revenant actually did was create an illusion that prevented things touched by the blade to be perceived by any of the five senses-- even those of the creature afflicted. Unable to sense their own bodies, creatures struck in the head by Revenant would be rendered unconscious until Aramis sealed his Zanpakuto. Revenant even possessed a supporting effect, a minor mental trick that caused people attempting to interact with something the Zanpakuto had "vanished" to rationalize any unusual interactions they may have had away, even, in a few occasions, causing someone to believe that their hand absolutely had just passed through the space that it clearly hadn't.

Aramis lied about his ability for a simple reason-- it made him harder to predict. If the truth of his ability got out, people aiming for his position, enemies and rivals, would take measures against it. By feeding false information about his ability and making it well known, Aramis ensured anyone coming to face him would make erroneous preparations. It was also why he supplied the information to Luna so freely.

"In any case. Addressing next room. Still trying to work out issues with Compression Tags. Perfectly effective when applied to non-living matter. Last had spoken with researchers had at least stopped killing test subjects upon application. Last heard, only kills them upon reversion. Still less than ideal. While Division acknowledges fatalities and injuries as a necessary price for research, still seeks ultimately to push beyond need, and acknowledges other divisions tendency to be less careful with our research than we are." Aramis noted, heading down the hall. This door was locked with a passcode, one Aramis punched in at blinding enough speed that Luna wouldn't be able to track the numbers, or even how many numbers there were. Aramis had taken note of the girls' inquisitive and impulsive nature, and determined that, for the time being, it was probably best for her not to memorize the codes to any of the labs at this time.

The door hissed open, and beyond was a massive laboratory. Now this more closely resembled a traditional lab. Long counters, with several researchers in full protective gear performing examinations. Along the wall directly left to Aramis and Luna as they entered was row upon row upon row of paper tags, that strongly resembled traditional Japanese Sutras. There must have been thousands of them along the walls. Across various lab tables and counter-tops several of the researchers seemed to be working on others, attempting to imbue the sutras with various combinations of kido or kaido chants or spells, as if looking for different results. Microscopes, various beakers and vials, and chemical solutions were scattered across the room along with piles upon piles of notes and paperwork that had been written in jargon and untidy handwriting to such a degree that they seemed scarcely readable, with diagrams that didn't make sense, and at least one or two that may have been attempting to prove things that were outright impossible by all known laws of physics.

There was a decently clear space in the center of the room, with a large glass, cylindrical chamber. The chamber itself looked pristine and clean, as if it were sanitized far too regularly. In terms of size, it looked large enough to hold a rhinoceros with some room to spare, and despite being made of glass, said glass looked relatively thick and sturdy. Despite the sanitized look of the chamber though, there was undoubtedly an ichor around the currently open door to it that looked uncomfortably like dried blood and viscera.

A second door was at the back of the room, partially ajar with a sign reading "AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY" in bold font, and behind it, the far wall of the room was covered in numerous glass tanks and terrariums, which seemed to have various rodents or insects moving around within them. A closer look, however, would reveal that wasn't entirely correct. Only a few of these tanks contained rodents, traditional lab mice and rats. Many of the other tanks held the more valuable research specimens, and unquestionably some of the specimens Aramis had alluded to earlier. There were dozens of Hollows in those terrariums, some no larger than the rats in the accompanying cages, and some even smaller than that. Some lethargically stared out at the Shinigami researchers with a dull acceptance in their faces, others paced furiously and angrily around their new "territories."

Aramis nodded to Luna. "Permission granted to look around. Do not advise touching anything unless you know what it is." He cautioned. "Must speak with head researcher here. Welcome to listen in if you wish." He added, heading over to a shorter female Shinigami, with black, braided hair and a large pair of circular glasses on her face.. "Director. Progress report." She immediately snapped to attention and started sifting through her own notes to provide Aramis with the assistance he requested. Whether Luna would focus on that, or explore the room, or try to find a way to do both was entirely up to her.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Aramis Stats and Skills}Strength: 120+80 (100)
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 200 (100)
Spirit Pressure: 400 (800)
Light Aura: 10 (0 in Saisei Oni)
Dark Aura: 90 (100 in Saisei Oni)
Senses: 150
Instinct: 180+120 (300)
Energy Sensory: 150 (300)
Healing Expertise: 0
Total: 1600+200


Skills

Analysis (3) [Bonus points as per Cunning Type]
Weapons: Sword (2)
Weapons: Chain (2)
Martial Art: Street Fighting (2)
Battle Analysis (3)
Deception (2)
Crafting (2)
Strength of Will (3)

Total: 16/17 Skill Points

[Luna Melrose]

Although the student’s dodge was very abrupt and spontaneous, it had quickly proven enough of a delay to allow for Captain Tezuka’s intervention, warding off any remaining prospects of danger; the woman’s backward fall was cut short by the robust support of a limb temporarily bestowed to her, an act meant to allow for her balance to return. Stabilizing her posture, she realized the source of this gesture had been the man’s left arm, an interesting outcome indeed; did this mean his desire to keep physical contacts to a minimum wasn’t the foremost concern on his mind when facing an imminent threat...? Despite this touch lingering only a brief instant before his grip dissipated just as swiftly as it came, their contact nonetheless revealed a hidden trove of information; whatever it truly was, the sensation she felt couldn’t be described as one with normal flesh, the surface covered by his sleeve rather seemed undeniably solid... Machinery of some sort was the most likely culprit, but other possibilities also existed, such as armor or a skin surface unlike normal spirits, like scales or a mineral substance; whichever the case, it wouldn’t be feasible for her to reveal the truth just yet.

In fact, she needed to focus, as another truth was laid bare before herself.

Just ahead, the girl got her very first glimpse of the Captain’s release and abilities, a rare chance to observe it in action from up close; “Erase, Revenant”. As a rusty-looking rapier came into Luna’s view, its thin blade glimmering at the tip from ambient light, the weapon’s form also warped following these words and was engulfed inside a deluge of dark malachite spiritual pressure, a coloration contrasting heavily with the rich and vibrant background of this greenhouse; Aramis had henceforth revealed his Shikai, its elegant shape in direct opposition to the Zanpakuto’s former sealed appearance. In the blink of an eye, a strike was sent toward the Piranha Plant and, to the wide-eyed surprise of this scientific-minded woman, the large flora just vanished out of her sight; this phenomenon took place faster than she could reasonably track, slipping through the student’s perception, but she still obviously couldn’t think of it as a commonplace attack since it left absolutely no trace of its target behind. Was the Piranha Plant outright disintegrated into complete nothingness, or did another explanation exist for what had just occurred?

Regardless, she couldn’t deny peril had forsaken the pair; losing her opportunity to scold the giant flower as was initially intended, Luna nevertheless felt somewhat irritated at the sheer audacity of the organism and therefore did what any responsible adult should do in this situation... She turned toward the location which once hosted the creature and vented her frustration by pulling down on her eyelid while her tongue was sticking out, an obvious taunt no longer meant for anyone in particular; “Bleah~!”, the young lady let out. Feeling the mood shift and that Aramis would soon turn to address her, this devious academic hastily straightened her stance and adopted a more appropriate demeanor, one befitting of the impression she wished to give him; “Warned you to be wary”, the Captain simply stated, likely overlooking the quirks that she’d shown so far. “You did~, sorryyy!”, she cheerfully admitted; unfortunately, there was no real shame behind that admission since one’s exposure to risks and obstacles was a necessity to reach the fruits of practical discovery, a fact she knew all too well.

Moving onto another matter altogether, Captain Tezuka confirmed the theory she’d blurted earlier, when things had gone off the rails; “Correct assessment. Piranha Plant”. Yes~; she was right! “Permit access to Human World media in division. Find it useful. Inspires ideas. Other creations here, similarly inspired. But another time-”; she interjected here, desireful to plead for a minuscule privilege while she had the chance. “Oh! Actually~, would you mind if I came once in a while, to indulge in all that media~...?”, the girl asked; raising both arms to her side, Luna gestured while asserting her position, explaining why she yearned for this concession. “I’ve learned a lot about the World of the Living through word~ of mouth but you wouldn’t belieeeve~ how hard it is to experience this culture for yourself, in the Rukongai; if I may satiate that itch and delve deeper into it now and then after Academy lessons, I’d really~ appreciate it!”; truth be told, she couldn’t wait to undergo this lifestyle for herself during a visit to the World of the Living.

A response would surely follow, but for now their discussion carried on along the topic of their encounter moments earlier; “Piranha Plant. Not excessively dangerous compared to others. May not be able to react in time next time. Perhaps when stronger”. Although she had no intention to leave it that way, Luna had to reluctantly concede his point for now and admit her fighting prowess was severely lacking; meanwhile, his own release and abilities proved frighteningly effective, enticing her with various secrets she couldn’t in good faith just set aside. “Hey-hey, heyyy~...”, the female student began sulking, attempting to garner his sympathy; “That was your Shikai~, right...? What’s its ability? C’mooon~... You can tell me~!!”. Her light hops and devious smile were certainly a bit overwhelming; however, that didn’t seem to hinder his reply, perhaps because he’d seen such inquiries coming from a mile away. “Revenant possesses ability to banish. Objects. Creatures. Attacks. Shields. Sends them off to pocket dimension. Will return once Zanpakuto is sealed”; well, that sure piqued her interest.

His statement was a carefully engineered lie, an attempt at subterfuge and counterintelligence; Revenant possessed an entirely different capability, and of course Luna was left none the wiser about it... Although, Aramis had also made a major miscalculation here, one he wouldn’t quite notice just yet; “Ooo~ a pocket dimension!? That’s such a super-duper~ cool ability! I kinda want that one, too~!”, she smirked in such an overblown manner. There was an unusual glint in her gaze, one that wasn’t present merely a moment ago but, since she gave no heed of opening up, the Captain would be left with no option other than continue from here and see how she’d eventually react; “In any case. Addressing next room. Still trying to work out issues with Compression Tags. Perfectly effective when applied to non-living matter. Last had spoken with researchers had at least stopped killing test subjects upon application. Last heard, only kills them upon reversion. Still less than ideal. While Division acknowledges fatalities and injuries as a necessary price for research, still seeks ultimately to push beyond need, and acknowledges other divisions tendency to be less careful with our research than we are”.

As the pair walked and the man expounded on their upcoming location, there were many oddities amidst her behavior; first off, the girl’s mind seemed to be completely elsewhere and she was surely inattentive, nodding away entirely off tempo to several of his affirmations. See~, this woman was nosy and extremely inquisitive so the sparks currently filling up her eyes, accompanied by small instants where Luna seemed about to say something before holding it back and going even deeper in thoughts, foretold nothing good; to put it bluntly, the release he’d previously described was one she’d obviously want to study thoroughly, and more interrogations just kept piling up within her mind soon ready to erupt. “Okay~, but liiike, about Revenant... Do things die when they go in?! Can you get them out wherever? Or, mess with~ the pocket universe? -Kyaaa~, or even make me a room!?!?? ...What about the laws of physics?? Or~, maybe change the temporal flow? Wait omigosh- let me think~, umm- what if you provoked another Big Bang inside!!?”; interrupting her would prove challenging for Aramis at this point, she was too far gone... Thankfully, there would also be no need for it, since an impact from the surroundings would swiftly bring her back to reality.

*Bonk!*

“Owww~...! What was that?!”; towering behind the young student was a large doorframe, one she hadn’t even noticed during her volley of questions aimed at the poor man, its grandiose shape blocking the way to their destination... If there was a silver lining to all this, it’d be that she had snapped out of her frenzied state, albeit her curiosity also remained wholly unsatiated; “Sorry~, I got carried away a bit, but... We must absolutely~ revisit the topic later, I’ve got so many more~ questions about it! Please~?”, she twirled in place, hardly containing her excitement. “For now, though... I think this thing’s~ waiting for you”, she said with a grin, looking directly at the door’s terminal; it seems Luna Melrose wouldn’t even pretend to glance away while he’d type in the passcode, and instead unabashedly awaited Captain Tezuka’s input. Of course, the man’s lightning quick entry of each number thwarted her intentions, and rather left her with quite the morose mood; “--Wait?! No~!”, the girl blurted, unable to catch even one of the numerical values.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upon entering the premises of this laboratory, such grievance quickly became short-lived; standing before herself was an immense room dedicated to research purposes, a laboratory filled with lively scientists and various pieces of high-tech equipment. The supplies and machinery she could witness from this doorway all seemed designed for chemical pursuits, every beaker and molecular mixture seizing her attention right away, but what felt most peculiar were these plentiful glyphs written on what appeared from her position to simply be mundane paper slips, adorning the surface of a wall directly to their left; these same markers were also being produced by researchers at numerous lab stations, apparently involving Kido chants and incantations in some way... Perhaps imbuing them with it, or a comparable process? Although, that didn’t explain the room’s innermost space, a large and frankly quite glaring chamber, its hygiene kept impeccable albeit with the remnants of innards still barely perceptible and somewhat betraying its function; the glass panels looked particularly robust, certainly to keep whatever got in there from making it back out.

Nonchalantly walking a few steps behind Aramis with a smile plastered on her face and her eyes darting around, the girl was admittedly only awaiting an opportunity to scurry away and explore this foreign area; such a venture was thankfully allowed by her senior, although due caution was also solicited. “Permission granted to look around. Do not advise touching anything unless you know what it is”; “Okie-dokie~!”, she replied while saluting, almost dashing off immediately... That is, if another comment didn’t follow; “Must speak with head researcher here. Welcome to listen in if you wish”, the Twelfth Division Captain relayed. Such an affirmation caused the student to halt momentarily and ponder her choice, seemingly freezing to an outside observer, but there was ultimately little reason to hesitate; “Hm~, I’ll pass; there’s too much~ I wanna see in here... Though if you don’t mind giving me a summary afterward, I’d appreciate thaaat~!”, the devilish girl said while walking away, hardly allowing an answer from the man and forcing somewhat his compliance... She just couldn’t avoid probing into their experimentations, even under such an adverse dilemma; “Director. Progress report”, the woman seldom heard, moving away from them both.

Besides, she now had an objective in mind, a reason to pull away from Captain Tezuka.

Discreetly advancing toward the workstations, trying not to disturb nor be spotted by anyone, Luna hoped to peek at the many documents located therein; although, how covert she could realistically be, when the student clearly wore an Academy uniform, remained to be seen... Regardless, she sought any information regarding the experiments and production being run inside the confines of this area, or honestly anything that looked even the tiniest bit interesting; her hopes were that operation details would find themselves mixed in and grant her a better understanding of their current undertakings, but she also secretly wished to stumble unto some big, unexplained mystery instead. Browsing through these documents, the woman could read them reasonably well given her own tendency to scribble notes for herself, even though some were surely still beyond her comprehension; however, she also lacked the opportunity to review them all, since Aramis would certainly finish quickly and come seek her out... That’s why Luna carefully selected the most intriguing tidbits and, after confirming everybody had their hands full and paid her no attention, hid them away inside her attire, planning to carry them out and scrutinize their content at her own leisure.

Using this chance at freedom efficiently, a short jaunt took her directly in front of the central chamber, a most puzzling addition to the room’s layout indeed; while she deliberately kept a fair distance away from the entrance and wouldn’t step in because her organs were better left intact thank you very much, it was nonetheless an oddity she wanted to comprehend... Perhaps she could push one of the researchers inside, to discover its function and effect? No, the girl amended her thoughts, she had to play nice for now... Luna considered her options for a while, before applying the simplest of logic; where had these traces of blood even come from? Looking around the room, this one door stood out in the back, remaining partially open despite evidently serving as a storage area, which implied lots of traffic; inspecting it further revealed the room was a restricted area, but Aramis had absolutely given her permission to look wherever she possibly wished so, without the slightest hesitation, she furtively entered, eager to probe for their deepest secrets! As for what she found within, well...

Jackpot!

Arranged between these four walls were several glass vessels chock full of scientific specimens, individual enclosures each filled with life and sentience; claiming this young biologist was overjoyed with this finding only began to scratch the surface of her emotions right now. Obviously, the only appropriate response to this situation was for her to rush toward them like a madwoman, squealing and flailing frantically on her way to these large tanks; their inhabitants, however, seemed less than pleased at the sudden appearance of this visitor, agitating the more combative creatures... “Eek-!”, she even yelped when one lunged against the panel standing between them, forced to take a step back and re-evaluate her approach; learning her lesson, the girl settled on observing them silently from a distance and soon realized there was a mismatch between the habitats, some housed typical lab rats whereas others contained Hollows, small as they may be... A malicious smile soon rose across her facial expression; here, she could put a plan into motion.

The student could attempt to satisfy her recent curiosity.

Scavenging around, she first sought to find a container filled with water or a similar liquid, which she was seemingly convinced would be nearby; given the need for a form of sustenance for these many creatures, it was logical such a receptacle would be present in the vicinity and, after rummaging around a little while, she indeed located what she was seeking, a supply system providing each tank with drinking water as their needs individually dictated. After filling up a vessel with plenty of clean water, her devious trap was hastily prepared, ready for its first victim; Luna Melrose used nearby objects to climb and make her way upward, attempting to reach the top of the singular door leading into this room and, by leaving it ajar just like it’d been so far, she placed the liquid directly atop its entrance. Soon returning to ground level, the girl looked at her creation with undeniable, highly misplaced pride, her thoughts racing from the mysteries she might reveal with this booby trap; all she needed now was to get things into motion.

There were no doubts whoever triggered her fancy setup would get quite drenched, which was ultimately Luna’s objective; if she could shower Aramis Tezuka, then this eager scientist would begin converging on his secret involving physical contact... She agreed not to touch him, but nobody said water couldn’t, right? The consequences of her act would give Luna a lot of clues about what the man was trying to keep under wraps; specifically, it would reveal the nature of this firmness she had felt earlier, when she inadvertently got into contact with him during his rescue of the student. Regardless of that feeling’s source, its exposure to a liquid would without a doubt have many repercussions; any electronics might malfunction and could very well throw out a burst of sparks, while even a simple alloy was at risk of falling victim to a chemical reaction, most notably the production of rust or an equivalent yield from oxidation. Moreover, an organic explanation wouldn’t be without its own tells, since most materials were porous and would soak up water to varying degrees, whereas those like scales would rather exhibit hydrophobic properties; whatever the results, she could observe them to zero in on the truth.

As for how she would attract Aramis to this room, Luna simply needed a bait, a way to lure him inside her snare; she already had a great method in mind for that task, by taking advantage of his perception toward herself. Of course, the girl had shown her colors by now, and knew best what kind of reactions they often provoked; people would get wary, alert for any hints of transgression, and began scrutinizing everything she would do... In fact, she already knew the man had become cautious, from their earlier interaction with the entry codes; as a result, Luna was certain she would instantly be his prime suspect if something were to now happen in the adjacent lab, she could trust he would come to that deduction before anyone else. This should lead him to the storage area and, to make sure her assessment was correct, she would peek inside the laboratory through the doorway’s small opening; as for the required commotion, the lady took one of the hostile Hollows out of its enclosure, aligned herself with the opening, and...

*Yeet!*

...It was thrown across the lab, through the room's ajar doorway.

[Aramis Tezuka]

At Luna’s request to “indulge” in media, Aramis looked at her. ”If assigned to division, permission not required. Barring specific exceptions. Considered too likely to result in impractical experiments. Even by division standards.” For a division that prided itself on “Science for Science’s sake” under Aramis, the fact that there was some material even he considered wrong said volumes about that material. ”Films. Television Series. Video Games. E-books. All available, as procured from Human World. Have weekly Film Festivals for morale, and inspiration. Combination of films produce… unusual results. Example; Tyrannosaur with energy cannons. Unfortunately, specimen served purpose. Was recently slain by Captain of 9th Division.” Aramis intoned. ”But in interim, yes. May ask Erika for itinerary of festival dates.”

And then she brought up Revenant. Aramis had expected as much, and was prepared for her lines of inquiry. Relatively speaking. She wasn’t the first to grill Aramis about the specifics of his Zanpakuto—and Aramis found it very easy to lie about. The truth of the nature of his “Zanpakuto spirit”, if the black shadow that always seemed to lurk in the corner of his vision, was a very unpleasant one, and easy for the Nakabakki Captain to avoid.

”You will achieve own ability, well suited to own purposes. Revenant is my power. Suited to my purposes.” Aramis replied, even as they left the room and Revenant returned to its rusted state, and returned to its sheath. ”To answer queries… Does not kill subjects. Even if removing vital organs from rest of body. Have removed targets heads. Subject was rendered incapacitated, but was not dead. Restored to full consciousness upon sealing Revenant. Though killing incapacitated target. Not difficult. If fatal wound inflicted when removing living target, target is typically dead upon return.” Aramis replied. ”Have also attempted to investigate nature of pocket dimension with, willing test subjects. As well as sparring partners. State do not feel anything if limbs banished. When banishing entire test subject, stated was rendered unconscious. Have inquired with Zanpakuto. Nothing there. Non-combat applicable uses, limited by requirement to remain released. Impractical for storage due to time constraints.” Aramis noted. ”Somewhat useful for capture of target non-fatally. Has been invaluable in procuring non-compliant test subjects.” Aramis replied still monotonously and slightly stilted, but he did, somehow, seem to be enjoying the discourse, though it was very hard to pin down exactly what in his body language or tone was giving that away.

There was no denying the small amusement Aramis got out of denying her the access code to the room though, as a tiny little mischievous glint twinkled in his eye. ”Not yet.” He stated to her. ”If interested in project, may assign you to team when you join division.” He concluded as he entered the room, and began to speak with the Head of the Compression Tag project. As far as the project itself, the Compression Tag was a device that the 12th Division had made for the 13th Division’s purposes, to increase the ease of transporting large, bulky materials around. The simple paper tags Luna had observed upon entering the room, were augmented by various experimental kido and Shinigami magicks (and possibly even utilizing the properties of a release), to allow them to shrink any object affixed to down to 1/100th of its size, which could be restored simply by removing or destroying the tag. The only note publicly aware was that using it on living beings was not advised, and that “complications” tended to arise in tests of that nature.

It seemed this lab was working on working out some of those problems, to reduce workplace accidents using the tags.

While Aramis had his discourse with the director of the lab, he kept aware of Luna at all times. His senses were good—very good. And although days cooped up in his labs had dulled his instincts, which had once been honed to a razor’s edge, they were still quite formidable, and multitasking was something he had a lot of experience with.

As such, even while paying attention to what updates the Director had to give him, he could keep an eye on the mischievous potential recruit, as she explored the room, moderately upsetting the test subjects and began to set up her trap. And yet he did nothing to stop her. Ultimately culminating in Luna grabbing a very unhappy Hollow that tried to struggle out of her grip and was promptly flung into the other room.

”—Besides that C-Captain, we’ve also determined that attempting to reinforce th-the subjects with defensive kido—“ Aramis looked past the director quite deliberately. ”Specimen breach.” Aramis stated. The Director jumped, as if jabbed with a cattle prod and spun around, identifying Luna’s position, the empty tank, the open door. ”H-hey! What are you doing there!? D-don’t remove the specimens! Th-they’re important for our research!” She exclaimed. At the same time a crashing sound, not unlike a small explosion was audible from the room that Luna had hurled the Hollow into, and the sound of breaking glass. The director gave a strangled sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a squawk and bolted for the room. Aramis’s eyes were fixed directly on Luna as the director flung open the door…. Promptly triggering Luna’s water trap, and dousing her. ”H-h-hey! What was—who’s idea was this!?” She stammered looking around the room. With the door opened a bit more, and the Director’s momentary state of being flustered, Luna would be able to glimpse beyond into a relatively well lit room. A wide array of cabinets, both for storage and filing lined the walls of the room beyond, along with several other metal tables. It was hard to see what was on most of them, but as for the one nearest the door, a piece of the table had been blasted away—perhaps by a Cero of some kind, and at the base of the table was a shattered glass case, not unlike the ones the Hollow had been kept in. There was no sign of the Hollow or whatever may have been in the case however.

The director, still seeming slightly panicked, dropped down on her hands and knees to check around the space, still soaked from Luna’s little trap. Aramis, meanwhile, approached Luna. ”Appears your diversion caused secondary containment breach. Will suggest you assist Director in searching the room for escaped specimens. Hollow you released, low-class. Perhaps dangerous to you at its original size. Not a considerable threat in current state. Retrieving other specimens… also helpful. Director is assured to do so, but assistance is welcome. Will remain outside to monitor door.” Aramis noted, quite certain that none of the specimens in the room would have escaped. He had been expecting something like this, and did not seem angry. If anything this would be an excellent chance to see the nature of Luna’s morality. If it was a good fit for the division.

Hollows were one thing, the subjects that had been kept in that tank might have caused a bit more of a commotion with some of the Gotei 13. Afterall. The problems arising with the Compression Tags on organic matter hadn’t started with Hollows. That shattered tank had contained a number of unfortunate Shinigami test subjects. Whom, it seemed, did not appreciate the division’s attempts to keep them cooped up in their labs while they worked on reversing the process, and would probably resist attempts to recapture them. Really, it was for their own good, they could run into problems outside the safety of the lab, but it was rather difficult to convince them of that. At any rate, Aramis would consider this an excellent opportunity to see the nature of Luna’s character—hence why he specifically did not inform Luna as to exactly what subjects she was looking for.

[Luna Melrose]

There is nothing more alluring than the prospects of new knowledge and that’s why Luna had taken such an enthusiastic interest in the Twelfth Division, which offered the joy of scientific wonders; asking for early access to their material from the World of the Living and digging into the abilities of Aramis and his sword, Revenant, were ultimately two actions sharing the same intent, to sate her bottomless curiosity... That he condoned this behavior and fed her inquisitive mind spoke volumes about his understanding of this topic, and his willingness to embrace it; the student’s facial expression was beaming with glee, body language showcasing the deepest reaches of her mindset, as they openly discussed her many and perhaps limitless inquiries and requests currently intruding on her thoughts at any given moment. Although she couldn’t pinpoint why it felt that way, the young girl had a distinct impression this man also thoroughly appreciated their ongoing dialogue; perhaps kindred spirits were able to sense such a thing intuitively, she theorized...

As for what was said, a few comments stood out among the rest; “You will achieve own ability, well suited to own purposes”. That wasn’t something she’d thought about from such a perspective yet, and it led her to wonder what that could be... A scientist, a medic, a schemer, this lady wore many hats; would her ability truly manage to encompass all these factors, providing her with the utility she sought? She was perplexed because it was difficult to envision such a result; anything conventional would at the very least not fulfill such a wide range of applications, although anticipating a commonplace ability from this wielder was no doubts a flawed viewpoint from the get-go. His remarks regarding the cultural works from humans which could lead to experiments considered ‘impractical’ also caught her attention; although such a notion was an entirely foreign concept to herself, it renewed the unsatiable curiosity she felt toward their creations... What could be so extreme it was deemed risky to even know about? She couldn’t wait to find out!

She was, admittedly, also saddened she never got to see that majestic dinosaur, while it was still around...

All of that held little significance to her current plan, however, which for now seemed to be moving along without a hitch; the small Hollow she had grabbed was feisty and full of spite, but she had nevertheless managed to toss it into the other room, putting her scheme into motion. It wasn’t long before her gimmick was sent off script, though, as when she peered through the opening to look at Captain Tezuka and witness his reaction, the one who instead seemed to respond to this crisis was the Director behind the experiment; perking up, she turned around and took the lead, a miscalculation throwing the student’s intentions into disarray. The rest unfolded in an instant; a loud noise reminiscent of glass breaking resonated throughout the large space, attracting Luna’s focus just long enough to lose track of the lady next to Aramis. “H-hey! What are you doing there!? D-don’t remove the specimens! Th-they’re important for our research!”, she exclaimed, advancing toward the girl’s position while recovering her scrutiny; the outcome of Luna’s ploy couldn’t be avoided any further but there remained a choice she could make, moments before disaster...

*Crash!*

“Eek-!”, the young woman let out as she soon became soaked with water; merely a second ahead of the Director’s entry, she had slammed the door shut herself, an action which intentionally triggered the trap she’d setup and led its content to spill onto her when it was inevitably reopened afterward, the bucket already falling by that point. “H-h-hey! What was—who’s idea was this!?”; “S-s- Sorry~!”, the one caught red-handed yelped. While it was likely the lady had still received her fair share of the liquid, Luna became the main victim out of her own volition; such a sacrifice was necessary for damage control and to prevent social repercussions from becoming too severe. It’d be difficult to direct too much anger at someone who felt dire consequences from their own actions, after all, and the gesture would surely be better received than if she had done nothing; the only downside to that decision was that she would now have to tackle being completely soaked, herself...

Lifting to her feet after having fallen backward due to the recent misfortune, Luna was somewhat grumpy, understandably given her current condition; after wringing out what she could from her clothes, the girl glimpsed into the room where the aggressive Hollow had been tossed, looking for the damages caused by her little stunt. Inside, there were clear signs an attack had been flung, several scorch marks and the torn off corner of a workstation acting as obvious indications of such a fact; it seems another glass container much like those containing the Hollows had been impacted by the blast, which meant a different creature of some sort had also been released, the woman surmised. That assumption may or may not be correct, she thought, but it would do no harm to keep this eventuality in the back of her mind, especially since the Director began thoroughly searching the whereabouts for at least that one escaped specimen Luna knew was around; the Hollow would certainly not be too difficult to find, given how conflictual it seemed to be, but whether catching it could prove as easily done remained to be seen...

Aramis soon approached from the sidelines, conversing with her as if it were just like any other occurrence between the pair; “Appears your diversion caused secondary containment breach. Will suggest you assist Director in searching the room for escaped specimens”, he requested. Although the girl was initially lightly pouting when he came closer, she quickly sighed and relaxed, the whole ordeal ultimately little more than a game between them both from her perspective; live and move on, she knew better than to frivolously seek a way to salvage her failed plot... “Hollow you released, low-class. Perhaps dangerous to you at its original size. Not a considerable threat in current state”, the man clarified; “Mhm~, was this blast a Cero?”, she asked while pointing at the damaged surface, “-- A typical Hollow generally wouldn’t cause this much~ destruction”. If the monstrosity is to be apprehended, further information gleaned in these circumstances would surely prove helpful... “Retrieving other specimens... also helpful. Director is assured to do so, but assistance is welcome. Will remain outside to monitor door”; “Fair enough~!”, she shrugged while grinning ear to ear, “I’ll have a look around~ for them”.

His choice of words also confirmed there were other specimens out there, as she’d predicted.

Facing ahead and moving toward the location where the course of these distinct specimens had collided, the student sought to inspect and investigate the leftovers of their altercation; rather than proceed with an aimless scrutiny of the laboratory in an attempt to haphazardly find them, she was planning to deduce and foresee their movements using logical reasoning. With her palm softly set against the desk and using it as a foothold, she first considered the glass debris; they were scattered away from the storage doorway, which meant the Hollow must’ve landed somewhere between the door and this habitat. Looking between these two points, she then noticed documents disorderly spread on one of the workstations, a mess with a suspiciously circular pattern; that was likely where the creature had initially landed. Given fight or flight response, the habitat’s specimens had certainly fled away from their hostile guest, preferring to avoid any direct confrontation following the rupture of their vessel; otherwise, they would surely still hear residual sounds from the clash, a battle never this quiet... With all of these deductions, Luna could reliably estimate the path they’d have taken; considering the temperament of the Hollow she’d tossed, chances were high the beast had pursued and would be found alongside them.

Before starting to act, the woman prepared makeshift equipment for their capture out of what was readily available in the lab, namely a beaker and clipboard; with these in hands, she took action and searched for them starting from her position, moving away gradually from the storage room. Her height was a precious advantage in these circumstances since, at 4’11”, she could crouch and gain a line of sight on most of the floor’s surface below the many desks in this room, allowing her to thoroughly spot anything scurrying off in the distance regardless of their size; using this methodology, she sought to pinpoint the current position of the specimens and, assuming she did, wouldn’t move directly toward them, rather adopting a pathway meant to block off their escape route first and foremost. If instead this wasn’t enough to locate the Hollow nor its victims, she also had another plan in mind; should the student remain empty-handed in this pursuit despite reaching the furthest wall away from her point of entry, Luna would approach a chalkboard she’d previously noticed affixed to it and, by scraping her nails against its outward layer, began producing these irritating, admittedly insufferable sounds...

Either way, her path would surely cross theirs.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Approximately thirty seconds prior…

Rei wasn’t sure how long he’d been in here. There weren’t any clocks in this room, and no sunlight. The 12th Division seemed to work around the clock, so he couldn’t even use the sounds of activity in the lab adjacent to this room to judge how long he’d been in here. Awhile at least. A very long while. Probably not a year, but at least months. Stuck in this sealed glass prison, while the 12th Division ran their tests and experiments, allegedly in an attempt to reverse the effects of the Compression Tag. While Rei was sure that was somewhere on the agenda, he doubted it was out of any desire to fix the mistake, and more out of simple scientific curiosity. There had been five others in the tank with him, two of the others, who had been the most vocal and angry (and had made the most attempts to break out) had been taken for attempted reversal and Rei hadn’t seen them since. The director of the Compression Tag project had simply reported to them that the reversal had been unsuccessful. Not like they could hear Rei or the others from inside this tank.

Now there were only four of them left, as far as they knew. A Shinigami from the Kido Corps, Shinrei something-or-other, a (formerly) tall man, with long black hair and piercing yellow eyes. A Shinigami of the 5th who went by Haku- as far as he knew, the guy hadn’t given his last name. He was the shortest of the bunch, even before he’d ended up in the Compression Tag incident, having darker skin, and a shock of short white hair, along with dull brown eyes. Lastly there was Karla of the 1st Division. Dazzling blue eyes, porcelain skin, and long black tresses, along with a rare paired Zanpakuto on her hip. And Rei himself of course. Granted, if you got over being the size of an ant, and the risk of being taken for experimentation it wasn’t the worst situation he could have been in, but after what he could only assume were months with limited progress, he was going a touch stir-crazy.

That was, until a Hollow flew into the room. Well. Flew probably wasn’t the right word. It seemed it was launched into the room somehow. Rei hadn’t initially even noticed it, he’d been doing his daily swordplay to keep his skills sharp, but Shinrei then opened his mouth.

”I think that’s a Hollow.”

The creature landed on the table that housed the glass tank that housed the Shinigami, and started to right itself. Although the Hollow itself was much reduced in size, it was still more than twice the height of any of the Shinigami inside, and the creature gave a sound of indecision, clearly torn between taking this opportunity to try and escape the lab, and to try to actually hunt prey that was its own size… well. Smaller than it. Shinrei and Haku had stood with each other, already murmuring the incantation for kido.

The spiritual beast glowed bright red for a moment, and emitted a burst of heat that blasted against the glass, causing it to glow red hot for a moment. The glass itself had been treated to be more resilient to damage, in an attempt to keep the Shinigami from foolish flights of fancy and escaping too easily. The same care had not been given to the table the case was resting on. The blast from the Hollow scorched right through the table, causing the creature to have to use air ground to keep its balance. Then the case tipped, the sudden loss of part of its supporting platform causing it to tilt in the Hollow’s direction. A static sound of Sonido, virtually impossible to hear to anyone of normal height was the only announcement as the Hollow darted clear of the tumbling case.

“Hold on!” Rei exclaimed to the others, bracing himself as the case fell from the desk it had been positioned on and hit the ground, shattering and, for the first time in months, freeing the Shinigami. Mostly. Haku seemed to have been dazed by the impact, but this was rectified by Karla who was clearly putting her training with the 1st to good use. ”I’m done waiting for the science nerds to figure out a solution to this. I’m going to try and get out and find someone to light a fire under their asses to get our condition reversed.” Footsteps could rapidly be heard approaching the room, and a loud splash of what was probably water.

” “H-h-hey! What was—who’s idea was this!?”; “S-s- Sorry~!” Someone was coming in. Karla glanced at Rei and Shinrei. ”Can you try to keep them busy? Or an eye out for that Hollow?” Then she vanished with a Shunpo, darting under a group of cabinets, dragging Haku with her. Rei and Shinrei attempted to follow suit, though neither were as adept as Karla with Flash Step, Shinrei only making it a decent way under the table their prison had previously laid upon. Rei for his part launched himself to the wall closest the door, thinking he might slip out while whoever was out there rushed in. Sure enough, the director came rushing in, looking around the room. Rei waiting one moment… two…. And then a second person entered… Wait, was that an Academy uniform? Rei wasn’t sure what an Academy student was doing here, but he did recognize that she was standing between him and his escape route. He also noticed that she was significantly shorter than normal allowing her a much better view of the room. The Director and this Academy student were both clearly looking for him and the other escaped Shinigami. Where was Karla now—he then saw her and Haku booking it as fast as they could across the open ground towards a ventilation shaft at the back of the room. Unfortunately, it was a good ways away, and it might take them as many as two minutes to get there across open ground, at their size, and in clear view of Luna, if she should look in that direction. They were going to need a distraction—

----

”There you are! Ugh!” Luna would notice the Director lunge under the table next to the broken tank with surprising speed, and clasp her hands together. ”I-I got one of them. Th-there should be three others, plus the Hollow—St-stop struggling!” She snapped at her clasped hands, while she stood up. ”Th-the Hollow is much larger so it shouldn’t be too hard to—oh!” She suddenly darted aside as a thin orange beam sliced through the space she had just occupied. Whelp. There was Luna’s Hollow, standing on all fours in midair, about eight feet off the ground, smoke billowing from its mouth where it had just shot a heat ray at the Director. ”I-I’ll recapture this one! You keep looking!” She ordered Luna as she carefully extracted one of her hands from her clasped grip and began chanting a kido spell. And speaking of kido….

----

Shinrei had already been caught. The Director was momentarily distracted by the Hollow, but Rei knew that would last only seconds, with its reduced power and speed. Karla and Haku needed all the time they needed to escape. And well… unfortunately, Rei had always been a team player. He needed to distract the Academy Student from finding them! Rei raised his hands, hoped that he still had at least some of his former power, stepped out from the cover of one of the cabinets and unleashed the Shakkahou Kido spell at Luna’s ankle. The bolt of crimson light, little more than a pebble in size, flashed towards the neophyte Shinigami, though with… likely inconsequential results.

------

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reis stats and skills}Note: All of Rei's combat stats are reduced to 1/10th of their normal value due to the effects of the compression tag.

Strength: 100 (10)
Speed: 180 (18)
Reiatsu Strength: 200 (20)
Spirit Pressure: 170 (20)
Light Aura: 90
Dark Aura: 10
Instinct: 50
Senses: 50
Energy Sensory: 50
Healing Expertise: 0

[Luna Melrose]

Stepping foot into the large laboratory, Luna Melrose put her plans into motion and approached the table that had been exposed to the fury of a miniature-yet-enraged Hollow, its disturbance merely the result of her own actions; she now had to find and recover it, a task the girl cheerily devoted her full energy toward achieving by immediately examining the damages left behind in its little outburst, her search for any clues as to its current whereabouts progressing smoothly. She was highly methodical in her approach, and had no intention of jeopardizing her procedure by giving much leeway to the other thoughts on her mind; still, there had been one that would linger around her brain, troubling her with uncertainty... What were they even looking for, besides that one Hollow? In the heat of the moment, the woman hadn’t even bothered asking for indications in that regard, rather expecting she’d find hints sparsely scattered throughout these diverse debris; that hadn’t quite played out how she’d hoped, the specimen surely one that left little trace of its presence behind.

“There you are! Ugh!”.

Admittedly, she perked up when the first signs of contact became apparent, that inane query soon finding its answer spontaneously through the Director’s reaction; "I-I got one of them”, she claimed while clasping her hands, something supposedly trapped within. That creature was surely smaller than the Hollow Luna had tossed earlier... Whatever it was might be the size of an insect, at the very most? “Th-there should be three others, plus the Hollow—St-stop struggling!”; nodding in confirmation, the young student scanned their surroundings with her eyes for any signs of the specimens missing in this headcount, but rather than spot the amiss trio, her gaze soon landed on the frenzied Hollow about to release an attack of some sort, leading her to interrupt the Director’s explanation. “Th-the Hollow is much larger so it shouldn’t be too hard to—” “Watch out~!” “—oh!”; the subsequent laser was swiftly dodged and countermeasures were quickly enacted, lifting one hand forward to aim her palm at this assailant.

“I-I’ll recapture this one! You keep looking!”, she said while beginning to chant a Kido incantation.

“Alright!”, the student earnestly replied, desireful to help and maybe also get a closer look at the beings currently let loose, a consequence of her misdeeds; “I’m on it~”, an alarming smile arising from her lips as she began her search... Taking hold of a nearby beaker and clipboard as she was initially planning, the girl began lowering her center of mass in an effort to get her field of view below the surface of the many desks and other furniture spread throughout the room, allowing her to certainly spot Karla and Haku once she’d scan the surroundings with her sight again; “Oww~!”, a sharp and painful jab was suddenly felt near the young student’s ankle, an attempt at avoiding this exact scenario. Momentarily alleviating the weight of her own foothold by falling on one knee, the woman looked for the source of this unexpected sensation, and soon erupted in delight when its origin became obvious; even she hadn’t anticipated this outcome...

Next to one of the nearby cabinets, surely hidden beneath until just now, was a man, a tiny Shinigami no more than an inch in height, her abrupt pain no doubts his doing; “Eeeep~, hellooo!”, she happily squealed while promptly using the beaker as a makeshift enclosure, isolating him in this confined space just like an insect might be. “Are you what I’ve been looking for?!”, she openly asked, seemingly not giving this much thought; albeit it clearly wasn’t how he wished it’d play out, Rei had at least assuredly managed to divert her attention somewhat as he himself became the sole focus occupying her mind at the moment. Pressing her nose against the glass separating this man from freedom, Luna observed him very closely, her curiosity palpable as she addressed the Shinigami directly; “Hey~, can you talk? Do you have a name?”, she queried. Turning the receptacle upside down so the girl could easily carry him along, without a doubt an unpleasant experience for her captive, another question soon followed suit...

“...You’re a Shinigami, aren’t you? So~, why run away from us?”.

This was something she legitimately couldn’t wrap her head around, which had risen to the forefront of her mind as soon as Luna had seen the tiny individual; she hadn’t foreseen the specimens she was on the lookout for might be Shinigami since she assumed they wouldn’t flee if that were the case... That they did so regardless must mean something was amiss, and she was highly interested in getting to the bottom of that mystery; if he were to indulge and satiate her nosiness, Rei could possibly even find in her an unlikely ally, inconceivable as that might seem at first glance. For now, though, the student simply stood still and listened to any explanation he might be willing to provide her regarding their behavior, malice seeping a bit through her own aura and perhaps alerting the man to her true nature; “Well~?”, she reiterated with an amiable smile and expression, this contrast between what he felt and what he perceived undeniably a puzzling portrayal of the girl’s character.

He’d do well to snatch this opportunity and try to firmly hold her attention, otherwise his comrades would certainly earn her sole focus once more; assuming Rei had nothing captivating to say, or was too stunned to do so, the young woman would respond by hastily resuming her search for the two she now knew were Shinigami, who both remained missing. Taking a pensive posture, the girl would quickly realize the man’s actions were meant as a diversion and, now aware of that fact, would attempt to gaze at her surroundings from below all the furniture, immediately spotting the duo upon doing so; “So~, that’s why you revealed yourself...”, she’d whisper audibly, surely heard by the one she now carried along. Given the clear direction of their path and the ventilation shaft located directly ahead, how they planned to escape the confines of this room was obvious; a glint shown briefly in her gaze, Luna could simply thwart such a getaway by using the right obstruction...

There was a slight hurdle on her path, however; any attempts to capture both remainders would be met with resistance by her current captive, and there was no uncertainty in her mind he could very easily break free from the beaker trapping him if he really wished to do so. To ensure Rei wouldn’t set himself free as she began acting, Luna needed a deterrent against this decision, and the devious girl had just the thing in mind to avert that outcome; with a swift motion, she positioned the receptacle’s opening against her own torso, covering it entirely using herself as a barrier. Then, her hand holding it in place shifted slightly and covered the base of the beaker with its palm, while each finger was held against the cylindrical glass panel at somewhat equidistant intervals; this posture didn’t guarantee the man couldn’t breach it and escape, but rather ensured doing so would simultaneously injure the young woman... “Surely you wouldn’t harm~ an innocent student, would you?”, a devilish smile arose as she said so.

By preying on his goodwill, Rei shouldn’t be inclined to evade her grasp; a well-natured individual, willing to even play scapegoat for his comrades, couldn’t make that sort of decision...

As for the remaining fugitives, Luna’s plan of action was straightforward; she moved past them, reaching the exit ahead with a quick stride instead, and temporarily blocked the vent with her clipboard she’d been carrying ever since things had gotten hectic, preventing the pair from escaping entirely. “Remaining two are here~!”, she then announced loudly enough for the Director to hear; this meant that whatever action they chose to pursue next, would be in plain sight of both individuals. Regardless, her next step was in all fairness extremely direct; she lunged forward and sought to simply catch either of them with her one free hand, aiming for Karla first given that she was slightly ahead between the two, and would repeat this act as many times as it took until one fell within her grip, rapidly adding this new catch in the container kept securely against her frame. This would go on until both became detained... An unsightly spectacle during which the student was seemingly giving it her all, against opponents a hundredfold beneath her own size; hopefully the Director would assist in this endeavor, mitigating the ridicule of this display.

[Aramis Tezuka]

While Luna searched a second scorching beam from the Hollow met a small, shimmering shield of reiatsu from the Director. "Bakudo #39: Enkosen!" It was much smaller than a normal Enkosen, but it was brimming with power-- it seemed that, given the small attack the Director had opted to deliberately create a much smaller, stronger shield than normal, also allowing her to keep her eyes on it, indicating she had some talent at kido spells-- probably why she was director of the Compression Tag project. The casting of kido in the previous room suggested that some aptitude with it was needed for the project.

But that was entirely aside to Luna's own misadventure, and the kido that had struck her ankle, leaving a small burn on her skin, and scorched hole in the side of her tabi. That, however, was about the extent of Rei's attack. The Shinigami had kept up an arm from casting his spell, quickly trying to determine his next step. She was distracted. That was good! But now what? Rei had all of two kido spells at his disposal that surpassed Shakkaho, and judging by the damage that spell had done, incapacitating Luna was completely out of the question. His hesitation cost him as he was trapped inside the beaker. "Hado #63! Raikoho!" A vibrant blast of yellow lightning illuminated the inside of the beaker, as the blast erupted against the walls of the beaker producing-- what must have been to someone of Rei's side an impressive explosion. However, the beaker was made of slightly more resistant materials than Luna's sock, and aside from a scorch mark at the side of the beaker, there was no signs of a breach. Perhaps if Rei were normal sized, he could have had a greater effect even with his pitifully reduced power, but as he was, the glass beaker-- well designed to dissipate heat and a poor conductor of electricity, even if not made of the sturdiest materials, was sufficient to contain his hado spell.

"Are you what I've been looking for?" Rei winced a hair, as Luna's voice boomed around him. Almost missing her query. "My name is-- ack!" He was interrupted by Luna flipping the beaker, sending him tumbling down to the bottom. "Rei Tensei!"[/b] He tried shouting, his voice not especially audible through the glass, unless Luna listened very closely-- and even then it was possible some of his words might be garbled. "Officer of the Seventh Division!" He shouted again. The girl was giving off a very unsettling aura, but Rei was low on options right now. He really had no choice but to try to keep her busy. And at least she wasn't actually a member of the division, judging by the Academy uniform....

“...You’re a Shinigami, aren’t you? So~, why run away from us?” Rei nodded his head. "Yes! I'm a Shinigami! I've been stuck here for... I don't know how long! It's hard to keep track of the time in here! We--" He broke off for a moment. "--I have been seeing and hearing things, and I don't know if the division is actually trying to treat this! I need to get out! See something beyond this lab! Report my absence and all that!" He exclaimed at Luna, trying a relatively weak lie. Not that he didn't want to get out, and get the attention of someone outside the 12th, but it was definitely not just to report his absence and see the scenery. But he didn't know how to say more without giving away the existence of his escaping comrades.

----

Perhaps this would be enough to hold Luna's attention, or perhaps his poor attempt at bluffing would cause her to take another look around. If he was unable to keep Luna's attention, he'd visibly cringe as he saw Luna take note of the other two escapees. And Luna had made a fairly spot-on assessment of Rei's personality. "“Surely you wouldn’t harm~ an innocent student, would you?” The look on Rei's face-- if Luna could still make it out, suggested that she was dead-on. He was reluctant to do so, even in this situation.


"W-wait!" Rei tried calling out to Luna from inside his makeshift prison. "You don't need to do that!" He exclaimed as he felt Luna begin moving-- a fully disorienting process for Rei. A look of dismay crossed the faces of Karla and Haku as Luna effortless cleared in seconds what had taken them minutes to cross, her clipboard blocking their escape mere feet from escape. Left with no other options, they stopped in their tracks and tried to reverse to head the other way.... towards the Director, who was swiftly alerted by Luna's call.

"Good work!" The Director praised, now lazily blocking a shot from the Hollow with a free hand, while keeping the other one firmly closed. She could see the beaker Luna held trapped to her abdomen, and could guess what that meant. Now that all remaining subjects were accounted for, she had visibly relaxed, evidently confident in the two's ability to recapture them, even allowing Luna the first attempt, as the student tried to grab up the two escapees. Karla, however, proved a hair harder to catch than Rei, moving in a blur of movement to evade Luna's first attempt-- no doubt at normal height she would have vanished from sight entirely using that Shunpo technique, but from Luna's bird's eye view she could see the entire field of Karla's movement as she darted a foot to the left. Haku, however, stumbled and fell, not used to the high speed movement. Karla had a brief look of conflict on her face.

"I'm sorry... She murmured, before using a second step technique to avoid Luna's second attempt at grabbing her. Haku was not so fortunate, barely even getting back up to his feet before Luna had snared him. Karla continued to try and use Shunpo to evade Luna, backing further and further from the air vent, and closer and closer to the door that Luna had entered through... and, unfortunately the director, who it seemed after the fourth Shunpo, had decided to end the charade.

"Bakudo #4! Hainawa!" Her yellow shield disappeared and in its place the director flicked her wrist, sending a long yellow cord of reiatsu flashing out. It first looped around the Hollow which was still airborne, easily binding it, and the excess line plunged downwards to the ground. Karla used Shunpo to evade Luna's grasp for the fifth time, only to find herself bound up in a cable of pure reiatsu. A gentle flick of her wrist dragged both Karla and the Hollow back to the Director, the woman grabbing the Hollow by the scruff of its neck and flicking Karla into her opposite hand, her grip loosening just for an instant-- long enough for Luna to confirm the capture of another Shinigami, before it closed around them both. Without even stopping to thank Luna, she bolted into the main laboratory to return the Hollow to its tank. She could figure out an enclosure for the escapees after that.

For a moment, Luna was left alone in the room with her own two captives. Or at least it appeared that way. Aramis was just outside the door after-all. How much could he hear was going on in there...?

[Luna Melrose]

*Bang!*

Ooh~, that’s it! That’s the spirit! As a bright golden light engulfed the confines of his enclosed space and struck the glass with a force quite remarkable for something of this size, Luna felt a strong interest toward this man’s attempt at a meaningless escape; the damage itself proved intriguing as it left little traces on the beaker itself beyond markings of its extreme heat, and couldn’t so much as offer a single sign that the enclosure might break even with repeated assaults. Under normal circumstances, such an attack would’ve without a doubt vaporized everything in its path, beaker and girl alike; in fact, the student didn’t recognize the involved Kido, which certainly meant it was still far beyond the realm of her current studies... That’s a real Shinigami for you, their arsenal always so impressive! The Hollow wasn’t any different come to think of it, and would’ve surely ripped her apart if its size wasn’t so diminished; she already knew their strengths had gone down as a result of their predicament, but it seems Luna had underestimated the extent of this decline...

Even she could easily subdue them, at their current size.

That aside, this small ruckus he stirred was proof of one fact, and just thinking about it made the woman smile gleefully; her captive was showing every symptom of desperation, and was frantic in both behavior and mindset... His decisions were affected, the stress of having to fight against the clock was getting to his mind and that was an excellent disposition for her own needs; feeling that one must avoid failing in their endeavor at all costs meant a person became far more predictable, and wouldn’t think twice about tasting the low-hanging fruits she could entice him with. Rei was currently a tiny human, after all, and there was hardly anything that could’ve piqued the scientific-minded girl’s interest further than that; she therefore wanted to gain his favor during this ordeal, begin indulging her curiosity to her heart’s content and, due to his desperate inclinations toward freedom, Luna Melrose knew exactly how she could manipulate him toward such an outcome.

Offering him her first set of inquiries, she rejoiced when he seemed to cooperate by providing answers to her questions, gazing at the Shinigami intensely through this panel separating them; this was a great start, good, good~! Except... Even with all her attentiveness directed his way, the girl couldn’t make out anything that was being said; “M- ------- -is- ---- -ck!”. Flipping the lab instrument abruptly and causing an unsettling experience for the poor man, she meanwhile silently hoped that this would allow her to clearly understand what he tried to say; “Rei Te- -- -ei!”. Frowning somewhat, there was still certainly room for improvement, although his words were at least a lot more audible now and she even discerned what seemed like a first name out of them; Rei, was it? Leaning forward and turning her head sideways so the student’s ear would sit directly above the beaker’s opening, she gave it another shot; “Of- -- -cer of the Seven- - -h Division!”... Ooh~; they were now discernible words!

“Hiii~ Rei!”, she giggled, followed by her query shortly after; “...You’re a Shinigami, aren’t you? So~, why run away from us?”. “Yes! I'm a Shin- -- -ami! I've been stuck here for... I don't know ho- -- -long! It's hard to ke- -- - track of the time in here!”; giving a quick glance around, it sure didn’t seem there were windows that’d have offered a glimpse of the outside world and, if they remained isolated here, only the activity of scientists diligently partaking in their daily tasks could give an imprecise indication of time’s passing. “We--", silence... Was that a slip? “--I have been seeing and hea- -- -ng things, and I don't know if the division is ac- -- -ally trying to treat this!”; raising an eyebrow, it seemed unlikely, but Luna couldn’t dismiss his theory outright... She certainly wouldn’t fix anything if the choice was hers to make, so it wasn’t hard to imagine how this Division of likeminded individuals might’ve reached the same conclusion; “I need to get out! See somet- -- -ng beyond this lab! Report my ab- -- -nce and all that!”.

Admittedly, all of this didn’t sit too well with the young woman; not that she felt any particular way about their containment here, Luna really couldn’t care less about that, but ideas nonetheless began hatching in her head, ones that might very well shake their current status quo and required their little getaway to come to an end. There weren’t many alternatives, the only real way out of Squad 12 was through the front door, especially for them; Luna Melrose knew all too well what the label of ‘Specimen’ implied somewhere so intently focused on the virtues of research, she was convinced finding an exit would never be feasible under the watchful gaze of a scientist... No, because precautions against such a scenario were inevitable. Since her thoughts weren’t led anywhere by questioning her in return, the student cheerily resumed her search, being satisfied with their exchange albeit certainly much to the man’s dismay; her quick discovery of the remaining two escapees then became a matter of course, their evasion a resounding failure.

Although, Rei would soon realize this short discussion had been meaningful regardless.

Blocking their path and alerting the Director truthfully went exactly as planned, both now forced to switch direction and let go of their initial idea; “Good work!”, she loudly exclaimed, praising the girl’s results and instantly providing her with quite a burst of serotonin. Briefly looking over to her side, Luna distinguished what appeared to be a small shield of spiritual force protecting her and soon swiftly impacted by another of the Hollow’s beam attacks, taking the hit valiantly and steadily absorbing the blow, redirecting its power harmlessly within the air in a latent form; this was without a doubt the product of a very strong expertise in Kido and its practical application, skills beyond the realm of anything she’d honestly seen yet. With the two of them, these fugitives surely had nowhere left to go; Luna was certain of that outcome now... Albeit the task of capturing them once and for all remained, inevitably followed by the event’s aftermath.

To that end, she surged forward in an attempt to seize either of the two remaining Shinigami, setting her sights on Karla first; this action was however ineffective as a short dash allowed her to narrowly avoid the girl’s clutch at the last moment, a burst of speed Luna recognized as the distinctive effect of Shunpo. Haku had lost his balance and fallen during this ordeal, though, an opportunity she legitimately had no shame taking advantage of to catch him; “You’re coming~ with me!”, she uttered full of glee, barely lifting the beaker against herself a mere instant to add her newest captive within. Ensnaring him was accomplished with haste, and soon she swiftly returned to her hunt for the remainder, one attempt, then another, each to no avail; “C’mooon~, just get caught...!”, the student started frustratingly scowling at the stubborn and unreasonable Shinigami. This constant chase had now forced Luna to her knees, bitterly crawling around while pursuing the minuscule speedster; thankfully, assistance would soon extend her a hand.

Another swipe with much less care given to graceful conduct and rather focused entirely on securing the unyielding officer was sent in her overall direction, yet missed its mark once again; this was the fourth try, and it truly became irritating! Although, from the corner of her eye, Luna did notice what seemed like the glimmers of a faint light, suspiciously followed simultaneously by the Director’s voice booming from across the room; “Bakudo #4! Hainawa!”. This incantation was accompanied by a yellow flash, a rope of energy going wild inside the laboratory, initially restricting the Hollow’s movements before splitting and binding Karla as well; the pair was then yanked back toward the Director’s current location, who took hold of both and revealed for just an instant the fourth Shinigami in her closed palm. “Oooh~... Phew, what a rush that~ was!”, the young woman muttered, admittedly feeling quite drained from the whole affair; she was simply ignored by the Director, who it seems had greater concerns than this troublemaker’s condition.

Probably for the best... That Hollow really needed to learn some manners, before going on another walk!

Leisurely and calmly raising back to her feet, Luna finally released the receptacle from her abdominal area, leaving it for now on the nearest table; she then took a moment to squeeze and wring out the remaining water still soaking parts of her uniform, which just had to be tolerated until now. While using a part of her sleeves as a makeshift towel to wipe away excess moisture from the girl’s face, however, a crunch audibly occurred, reminiscent of wrinkled paper; “Uuh~?”, she tried finding its source by feeling for disturbances, mystified what had made such a sound... Until, the clear shape of notes and sheets became apparent, the ones she’d hidden away previously; that’s riiight, oh no~! Ducking away behind cover, she hurriedly took them out to inspect the damage but even at first glance, it was obvious these documents were a lost cause and couldn’t be deciphered anymore; soaking had caused them to turn somewhat into mush and the ink was scattered all over their surface, former written words now merely hieroglyphic shadows of their usual self.

Pouting lightly, she reluctantly hid them beneath the desk; it was a shame her earlier misstep had led to such a result but, now that it’d come to this, Luna had no further use for them... They were someone else’s problem now, and certainly not hers! Instead of focusing on the past, she looked toward the future, more precisely at her fascinating tiny new friends; “Helloooo~!!”, she effectively chirped, “Apologies~ for halting your little getaway, but we need to have a chat!”. The student pulled a chair over, sitting on it while leaning with both arms folded on the table, her head laid atop in what seemed like a relaxed posture while looking through the glass panel and continuing her current train of thoughts; “I miiiiight~ still manage to get you out of here, but it’ll require you to be a bit... open-minded~”, she claimed... Just what was it that she had in mind?

“Are you willing to make a deal with the Devil~?”, she questioned with an agreeable smile.

Patiently awaiting an answer, the girl meanwhile fiddled a bit with the beaker using her finger, seemingly completely satisfied with their current predicament; she had no qualms nor sympathies as a captor, willing to simply hand them over should the situation necessitate such a decision. A negative response would no doubt prompt that kind of reaction as well, meaning they had to tuck their tail and walk a tightrope if any hopes to reach the outside still remained within them; “I’m Luna Melrose, by the way; it’s a pleasure~ to make your acquaintance”, she also casually informed them. Assuming they agreed to this proposal she’d offered the pair, which was dubiously kept secret no matter how much they might interrogate her on the topic, the student would get up abruptly and take hold of their glass container, ready to change location; “Then~, it's decided!”, she’d proclaim proudly while heading toward the exit... A plan of some sort clearly underway, although the nature of which would surely be lost on them.

Opening the door abruptly, or perhaps it would be more accurate to claim it had been slammed open, she directed her attention toward the one that had been lying in wait on the other side; “Hi-hiii~!!”, the young woman addressed Aramis, unconcerned about his presence beyond the doorway and in fact, seeking him out directly for advice. Acting as an icebreaker, she engaged in some chit-chat, paving the way for the crux of her current devices; “That was super-duper fuuun~!”, the girl began stretching, beaker still in hand. Her expression soon turned gloomy however, when she remembered what triggered all this; “Why didn’t you~ investigate the specimens yourself though, hu-uuuh?! That was suuuch~ a waste, I had my trap ready and everything~ too!”... In a twist of irony, it seems Luna was holding him accountable for these results, even wiggling her finger around as if scolding the Captain with her one free hand; “I’ll forgive you, don’t worry!”, she smiled innocently, “Let’s just call it even~, for sneaking inside your barracks”.

Now leaning on whatever were nearby, whether that be a wall or table within reach, the student also had something else plaguing her thoughts, although she hesitated somewhat on how to breach this topic with the man ahead; electing to go with a direct approach, she took a leap of faith following what likely felt like several awkward seconds of silence. “So~, I have a favor to ask...”, she almost murmured, seemingly trying to keep this hush-hush even though there was certainly no reason to do so; “Remember our earlier chat~ about test subjects, and your need for volunteers?”. Luna raised the beaker at this point, bringing the tiny Shinigami into view and giving their receptacle a slight shake; “Wellll~... Any possibility I could get custody~ over these specimens?”. Quite a ludicrous request, but there was assuredly some logic behind it... Right?! “Based on the discussion I’ve had with Rei, it seems they’re displeased with their living conditions~”, Luna claimed; “...I’ll treat them well~, of course! That way, word-of-mouth’s gonna get us tooons~ more coming forward; surely you could spare at least~ a few until the reversal process is ready?”.

“...Call it, a social~ experiment of sorts”, the devious student added, her poignant pleading gaze focusing intensely on Captain Tezuka’s reaction.

[Aramis Tezuka]

On the whole, things had gone rather smoothly for Luna. Haku had offered no resistance at her capture attempt (more due to inability and how quickly she'd succeeded than for lack of will), and she'd even earned the gratitude of the Director of the project for helping clean up the mess she'd made. Good things all around! The beaker wasn't the roomiest of spaces even for her two captives who were a bit pressed together and jostled around by her movements. As Luna also found the damage to the paperwork from her water prank, Haku's spirits seemed to drop quite considerably, and well. They'd already been pretty low.

"I think that was some of the notes they'd been keeping figuring out the reversal process." Haku murmured despondently. Rei looked at him. "Were they even trying in the first place? Given how long we've been here...." Haku shrugged. "They were definitely working on at least figuring out how to reverse it, in case someone that they didn't consider expendable got into an accident. And I think those were a good number of the notes on their progress...." Rei's spirits seemed to take a similar hit to Haku's at this realization.

Any further discussion was cut short by Luna's undivided attention being brought to bear on them and Rei snapped angrily at her. "Why did you stop us! I know Shinrei and I were probably lost causes, but Haku and Karla might have been able to get out of here!" He exclaimed up at her. And then Luna dropped her deal, causing Rei to fall into contemplative silence. So she'd stopped their escape so that she could leverage the chance at freedom for an unspecified term..... While Rei thought this, Haku murmured up, perhaps not having realized Rei's difficulty with getting noise out to Luna before.

"Isn't it better the Devil you know?" Rei contemplated that for a moment. "Any chance is better than no chance... She's not actually with the twelfth, she's an Academy student judging by her attire. So..." Haku shrugged. "I have a bad feeling about this but... I'll go along with it." Rei nodded again and looked up at Luna. "I don't think we have a lot of other options." He answered in the affirmative.

-------------------

With the deal struck (and a certain Nakabakki with very good hearing having picked up most of the conversation), Aramis was waiting for Luna on the other side. Aramis greeted the student with a nod of greeting, not needing to speak the words (at least in his own mind). "Pleased you learned something." He replied, taking note of the beaker in-hand, but quickly responding to her query. "Keeping specimens contained is Director's job. Trust her in this." He replied, causing the nearby Director to blush furiously at the praise as she set up a new tank for her other two captives, having safely "re-homed" the Hollow. "No need for "Even". Received sufficient information. And breach was contained. Only cost was five stressful minutes. And cost of repairing tank. Well within Squad budget." Aramis replied, clearly not considering it a huge deal.

Aramis could read Luna wanted to say something so he indicated the door and began to exit the room, but not before nodding in the Director's direction. "Any further complications Officer Fukawa, please inform lieutenant Ken'ichi. Expect he is in training hall." The Director nodded to Aramis and looked at Luna. "Y-yes Captain. And... thank you for helping containing the breach. Th-these things happen. I-if you want to join my team a-after you're in the Division, th-that's fine... But we're definitely going to have training on what is and isn't appropriate behavior in the lab!" She exclaimed. A glint in her eye suggested she noticed the beaker in Luna's hand, but a look at Aramis and a responding look told her the situation was in-hand, and returned to her work, adjusting her glasses for visibility.

Once Aramis had taken Luna out of the lab and beyond the reach of mischievous eavesdropping ears, the Captain turned to face her to handle her favor. Rei and Haku very much did not appreciate Luna giving the beaker a shake, as they were tossed about it. Aramis, as was being evident did not seem surprised at this, and allowed her to speak in full, waiting until she had finished her offer and the ideas behind it. Aramis looked at her silently for a moment, as though judging.

"Current living conditions." He said, indicating the beaker. "Seem inferior to previous accommodations." He replied. Was that a joke? Or was Aramis just taking her statement extremely literally? "This part of Compression Tag project. Confidential. Could cause complications if situation is known before reversal is safe." He added. Then went quiet again for a moment. The truth of the matter was.... Aramis liked Luna's ambition and curiosity. He'd already pegged her as a good fit for the Twelfth Division from their time together. And she seemed invested. However. Aramis left nothing up to chance. Luna's curiosity was a double edged sword. Certainly it drew her towards the 12th, but it could just as easily drive her towards another Division such as the Kido Corps, the First, the Fifth.... She seemed a flighty sort whose impressions flittered every which way. Which meant it would be a risk to release the test subjects to her.

"...Two conditions." Aramis replied. Then paused. "Three conditions." He corrected. "First condition. Academy Students typically reside in dorm rooms. Will accept immediate re-housing into 12th Division supervised housing, for remainder of time at Academy. Second condition. Upon graduation will accept position in Twelfth Division. Third condition. Unless returned to Director Fukawa, placing responsibility for test subjects on you. If they escape or unauthorized persons learn of them, you bear responsibility and consequences." He stated.

"If conditions accepted, very well. Look forward to seeing your progress, Luna." He stated.

[Luna Melrose]

It seems the pair got along very well, whispering and gossiping to themselves as Luna got rid of documents she truthfully had no need to carry around any longer; although she was somewhat saddened they didn’t feel like including her in their secret little chitchat, the girl thought such an inclusion would be a foregone conclusion once she’d begin building an appropriate bond with the duo. Unlike this dreary first impression, there were no doubts the future held a different fate in store for them and she would nurture their mutual interests in the fulfillment of that vision; after all, a cooperative pet is bound to receive apt compensation, is it not? Shrunken or not, a Shinigami remains a valuable test subject and plenty of experiments wouldn’t require unpleasant circumstances to perform; the student was merely trying to recycle Squad resources, and they just happened to be one of those...

That being said, there was definitely still a lot of work to do on this front, a fact proven evident when she simply addressed both after hiding any proof that Luna might’ve had a hand in the Division’s inadvertent loss of documentation on their progress toward reversal; “Why d- -- - you stop us!”, Rei asked her, “I know Shinrei and I were pro- -- -bly lost causes, but Haku and Karla migh- ---- -ve been able to get out of here!”. So, these were the others’ names; regardless, the woman had only one answer to share in defense of such an accusation and, by her standards, it was quite an earnest response... “They wouldn’t have”; her words were blunt, but they also relayed the cold, hard truth toward this matter. While inside the Twelfth Squad and with Aramis located nearby, nothing could’ve conferred them the freedom they sought; once inside the vents, even if we assume measures weren’t in place to avert such an intrusion, the lack of lighting was a death sentence for their escape plan.

Captain Tezuka had already demonstrated his ability to infiltrate shadows and maneuver using them... Not that they could’ve known such a thing.

Ignoring this for now and silently taking mental note to inform them of the futility behind such actions at a later date, her next inquiry followed and with it came an appropriate somber leer, the woman’s posture lazily laid across the desk while patiently anticipating some sort of affirmation acquiescing their consent; “Is- ------- -et- ------- - D- ----------- -ow?”, “- ---- -ch- ------------------ -n n- -------- -... Sh- -------- -ct- --------------- -welf- ------------- -Acad- -------------- -dg- ---------- -att- ------ -o...”, they discussed between each other. That Luna couldn’t distinguish much of their conversation wasn’t much of an issue, since she already knew the core of their dialogue and merely cared for their reply; “- ----------- -d f- --------- -out- -- -his- --- -... I'll g- --- -long with it”, “I don- --- -think we - -- -ve a lot- ----- -ther opt- -- -ns”. A lot more got across, perhaps simply because they wished for it, and since both were now looking up in the girl’s direction, she took this as her cue to move things along with their approval now within her grasp.

Reuniting with the Captain after what felt like an expedition of sorts, the man’s taciturn attitude seemed no different from usual despite the extravagant adventure that had occurred mere steps away; he greeted the overactive girl with a nod and some words commending her reaction, a reply offered in turn. “Pleased you learned something”, he claimed, a statement leaving the young woman slightly confused, tilting her head sideways; “Of course~!”, she responded, although what floated in her mind was likely not at all what Aramis was hoping... After all, she did learn a bunch from this experience, yet it certainly wasn’t anything the man would be pleased about! “Keeping specimens contained is Director's job. Trust her in this”, these words were an excellent example, a quick glance given to the swooning Director; next time, Luna would account for the social elements in her trap and ensure others were working toward her goals, rather than against them. She did learn; just, perhaps not the right lessons...

That said, deducing Captain Tezuka’s secrets would be a long-term ambition of hers, and was certainly not something she could address so readily.

Following with what was certainly an out-of-place scolding, the student sought to handwave her breach into the Twelfth facility but that seemingly proved unnecessary, a concern it apparently wasn’t; “No need for "Even". Received sufficient information. And breach was contained”, Aramis declared. “Huhh~?”, she thoughtlessly let out; “Only cost was five stressful minutes. And cost of repairing tank. Well within Squad budget”... He was adopting a pragmatic mindset, that’s for sure, and it seems the social norms of debt and favors didn’t factor into his line of thinking; that was another fact Luna would need to keep in mind, since the usual theories on social engineering were reliant on such predispositions. “So~ I take it you’re not the type to keep a tally on what others owe you, then”, the girl remarked with a hand laid against her hip, her posture one of thoughtful re-evaluation; this lack of regard for outward displays was unfortunate but, in the end, would also prove refreshing... She could shed the superfluous theatrics and focus on what truly mattered instead.

The matter at hand now officially behind them, Aramis began motioning for them to exit but, beforehand, left a few additional instructions before his departure; “Any further complications Officer Fukawa, please inform lieutenant Ken'ichi. Expect he is in training hall”. Listening quietly to the side, Luna simply observed as the Director nodded but soon the discussion shifted, looks intently directed toward her; “Y-yes Captain. And... thank you for helping containing the breach. Th-these things happen. I-if you want to join my team a-after you're in the Division, th-that's fine... But we're definitely going to have training on what is and isn't appropriate behavior in the lab!”, Officer Fukawa asserted. Giving a bow and even a slight curtsy in response, the promising scientist gave an earnest reply with all the glee she always demonstrated so far; “Yes~, of course! I look forward to the fun experiments we’ll perform~ together!”. The young woman had ominously kept quiet about the mentions of ‘appropriate behavior’... Truth be told, they had already tried curbing her quirks in the Academy, to no avail; the Twelfth Division had an uphill battle ahead of them.

Moving outside the laboratory with her beaker still in hand, the girl was surprised nobody made any fuss about this yet presumed it was due to the Captain’s influence, having taken note of the untold gestures aimed at the Director as they had left; Aramis must’ve expected her demand to some extent, which is why she felt no need to beat around the bush any longer and came forward with her request. As he listened to her reasoning, the man seemed to contemplate his options, until... “Current living conditions”, he began speaking with Luna effectively glued to his words, “Seem inferior to previous accommodations”, her focus brought to their present container; “A- Ah~! All of it’s merely~ temporary!”, she tried to deflect. “This part of Compression Tag project. Confidential”, he continued, “Could cause complications if situation is known before reversal is safe”; the student wished to reassure him, albeit she understood this wasn’t a concern her words could truly alleviate... Regardless; “I’ll be very careful~ about it”, she solemnly declared.

A short silence afterward, Captain Tezuka provided his answer to the woman ahead, who had expectantly been awaiting any hint of consent; “...Two conditions”, this count soon followed by an adjustment, “Three conditions”, he stated. What could they be? It didn’t matter, Luna was already grateful there seemed to be a compromise on the horizon; “First condition. Academy Students typically reside in dorm rooms. Will accept immediate re-housing into 12th Division supervised housing, for remainder of time at Academy”. Well, it sure didn’t take long for a hurdle to show up; although the Captain’s assumption would usually be correct, the student had recently become the subject of different housing accommodations, and therefore couldn’t accept this condition in its current form. “Second condition. Upon graduation will accept position in Twelfth Division”; that, was no issue at all, and in fact was exactly what she intended to begin with! As for the final requirement... “Third condition. Unless returned to Director Fukawa, placing responsibility for test subjects on you. If they escape or unauthorized persons learn of them, you bear responsibility and consequences”; throwing the blame onto someone else would be ideal, but she truthfully had no qualms accepting that condition either.

“If conditions accepted, very well. Look forward to seeing your progress, Luna”, Aramis concluded.

Furrowing her eyebrows while deep in thoughts, the student considered how to respond for a moment; “We’ll have to revise that first~ condition”, she stated, hopeful this wouldn’t be an issue. “While this would normally be something I’d be ecstatic~ about, I’ve recently been employed by the Kasumi’Oji as an aide~ to one of their noblewomen... We can make it work if my absence is allowed as their needs~ dictate and, since my agreement already covers delegating responsibilities~ in the case of any conflicting duty with the Gotei 13, it shouldn’t be too difficult fulfilling both ends~ satisfyingly”; honestly, Luna would rather not be playing politics but there was hardly a choice in this instance... The alternative was not something the girl would be pleased about, no matter how it’d end up; “As long as I can exit according~ to those needs and won’t have to spend every night~ here, then we’ve got a deal!”, she exclaimed.

Regaining her typical peppy attitude, she also answered his other concerns; “As for your second condition, I’d have no~ greater joy than that! I’m also prepared to accept responsibility for the specimens, although~ I would need further details on their classification to do so~ effectively”, the woman brazenly smiled. With her hand raised and placing the beaker at eye level, she then addressed the pair of Shinigami; “Seems~ you’ll both be coming with me; isn’t that~ wonderful?!”, Luna mumbled in a lower tone of voice. Focusing her attention on Aramis for one final instant, there was a lot on her mind but, ultimately, it all culminated into this one, singular emotion; her frame bent at the waist, gaze laid low from modest courtesy... “Thank you~ for all you’ve done today!!”, she candidly expressed with a solemn bow; there were hints of nothing but gratitude hidden in this gesture, nor in her grinning expression thereafter. “I’ll sadly have to take my leave~ for the Academy now, if I want to avoid any more trouble; could you lead~ the way?”.

“Also~, where may I find Erika?”, she cheerfully asked; “I AB-SO-LU-TE-LY need to say hi~ before leaving!”.

[Aramis Tezuka]

Things were not proceeding as Aramis had foreseen it-- but that was fine. That was the point. This had been an analysis of a promising new recruit to the Division. If Aramis had known how this was going to go from the beginning he wouldn't have bothered showing her around. He would have made his decision in the hall back outside the environmental test labs, and sent Luna on her way. The entire point of this was to show Aramis that which he did not already know. She did seem surprised he wasn't fussed about her breaking in, nor about the commotion.

“So~ I take it you’re not the type to keep a tally on what others owe you, then”

Aramis gave her a look. "Acknowledge debts where necessary. Unnecessary here. Nothing lost, except cost of repairing new tank." He replied. "Sneaking in did not disrupt experiments. Did not result in death or additional paperwork." He stated. "No interest in extorting potential recruit." He stated. Aramis had absolutely no interest in that at all. Extorting members of the division only led to division members being unhappy with their positions. Unhappy division members would try to leave the division. So don't extort potential members of the division. Simple pragmatism. Aramis's guiding principle really. If an action benefitted him, he would take it. If it hurt him, he wouldn't. If it neither hurt nor benefitted him, then he would try to create a beneficial situation out of it.

Moving on from there was pretty straightforward until Aramis relayed his conditions to Luna. The first condition was a problem was it? Aramis looked at Luna quietly. "Kasumi'Oji?" Now things were a touch murkier. Aramis had not forgotten the promise he had made to the new curse master that Anthony had brought him. He was an escapee of the Kasumi'Oji afterall, and if this girl was among them.... Note; be sure to keep her occupied away from the Curse projects. However. Do not forbid her access. Forbidding her access will undoubtedly cause her to be more interested in it. Keep her attention on other projects. That should be simple enough-- she is eager to learn and can become very absorbed in her immediate project. Should be enough to keep her busy until I can determine if she is a Kasumi'Oji plant or not. And if she's interested in the Compression Tag project, that should keep her away from anything Curse related for awhile. If she starts inquiring about Curses specifically.... then I should be especially cautious. Aramis contemplated.

When joining the Division, Aramis made it clear to his division members that while on duty, their duty was to Squad 12. Not anything above that. He could hardly enforce it while they were off-duty, but then, many squad members liked to continue to stay on duty long after they should have stopped, particularly when working on personal projects. He'd have to keep an eye on Luna. Her being an aide to the Kasumi'Oji was no dealbreaker, but it did make him more cautious of her-- and her reasons for having snuck into the division.

Not that any of this showed on his face, and this entire thought process flashed through Aramis's mind in about a second. "Kasumi'Oji are nosy." Aramis stated. "Will still arrange quarters for you in Squad controlled territory. Will keep test subjects there, when attending Kasumi'Oji duties. Can arrange Erika or project staff to watch while away." He suggested, though which choice it would be was ultimately up to Luna. "Will not hold you prisoner here." Aramis clarified. "Will review available notes on project. Leave them in your quarters." Probably under some level of surveillance but Aramis wasn't going to tell Luna that.

As for Rei and Haku-- the two seemed moderately apprehensive at Luna's enthusiasm at taking them home. But they'd signed the deal with the Devil. They didn't have much say in the matter at this point.

In response to Luna's thanks though, Aramis nodded. "Was useful to meet you. Look forward to your work. Will guide out. Erika at front desk, managing administration. Will undoubtedly pass her on leaving." Aramis stated, reassuring her of that. It also meant that she'd probably see Erika almost every time she visited the main barracks. With that, Aramis immediately set off down the hall, and guiding Luna off through the labyrinths of Squad 12-- a place she'd hopefully soon call her home.

[Kitai Yoru]

My goodness this is a heck of a thread. 220 paragraphs, 1,100 TP awarded, you've both earned it.