The Seireitei Mixer (Social, PG-13, All Gotei 13)

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}This thread is open to all members of the Gotei 13. The setting is a lively mixer in Third Squad and all Shinigami are welcome to attend. The thread will begin in the middle of the day, just before dusk. There will be no specified posting order, but participants should avoid double posting and should wait one to two posts before posting again.

“Captain Minamoto, I think that the Squad has been doing a lot in the last few weeks and that they could all use a break.” Sasori stood outside of Tsuyoshi’s main office looking absolutely downright uncomfortable. He was muttering to himself underneath his breath and anxiously adjusting his uniform. It felt uncomfortably hot and it brushed up against his skin in ways that were altogether unpleasant. He knew that it wasn’t the uniform itself that was uncomfortable. “Captain Minamoto, the other officers and I have been thinking that we’ve been doing a lot in the last few weeks. A lot of us have been - no, no, no.” He brought a hand up and scratched the side of his neck. Was he breaking out in hives? He could have sworn he was breaking out in hives. Sasori considered himself a fairly lucky man up until this point, until he drew the short straw. “Captain Minamoto, we’ve been working really hard lately and a lot of the Shinigami are starting to get a little worn out. I think that - I mean, we think that - no. Gods, damn it.”

He shook his head. He was letting his nerves get the best of him. While Tsuyoshi was an altogether scary individual, he had always kept an atmosphere of camaraderie around the Squadhouse. There was no reason to think that this would be any different. Still, Sasori had heard stories. Working with the man over the course of the last few months could only do so much to stem what he had heard of Tsuyoshi’s past - that of a violent criminal turned bloodthirsty combatant for the Seireitei. After his display of force against the Hellion invasion, he couldn’t shake the oppressive, domineering nature of the spiritual energy he and the others felt that day. It was one thing to hear of how strong your Captain was, and it was another thing entirely to feel it firsthand. Still, he had to do this. He drew the short straw, after all.

Sasori walked up to the office door and knocked, twice meekly and once with more force. His knocking was met with silence. He knocked twice more and heard Tsuyoshi’s voice from the other side. “Ehhhh? Come in! I ain’t gettin’ up!” The brash Captain shouted through the screen. Sasori slowly slid open the door and walked inside. He was met with Captain Tsuyoshi leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head and his feet up and on the desk in front of him. He wore his usual attire - a sleeveless black shihakusho with his haori resting across the back of his chair. Sasori cleared his throat.

“A-ahem. Captain.” He bowed low. He mind as well have been reporting to the principal’s office with how uncomfortable he looked and how rigid his stature was. “I was thinking - I mean, we were thinking - the officers, I mean. We-”

“Ehh?” Tsuyoshi cut him off, eying the man from his laid back position. Sasori lifted his head to look at his Captain, his face bright red. Instead of being met with a look of disapproval, however, he was met with Tsuyoshi’s broad, toothy grin. Tsuyoshi turned his head to one side and then to the other. “You know, Sasori, I was thinking.”

“Uhh, Ahh… What-what about, Captain?” Sasori stumbled over his words, still rigid. Tsuyoshi leaned forwards, dropping his feet to the ground and standing from his table. He pushed himself to a stand and paced slowly over towards Sasori, which made the man tremble with uncertainty. Sasori gulped, looking up at Tsuyoshi and then quickly away. He coughed once, and then again. “I - Look, it wasn’t me! I promise! The other officers, we - we drew straws and, it’s just been such a hectic last few weeks and - “ He paused to take in a deep breath and then continued with his rambling. “ - and you know ever since the Hellions invaded we’ve been working hard to help Tenth and Sixth squad rebuild things, and between the new recruits and the casualties and the building and - “ Finally, Sasori stopped. He didn’t even realize that Tsuyoshi had walked right past him. “Uh… Captain?”

Tsuyoshi paused just as he was about to disappear past the doorway. He stopped to look back to Sasori, quirking an eyebrow. “Ehh? What is it, Sasori?”

“I, uhh, I…” Sasori stammered for a few seconds and Tsuyoshi simply rolled his eyes, gesturing for him to follow. Sasori, still stunned, took a few more seconds of stillness before quickly pacing after his Captain.

I’m gonna guess that during your rambling, you didn’t hear me, eh?” Tsuyoshi turned his head back slightly before looking forwards in the direction he was walking.

“Uhh, no. No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, Captain.”

“I said, that I was thinking that the whole squad has been firin’ on all gears ever since I was promoted, eh? Everyone did a great job in repelling the Hellions and we haven’t taken a second out to celebrate. I think it’s time that we throw a party, eh?” Tsuyoshi reached up and put both of his hands behind his head, clasping his fingers together.

“A - well - I - yes. That’s a great idea! I’ll, uhh, I’ll let the other officers know - “

“You,” Tsuyoshi cut him off deftly, still walking, “are going to work on your ability to speak to your superiors. You’re going to go around to each Squadhouse and notify the officers there that Third Squad is going to be holding a party in a couple of days, and that their squads are invited, including their Captains. I think it’ll do everyone some good, eh? Besides, I haven’t gotten to unwind in awhile.” Tsuyoshi kept walking forwards, leaving Sasori still in the hallway behind him. Tsuyoshi raised his voice as he continued down the hallway, well aware that his subordinate had stopped several paces back. “And tell Captain Odayakawa that we’re askin’ for more funds. Tell her it’s to help boost morale, eh?” He waved a hand overhead and disappeared down another hallway, out of Sasori’s line of sight.

“... Damn it.” Sasori swore under his breath. Even though he had been given more responsibilities to attend to, things somehow felt lighter. Slowly, but surely, he was learning that his Captain held their best interests in heart. Even if it meant that he would need to work on his public speaking.

==

Three days later…

==

The Gotei 13 was abuzz with energy as the date approached. Captain Minamoto and Third Squad had announced that they would be holding a social mixer for the entirety of the Gotei 13, as well as the Kido Corps and the Onmitsukido. While this was an opportunity for many Shinigami to network with the members and officers of other Squads, as well as get a chance to talk with their superiors in a more informal setting, the party was heavily advertised as a much needed reprieve for the entirety of Seireitei. The internal workings of Third Squad had been sectioned off to the general public in order to ensure that the regular day-to-day paperwork and responsibilities would be attended to in shifts, but otherwise most of the Squadhouse grounds had been converted into a large outdoor party atmosphere.

The combat training grounds had the combat dummies moved off to one side for friendly competition and shows of skill and aptitude, supervised by one of the lesser officers of Third Squad (mostly to ensure that intoxicated Shinigami didn’t go overboard and hurt themselves or others). The open sparring grounds had been converted to large, open spaces that Shinigami could use in order to mingle with one another, as well as to hold several massive tables lined together with plates and plates of food, as well as trays of different types of drinks, including alcohols, teas, and some rare exotic drinks acquired from the Rukongai. Banners and streamers were acquired or created by members of the Gotei 13 and hung throughout the open grounds as decoration.

The center training ground where Tsuyoshi and the Senior Officers often trained, or supervised special drills, had been converted into a large sitting area with plenty of benches, tables and other furniture to allow for Shinigami to take a breather, mingle, and rest while they ate and drank. Central to all of the furniture was a large stage with several levels. Tsuyoshi and some of the lower ranked Officers had found both talented Shinigami as well as some performers from the Rukongai to perform on stage, either individually or in groups. Some of the planned performances included musical performances, but also choreographed dance - one of which was from Third Squad’s very own Tala Selao. Tsuyoshi had even given Tala the go-ahead to find other performers that would complement his routine and to invite them on the stage.

For those who were a bit less extroverted, there were a number of larger training rooms inside of the Squadhouse that had been converted to quieter sitdown areas suitable for discussion and rest. Inside, there were smaller trays of food and drink for each room, as well as fairly simple, but comfortable furniture to be used. There were spaces suitable for single individuals looking for a break from the mayhem and frivolity outside, as well as spaces suitable for smaller groups or pairs of individuals looking to have a quiet conversation. Truly, Third Squad had left nothing to mediocrity and had gone all out in trying to make sure that there was room for everyone in the Gotei 13 and to give the opportunity for Shinigami to have, if nothing else, a single day where they could pretend like their lives weren’t caught in a constant regimen of toil.

As the sun began to fall, music began to play. Shinigami began to fill out some of the outside areas. Food was wheeled out, as well as various drinks. Tsuyoshi was quick to call it an early day and join some of the early revelers. Aside from the way he carried himself and the way that others parted for him as he walked, it was almost impossible to tell that he was a Captain, save for minor alterations in his uniform. He had left his Haori inside, in his personal room, and had chosen to wear only his black, sleeveless shihakusho. He likewise left his Uchigatana in his room, carrying only his Zanpakuto tied tightly to his hip, in order to maintain the bare minimum requirements of his uniform.

“Captain!” One of Tsuyoshi’s subordinate officers and another unseated shinigami made their way over, drinks in hand. They raised them up to Tsuyoshi in cheers, as well as handing him a cup of what smelled like particularly strong sake. “To our victory?” Tsuyoshi couldn’t help but grin, taking the cup that was offered and raising it in kind, tapping it to that of his subordinates.

“To Seireitei and to us, eh?” Tsuyoshi tipped back the sake, before holding the cup out to them and patting them on the shoulder. “Go make sure that the Shinigami from the other squads are comfortable as they file in. This is supposed to be fun for everyone, eh? And make sure Tala remembers that he’s going on stage once the sun goes down! If he needs anything, make sure he’s got it!”

“Yes, Captain!”

Tonight was going to be a good night.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kenpachi Limiter(SS)}Technique Name: Kenpachi Denryokuseigen (Kenpachi Power Restriction)

Technique Class: 3
Technique Type: General Spiritual (Cinematic)

Usable By: Shinigami (Kenpachi)

Technique Element: N/A
Technique Cost: N/A

Description: This Denryokuseigen Limiter was developed at the request of Central 46 and is utilized primarily with Kenpachi who are unable to control their spiritual pressure in order to prevent substantial amounts of collateral damage and mass death related to the oppressive nature of the Kenpachi in question. This limiter further lowers the maximum stat available to the Kenpachi it has been placed on by 250 (I.E. A Rank 4 Kenpachi's boosted stats may only be utilized at 450 at most while active). It also lowers the effective Gravitational Pressure class of the Shinigami by 2 (I.E. Class 0 to Class 1, Class 2 to Class 4). This does NOT affect their ability to withstand Gravitational Pressure, only to exert it. The seal created consists of an octagonal frame, two horizontal lines on the upper and lower third of the frame itself, and the Kanji '力' for Power in the center, as well as the squad insignia for the Kenpachi in question. The seal is broken in two parts - both are released via the command phrase 'Kaijo'. The first release allows the Kenpachi to freely fight up to their natural limitations to prevent fatigue, and the second release allows the Kenpachi to fight at full power. The Seal is automatically applied as part of both entering and exiting Seireitei through the main Senkaimon Gate. The Seal is NOT applied and the first chain is automatically released if Wartime Releases have been authorized inside of Seireitei.

Generally the seal itself is unable to be detected save for those with at least 300 ES, unless it is in the process of being unlocked or has been unlocked entirely. The seal, when active, limits an individual’s offensive power while retaining their durability. Strength is limited for the purpose of striking power and kinetic motion, but is not limited for the purpose of physical durability. Speed is affected by limiting both physical speed and speed otherwise enhanced by abilities and step techniques. Reiatsu Strength is limited by affecting the intensity and magnitude of an individual’s spiritual techniques, but does not prevent them from utilizing techniques that would require a certain amount of RS to perform - they simply perform a substantially weaker version. Limitations on Spiritual Pressure affect the ability to exert Gravitational Pressure on the user’s surroundings and the ability to use Cutback offensively, but does not affect one’s natural Cutback potential. Limiters generally do not affect sensory stats at all.

How to Use: All Denryokuseigen Limiters consist of three parts and are spiritual in nature. The first part of the Limiter is the frame of the seal. This usually takes the form of a shape, generally a square or a circle, but it may be any frame. The second section of the seal is referred to as its ‘chain’ or ‘lock’. This often takes the shape of a series of lines crossing the frame. The number of lines generally determines the overall strength of the seal and how many ‘stages’ one must go through in order to fully unseal themselves, but not always. Some individuals may break through all of the chains of the Limiter at once, and other seals may be substantially more durable. The final section of the seal is its core - this is the section of the seal that effectively holds the sealed power of the individual.

Drawbacks: This limiter is placed on Kenpachi who show a gross inability to control their offensive strength in combat and their oppressive spiritual pressure. Kenpachi who have been given this limiter are expected to travel to the Living Realm through approved channels and to have it on at all times unless forced into a combat situation that requires it. All instances of the seal being released in the Living Realm and Seireitei are reviewed by Squad 7 and the Onmitsukido as necessary to ensure it is being utilized appropriately.

Reserved?: Shinigami (Kenpachi Type)

[Munemasa Iroka]

Coming in...

---

Iroka had lost track of time. She stretched her back as she yawned loudly, hearing a few cracks as her joins protested from having been forced into a single position for quite a while. She could not remember how long she had been here in the makeshift captain's office, but it definitely had to have been a while. She had been busy on paperwork, and suspecting that she would be there for a long time, Iroka had taken about a day's worth of food with her. Now, although the paperwork had been done, all the plates were empty, and Iroka remembered having finished the food when she had been about halfway through the work.

The Shinigami rose slowly. She felt cranky, and sleepy. But that was most likely because she had been seated for so long. The orange-haired shinigami walked up to the door and slid it open. Two other unseated Division 4 members were passing, and they paused when they saw her. "How goes the paperwork, Iroka-chan?" one of them asked. "All done!" came the happy reply, as she punched the air for dramatic emphasis. The two men expressed surprise, commending her on her speed and fastidiousness. Waving their compliments off, Iroka took note of the direction in which they were heading. "Where are you guys going, ne?" she asked. "And what's with all the music?" The taller of the two passing Shinigami looked at her like she was growing a new head. "Are you serious? It's the partaaaaay!" Iroka scoffed. "That isn't holding until tomorrow."

Now both of them looked at her as if she was some weird fish monster. "What?" the ginger-haired girl asked, quite confused by their behavior. "It's today, silly. You've been in that office for two days now." Iroka froze. Well, that would explain the hunger. She fixed the men with a chiding stare. "I guess I have you both to thank for that, ne?" she said. They instantly denied being responsible for her woes, but Iroka maintained her stance. "Don't think I didn't know that you guys had cut a hole in the ceiling, and some of you were dropping your paperwork from your hiding place in the roof onto my work stash, so that I would do it for you," she accused. "You were the first to drop papers, Daikon-kun."

The shorter of the two men gave her a half-annoyed, half-shocked look. "Daikon?" he asked, offended that she had nicknamed him after a radish. "My name isn't Daikon. It's--" A corrective glare silenced him. The taller Shinigami chuckled. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Daikon-kun," he jeered, but Iroka turned on him. "And you! Don't act like you weren't party to it, Beanpole Erosuke!" Now it was Daikon's turn to burst into laughter, which was silenced again by another pointed stare from Iroka. They hung their heads like children being berated by an angry parent.

And then as though Iroka had nothing against them, the peppy Shinigami girl stood between the two guys and interlocked her arms with theirs. "Well, stop moping! It's party time, right? But who's responsible for it again?" It would be a while before anyone got used to her weirdness. "Seriously? Well, if you'd forgotten, it's the Third Division." Well, that explained why the music sounded so close by. And also-- The thought pattern paused in the young Shinigami's head as she suddenly remembered she was somewhat afraid of the Third and Eleventh divisions, due to their penchant to harass 4th Division Shinigami.

"Uh, you guys go on ahead," she said nervously, trying to disengage her arms, but the two Shinigami flanking her did not permit her to. "No no, you're coming with us," the one designated Beanpole Erosuke asserted. "It's going to be fun, I'm sure. And no one will disturb you. From what I heard about the Third Captain, he really looks dangerous, and so if he set up this party, he'll break any heads that harass you." While that was likely to be true, Iroka only heard about the captain looking scary, and struggled more violently.

"There'll be food," Daikon said.

And like magic, all the struggling ceased. "Ehn?" Iroka asked uncertainly, although she was no longer struggling. "There will be food," it was repeated. And thus Iroka was caught in the trap. It was definitely going to be more convenient to get to somewhere there was ready food, as opposed to having to prepare a meal now, seeing how hungry she was. And so went the three Shinigami to the Third Division's bash. But for Iroka, the trouble was just beginning. For Daikon and Beanpole Erosuke simply wanted her to come to the party, because they knew just how socially inept she could be. And as soon as the trio arrived at the Third's HQ, Beanpole and Daikon vanished like the wind, leaving the orange-haired Shinigami standing stock-still and looking very lost.

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Stretching her back as she rose from her slumber, Chika let out a rather soft yawn. Arching her back like a dog before sitting up and stretching her shoulders, Chika did what she could in order to try to wake herself up. She still felt a bit tired, but that would eventually fade in a couple of moments; it always did once her energy set in, after all. Regardless, she was ready to spend her time doing what she'd felt was fit! While she'd opted to stay with the Sixth for the time being, she hadn't really found a Squad she could call home yet. The Sixth was by far the largest contender at the moment, but she wanted to get to meeting some other folks first!

Taking the time to fully get ready for the evening, Chika danced around her personal quarters, doing what she could in order to make everything as absolutely perfect as she could. Prepping her Shihakkushō, the girl made little effort to slip into the robes. The only problem point had been her tail, but even that was a fairly easy situation to deal with given it wasn't hard to maneuver around it. After she managed to get it through her robes, and with a back-and-forth sway, she smiled. Pumping her fists in excitement, and bouncing about her quarters, Chika began to feel her energy for the day take hold of her. Gently placing her weapon where it belonged at her waist, the girl had only one more thing she needed to do; throw a wrap around her right arm!

Fetching a bit of cloth, and wrapping it taught around her forearm, Chika tied it off as she always did, before tucking the cloth into itself to make sure it remained on her arm. She made sure it wasn't tight enough to cut off circulation or anything, but she didn't want it going anywhere. Turning to look into the nearest mirror, Chika threw her hands on her hips, and smiled triumphantly. "Absolutely perfect!" she shouted to herself, before making her way outside with haste.

Looking up toward the sky for a moment, Chika let out a huff. It seemed the sun was already starting to set. No matter, late sleeping or not; she was still going to try to make the most of the day! Taking the opportunity to clear through the barracks of the Sixth Squad, Chika came across a rather concerning discovery; It seemed that nobody had been around. Had this been the work of Hollows!? The girl furrowed her brow, and kept a hand resting on her weapon, primed to draw it at a moment's notice should she need to. She wasn't going to let herself get caught off-guard by some Hollows if she could help it!

"Show yourself, vile fiends!" She shouted, darting her eyes around the barracks as she tried to scout for the threats she thought had plagued the area, "or I, Chika Hirabayashi, exalted bearer of the Starcursed Brand, will deal with you myself!" Glancing around, it seemed that there really was nothing around the barracks, including any of these Hollows she thought were here. Crossing her arms, Chika stood up straight once more. "Hrm," she hummed to herself, "good. Seems I've scared them off!"

Taking the opportunity to look around the barracks for a bit, she did what she could in order to try to get a bit more information on the scene. As she spent time wandering around, something had caught her attention; a note plastered on one of the doors belonging to a Seated Officer; Went to the Sanbantai Party. Be back later tonight. Placing her hand to her chin, Chika found herself quickly lost in thought. "'Sanbantai Party', huh?"

---

As Chika strolled through Squad Three's barracks, she found herself immediately enamored by the amount of folks that happened to show up. There were so many people that she'd have the opportunity to interact with; perhaps some of them would be up for a spar at some later point? She found herself quickly growing excited, before she calmed herself down. "Calm yourself," she told herself, taking a deep breath. Last thing she wanted was to unleash her powers on such a populated place! She needed to keep herself still.

Walking through the area, keeping herself up high all the while, Chika did what she could in order to take in her surroundings. To look at all the faces, and places she could head to. In truth, she found herself quite surprised that Third Squad set everything up as well as they did; especially that stage! The thought of watching some kind of performance brought an almost gentle twinkle to the girl's eyes. She could tell that this was going to be quite the interesting evening; one she was looking forward to!

As she continued to walk about, keeping mostly to herself but displaying herself off as an extrovert of sorts, Chika found herself continually distracted by all of the sights nearby, the sounds of folks enjoying themselves, and the oh-so-wonderful scents of various foods she couldn't wait to try! Which place was she going to head to first? She could hardly decide! Though, it seemed that her mind had been a little too focused on the event that she hadn't watched where she was going, bumping right into the person in front of her.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, taking a step or two back to catch her balance. Regaining her composure, Chika stood up tall once more before facing the individual she'd bumped into. "Many apologies," she said, "seems as though I found myself a bit distracted there!" With a soft laughter, the girl proudly put her hands on her hips and awaited a response from the mysterious stranger in front of her.

[Celes Castellanos]

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. Bright blue skies as far as the eye could see, the charming chirps of nearby wildlife, and the glowing sun that shone warmly upon the Barracks. Sitting atop the roof, enjoying the sunlight, would be the Captain of the Tenth Division herself. It was one of the rare days that Celes had no paperwork or squad training drills planned. Today could actually be a relaxing day, not only for herself, but for her Division as well. They had been working around the clock, patrolling both Seiretei and the Rukongai. It was a duty that took much dedication, but they had been doing such a stellar job. Celes understood the importance of self-care and as such she had suspended many of the Squad activities today. 

Looking upon the courtyard that lay just before the Barracks to the Tenth Division, she'd see groups of her officers socialize. It was an opportunity to get to see a completely different side of her Division. Outsiders would likely see the Tenth as industrious, stoic and battle crazed. After all, they were the sister Division to the Eleventh. Much like them, the Tenth's duties were much more focused around combat. For those that truly got to know each of its members, they'd find them to be just like any other group. Different personalities and styles that flourished within. Some could be found reading books, other could be seen sparring with one another while others among them were taking advantage of the beautiful.

She was about to drift off again, but then something caught her eye. A newcomer came into view, running along the path that lay right next to the Barracks. Her eyes focused upon him like a hawk. He was utterly disheveled, clearly running for what appeared to be a while. Approaching closer, he'd walk into the courtyard and talk to the first group of Shinigami that he came across. Celes couldn't hear much other than soft murmuring. There was one thing, however, that she could identify immediately. Intrigue rose among the group, almost as if their spirit had been lifted. Talk would spread out among the courtyard and at this point Celes' was incredibly curious. 

As the Shinigami turned on his heel and ran off, one of Celes' officers appeared next to Celes with a Shunpo. The Captain looked up and grinned. "So, Sarah, what was that all about?" She continued staring at the white-haired Shinigami with a wide grin as she awaited the news. Was it going to be some kind of a report? The old man getting on her ass for declaring today a rest day? Another Captain's meeting? Thankfully, the truth was far more than interesting than any of the above. "Well, apparently the Third Division is hosting a party and all the Divisions are invited, Captains included." The girl was repeating the message almost verbatim leaving Celes to stare at her with incredulity. "What a weird way to phrase that. I'd hope that us Captain's aren't exempt from a little fun." The officer laughed nervously shortly afterwards. Raising herself to her feet, Celes stood atop the roof and walked forward. Her foot was pressed against the very edge of the roof as she raised her hands. The Captain only needed to clap once, using her full strength, as the powerful sound roared out from her form. It was certainly enough to get everyone's attention.

She'd place her hand against her hip, muttering to herself softly, "There, that's more like it." She'd clear her throat before raising her voice. "As many of you like me have found out, Sanbantai is hosting a little party for everyone and rightfully so. We've endured hardship after hardship and yet we still remain. The burning gates to hell itself rose to strike us down and we've endured. I'd say that we've earned ourselves one hell of a celebration! In three days..." She paused for a moment before taking a deep breath in. Pushing her fist up, she'd yell loudly. "Let's show everyone that nobody parties like the Tenth Division!" The sudden boost in morale was downright palpable. Roars and cheers rose above the courtyard. It was clear to Celes that this was going to be a night to remember!

---

Three days would quickly get scratched off of calendars. After all, the Tenth couldn't shirk its duties forever. The last three days were a return to form as everyone was super busy. Today, however, Celes had specifically designated a far larger concentration of her officers around Sereitei and the lower Districts of the Rukongai. This was entirely so they wouldn't have to travel too far in the evening to attend the party which had become the talk of the Seiretei for the past few days. Celes would walk over to the Third Division with a few of her officers, having idle conversations of what to expect. Despite having worked with the Third, together with the Sixth Division, in restoring much of the damages that had been inflicted due to the Hell invasion Celes and her officers had very little experience with the Third Division. There were rumors of course that floated around. The Captain, Tsuyoshi Minamoto, was like a demon given flesh. Whether those rumors would turn out to be true was yet to be seen, but Celes always cherished an opportunity to meet her fellow Captains under more casual circumstances. 

As she laid eyes on the grounds which had been converted to accommodate this kind of social event, Celes was already rather impressed. A large space had been cleared for generalized mingling, they had set up a whole stage for what seemed to be entertainment and there were plenty of tables with food and drink. They had certainly gone all out for this kind of event. A sly smile had touched her lips as she was already looking forward to tonight. More of her Division began to pool in as time went by. None of them would dare miss a social event that was as hyped up as this one. As some of her officers passed her by, Celes would give them a wave.

The Shinigami, Celes among them, would quickly pool towards the tables to get their first helping of food and drink. Fixing herself a plate, Celes had gotten an assortment of cheeses, a piece of veal dripped in gravy, a side of steamed broccoli and a cup of plum saké to wash it all down. Balancing both the cup and plate expertly, the girl elegantly snaked her way between groups on her way to a table. Upon reaching it, the Shinigami calmly set her food and drink down. Before sitting, she'd take a brief moment to stretch. Flexing her neck from side to side, pushing her arms and shoulders up, notably cracks could be heard popping all along the girls' joints as she wiggled her arms. She always felt so loose afterwards.

She was about to sit down, but before the Captain really had a chance, she felt someone run into her back. "Ouch!" While Celes didn't really budge much, keeping herself steady and firm, the girl who had just run into her had briefly lost her balance. After a moment or two, she regained her composure. Turning her head, Celes' amber eyes would suddenly be met with... a pair of large fluffy ears. Celes blinked for a moment before tilting her head downward ever so slightly. Finally, the clutz would fully come into view. The girl stood a bit shorter than her, perhaps by a few inches? Her most striking feature immediately were the fuzzy ears atop her head. Already Celes was immediately intrigued. Suddenly, the girls voice lit up. "Many apologies, seems as though I found myself a bit distracted there!"

Celes simply closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. She gave the girl a wide smile, laughing softly. "No worries. It seems that you've got the worse end of that bargain between the two of us." Her hand briefly rested against her lips, trying to stifle a laugh. She wore her white Haori as usual, which officially denoted her as a Captain, but she did not want that to intimidate this girl. After regaining her own composure, Celes stuck out her hand towards Chika. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Celes." The choice of first name only, while seemingly inconsequential, was entirely deliberate. She hated her formal title of Captain Shindazu. This way, others who weren't aware of her dislike for it would be less likely to address her as such. Nevertheless, she tried to maintain a welcoming disposition. "Who might you be? I don't think I've ever seen you around." If there was one thing that Celes loved more than fighting... it was getting to meet new people!

[Satoshi Kazuhiko]

Kazuhiko had been to the Squad 3 barracks just once as a trainee. But back then he had worn the vibrant blue and white of a Shin'o Academy student. And though his tour had been rushed, it was clear that it looked different today. "Oh my." He offered to the air as the thrill of being in one of the Gotei 13's squad barracks overwhelmed him. While it was true he had been assigned to Squad 4, it had only just occurred. He wasn't set to actually move into his new lodgings until next week. And with no captain to serve the squad, there had been no introduction. This was his first time setting foot upon a training ground as a fully fledged (though admittedly lowest of the low) shinigami!

Kazuhiko looked rather strange for a shinigami. He was small and unintimidating. Standing at only a few inches over five foot, he was easily lost in the crowds of other party guests. His skin was dark and contrasted with the vibrant colors of his cool blue eyes and vibrant blonde hair. A pair of glasses sat upon his nose making him look far more the academic than a soldier.

And his shihakusho was unique as well. He wore two kosode, or robes, rather than one. The interior kosode was reinforced by a shitagi, or undershirt. It fit well and was tied to regulation by a white belt. However, their colors were inverted. The kosode and hakama beneath it were pure white, while it was the shitagi that was black. He'd hoped that this would lend him a much less grim appearance. But the second kosode hung off of his shoulders as if he were wearing his fathers clothes. Overlarge, it's ends even stretched slightly past the bottoms of his hakama. Its sleeves were clearly suited for a larger man, as it hid both of his arms entirely, much like a chinese vampire.

But perhaps the most striking thing about his appearance was his over large zanpaktou. It was strapped and sheated upon his left hip. And from there it stretched out four feet. The tip of the scabbard just barely, supernaturally, avoided hitting the floor. It was far too large to be a regular. It was an Odachi. A Nodachi's older brother. And it was nearly as large as he was. And it did a wonderful job of slapping into the legs and thighs of those he walked by like a particularly ornery and disobedient tail!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kazuhiko's Appearance}

"I can't believe how many people are here!!" He said excitedly as he scanned the horizon. But soon, that thrill was over-ridden by something more innervating than conversation... Tables and tables of food! His lips quivered and his heart began to race! "I um... Hope that's for us!" The words were optimistic and inclusive, despite coming unaccompanied. And he began to set off towards the tables littered with plates, and most importantly meat! 

"P-pardon me! Excuse me! C-coming through!"

All the while his recklessly large zanpaktou clapped to and fro against the limbs of those he passed creating a din of baps, slaps, and rattling metal.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The Soul Society has always been known to be a place of heavenly physical qualities. Despite its societal and political shortcomings, the vast majority of its denizens tend to believe its location to be rather-admirable. The climate is never bothersome, and the fauna and flora present within the realm - all of which came from the Living World in one way or another, much like the many Human souls who came with them - are both a sight for sore eyes. However, there are exceptions to this rule. At times, the air during a winter day can be as cold as ice, and at other times, thunderstorms can settle in. Of course, those particular exceptions are quite negative in aspect and are most often not desired. In fact, they most often are naturally considered to be detestable by the inhabitants of Rukongai who must most personally bear with their conditions before those who reside within Seireitei who are better shielded from the climate. But then, there is the other kind of exception, days that are believed to be much better than others. Today was one of those days.

Almost never before has the sun shone any brighter above the Soul Society. It beamed powerfully in the blue sky, bathing any and all in its light for as far as the eye could see. With its light was paired comfortable heat that was almost close to room temperature, and a small gust of wind that was so unobtrusive that it might as well almost be considered non-existent. It was as if whoever or whatever was responsible for the physical maintenance of the realm had today considered that this afternoon - one which was meant to be situated in the middle of autumn - would instead be designed as one better fitted for the early days of summer. There were a few who believed this to be a rather strange change in the seasonal climate, but the majority did not believe this to be a problem. In fact, they believed this to be a reward. It was what they needed after having suffered what was perhaps one of the greatest disasters to have ever been set upon their afterlives for decades. Well, at the very least, that was what Kimiko needed.

Like the rest of the Eleventh Division, their most-recent Captain has been busy lately. Quite busy, in fact. With the way things were going since the end of the demonic invasion combined with her appointment to leader of her squad, it was needless to say that the paperwork almost seemed never-ending. Reports on various hunts on Hollows across the Living World and Rukongai, examinations of her officers' overall combat prowess, verification of the maintenance of Seireitei through various chores, budgetary sheets... all of which the previous Captain Francis Grin had simply never filled up and left there after having disappeared from his position for so long. It was a difficult task to accomplish, and quite frankly, she wasn't sure she would have been able to do anything substantial without the help of her Lieutenant Jin and her own assistant, Gideon. She simply had too much on her plate already, given the fact that she needed to maintain her own physical capabilities through various training regimens while also taking care of her students at her dojo at the 40th west district.

At a certain point, this amount of work came to a breaking point of sorts, and she found herself needing a break. The paperwork was getting to her head, and she simply could not continue any longer, not without severely hampering the quality of her reports and therefore damaging the reputation of the Eleventh as a whole. Coincidentally, this wish for a break came right before she was invited to some kind of party. Some time ago, she had been beckoned to come join some kind of beach party in order to celebrate her and Celes' Captaincy. Now, it was to instead celebrate the Soul Society's overall survival against the demonic attack. Unlike that first session which was only designed to welcome Captains - something which Kimiko still wasn't sure she was too fond of due to her ties with her squad members as their teacher - this one instead welcomes any and all Shinigami from the Gotei 13. In so doing, the higher officer decided that it was time for her and her squad to have a break together.

Three days after the invitation was received on that one beautiful day, the moral of those who resided within the barracks of the Eleventh Division was at a notable high. Instead of holding coordinated training regimens and spars as they usually did, the courtyard and the Coliseum were currently used as an area for conversation and social activity. Kimiko, of course, was present. Having made sure to inform her followers at Nijūkan about her absence from this evening, she found herself now sitting near the entrance of the side, watching the courtyard with a bit of pride. She could see that, despite having not been a Captain for very long, her training regimens were being effective. Every soldier she could see appeared to be in good shape, and those who were still training were accomplishing every single one of their techniques very well. The decision that she made in regards to these regimens was a good idea. Like this, these people will survive against even the mightiest of foes.

As she watched the courtyard in this way, she would herself fail to realize that someone had approached her side. A certain redhead with golden eyes and a scar on her left cheek. Binita, the Eighth Seat of the Eleventh Division. "Damn, they really are, like, super lazy today, huh?" She would comment harshly, though with a smile, making her sarcasm rather evident. "All it takes is one break, and everyone just wants to fucking stop doing anything! So lazy. They should have all gone into the Eighth."

"You say that, but I haven't really seen you doing anything either," Kimiko would naturally reply back with a smile before looking up towards her friend. Much like how she interacted with practically everybody else in the squad, she was not at all using her rank in this conversation, and she was not really expecting the other to absolutely conform to that either. Binita understood that, and it allowed for such natural conversation in return. The time they have spent as mutual comrades also helped in this instance, of course. "How's it going?"

The Eighth Seat would hum before putting a finger on her chin, as though she was attempting to think about that question rather thoroughly. "I was able to get Charles to wake up this morning, and I took care of all the shit I had to do for today. It was the same bullshit as usual," she spoke with her other hand swaying in front of her without any particular direction. "Well, there was that one report about, like, something going on in the 21st. You know those Rukon Shitters that keep popping here and there around Rukongai?" 

 

"... Rukon Shi... You mean the Rukon Reapers?"

"Yeah, those motherfuckers got caught doing shady stuff there. They were going around trying to talk people into joining their stupid gang. We arrested them before they said anything, but yeah, that got me on my nerves."

The Captain hummed as she thought about that matter. This wasn't the first time she had heard or outright dealt with that particular group. The Rukon Reapers were just a silly group of misfits that remained in the lower districts of Rukongai back when she was but a normal officer of the Eleventh, but she has noticed that they have slowly started growing in size and notoriety for some time now. In fact, at one time, there were caught attempting to outright take over local restaurants of the higher districts by branding themselves as "Rukon Burgers". It was an unbelievably foolish and short-sighted strategy that immediately caused the members of their group which were involved in the operation to be arrested, but it did show that they were starting to take some initiative in the higher districts. In so doing, them talking to people not long after a disastrous battle that almost left the entirety of the Soul Society in ruins was a bit worrisome.

Nevertheless, the officer had to admit that she did not want to think too much about this for the time being. There were numerous factors as to why, but the most obvious one was the fact that she outright did not think the Rukon Reapers were going to go anywhere with this strategy. Even if they grow in number, their power remains largely the same and it was nothing to speak of. "I'll tell the Seventh to keep an eye on them, but whatever they're doing is not gonna work in the higher districts... and I don't think they understand that," she thus spoke her opinion about the group to her Eighth Seat rather plainly. Once she believed this opinion to be understood, her voice took on a more serious tone. "The patrols will take care of them for now. If it gets worse, we'll just respond in kind." 

This seriousness of hers lingered for a bit, but it did not last for much longer. Either way, Binita said nothing in the moment. Both women evidently shared the same frustrations with the group, and saw no objections in roughing them up if their actions ever reach a high point. With that subject eventually completely passed, Kimiko pushed herself up, then looked towards the sun in the sky. "Anyway, we've got better things to think about right now... Everyone here does." Her expression lightened into a smile once again as she looked over towards her friend once more. "Let's go have some fun."

Unsurprisingly, there was no objection from Binita to that. Upon hearing those words, the girl's smile widened into a smirk before she turned to the other Shinigami in the courtyard. Loudly, she called to them all with an enthusiastic shout: "Alright, people! Enough with the talking shit! It's time to go partaaay!"

To this, the soldiers shouted back just as enthusiastically, and so they began moving forward towards the barracks of the Third Division. It was time for them to briefly forget their work and enjoy themselves. They needed it.

---

Considering that the barracks of the Third Division were located only just a few meters north from the Eleventh Division's headquarters, it did not take very long for the members of eponymous Primary Attack Squad to actually reach the place. At worse, it took them maybe fifteen or so minutes. During this traveling, Kimiko walked in front of the group, leading them towards the celebration. The fact that she was even capable of doing so without feeling completely embarrassed was rather surreal to her. A few years ago, there was no way she would have even imagined accomplishing such a thing without becoming so utterly nervous that she would have just frozen there. Hell, back during that undead attack, she barely believed herself to be confident enough to give orders to her soldiers, even though she still outranked many of them back then. And yet, here she was now feeling completely natural in her element. Times truly have changed...

By the time she and her officers finally reached their destination, they would all be granted quite the sight. What was once yet another courtyard of yet another squad's barracks had been turned into something that was much more suited for festivity. It was so well converted, in fact, that it barely looked liked it was once meant to act as the Third Division's training grounds. There were foods and drinks a plenty set on top of many tables, dummies for people to use should they feel the need to show off their skills as fighters, and there was even a stage seemingly meant for musical performances. To Kimiko, the whole setup was rather astounding. It was very clear that whoever came up with the idea of this party really went as far as they possibly could with the idea. In a way, this made her somewhat annoyed. To think that her own division was criticized for breaking tables and drinking a lot of alcohol by the Sixth Division, and yet something like this is just allowed out of the blue... Senshi will hear about this.

In any case, she was obviously not the one who shared the positive side of her opinion on this place, as most of her soldiers appeared to be very impressed. Kimiko could already tell where her people were going to go. There were many who were already eyeing the training dummies, while there were many others who were staring straight at the food and alcohol. Hell, she was staring at the food herself. Everything looked so absolutely good. Still, she was very well-aware of how rowdy her soldiers could be. In fact, so were they. The looks that the people were already giving to them was already proof that the prejudices of the Eleventh Division were still there. Nevertheless, in an effort to both calm her soldiers and those prejudices down, she called: "Jūichibantai! Eat and drink at your heart's content! Today, we celebrate and honor the fallen! So put your differences aside and enjoy!" The tone was powerful and quite poignant, as it was able to immediately catch her soldiers' attention. It also caught some of the other people's attention as well, though that was perhaps because she wore her haori and still had her Zanpakuto on her in the moment. "If I see or hear about anyone making a mess out of this place, you will be responsible for everybody's remaining paperwork and training regimens for the next three days! Got it?!"

With a resounding "Yes, Captain!", Kimiko's soldiers cried back to her and then began to went on their separate ways, leaving the Captain watching over them as they moved. Eventually, what was once a formed group had completely dispersed, and now, all there was was an area that had gained a notable amount of additional people. The swordswoman remained like this for a moment, watching over them all before she eventually sighed and let herself loose. "That should keep them from doing anything bad... Now... the food," she muttered too herself before she then unsurprisingly began to walk straight towards the foods set upon the tables. She did so comically quickly, like it was the only thing that had fully caught her attention ever since she stepped foot in this place. Good thing she kept herself from using Hohō while reaching her ultimate destination, else she would have most likely gotten there before anybody else. Then again, perhaps she didn't even need to use those techniques in the first place.

It took her maybe a minute or so to have grabbed a plate that was full of various foods. Scratch that: there were two plates. There was chicken rice, a large filet mignon covered in mushroom wine sauce, and a couple of french fries in the first plate, and an assortment of sushi and calamari in the second. It was a ridiculous meal, one that the Captain admittedly just took on a whim, but she didn't care in the moment. She just couldn't resist. By the time she reached one of the tables in the middle of the festive grounds, she then immediately went back to get a cup of leaf tea on the side before coming back to the plates she had left. Finally, after all was said and done, she sat and down and stared at her food with wide excited eyes. It was an almost-childish expression, one which completely differed from the one she sported when she spoke her words just minutes beforehand. Holy shit... Who... Who cooked this...? This is...  Her thoughts would mutter in the moment. About a few seconds later, she began to eat. Needless to say, she was flabbergasted by the food's quality. It was amazing, sublime, even.

Unfortunately, this made her completely miss the fact that she sat not that far away from Celes and was moment's away from becoming potentially horribly embarrassed.

[Raion Souretsu]

“Raion, I still don’t think that this is a good idea—”

“And when has that ever stopped me, mm?”

“Yes, I know, but this event will have everyone here, and—”

“Exactly! Everyone will be there, an’ I haven’t attended a shindig like this since… well, since that one birthday party!”

“The one where you dressed your best friend up in a costume so scanty it made Tomoe beat you upside the head for an hour afterwards, and where your door prize was the opportunity for someone to don a parrot costume and sit on your shoulder?”

“Exactly! Don’t ferget the walking treasure chest, heh. He was fun. Ah, good times. I miss m’favorite pirate-nurse-lady friend...”

An exasperated sigh came from the young man trailing slightly behind his companion, a sound of resignation that came with the realization that nothing was going to stop this party from becoming something more… well, something more. Kouen Ikoma knew that once Raion Souretsu got an idea in his head, there wasn’t a chance of shaking it free. The former Captain spent relatively little thought on a decision he had already made, and instead only went on to make it even worse. Worst part? The lion wasn’t even drunk yet. Inhibitions were about as intact as they were going to be, and somehow Kouen already had the expectation that the mixer was about to become much more interesting once the two of them arrived.

Part of that concern came in the form of two massive barrels, one on each of Raion’s shoulders, borne easily by the powerful feline. An average person would have struggled to carry them, but the former Captain’s size and strength was enough that he could carry both with ease, despite the constant sloshing from within that indicated both were full to the brim. Were they just regular alcohol, barrels of sake or whatever other booze Raion wanted to offer to the social as a “gift” from his tavern business, Kouen might have been wary, but more comfortable. No, Raion’s subordinate and brother-in-law knew very well that the containers bore some of the most volatile mixtures known within the many worlds, and they were being transported by an almost equally volatile individual.

Raion was dressed rather casually, taking the idea of a relaxing party to its word. A sleeveless black tank top covered his broad torso, baring his powerful arms and clinging to his chest and ample middle. Across it were the words “Hiro Kaname for Captain Commander!” The lack of sleeves on the garment revealed a tattoo along the feline’s upper arm on the right side, a pair of bands with a zig-zag pattern between them, and a metal band hung from the wrist on the same side. With his arms raised up to support the barrels, a slight hint of tawny yellow fur peaked out in the gap between the shirt’s waistband and the waist of his jeans, the latter of which had only recently been imported from the World of the Living and were an experiment in more modern clothing. The denim had been a custom order, naturally, given Raion’s rather large size in both height and weight, but fit surprisingly comfortably despite his bulk, and there was even a small snap along the back he could fasten above his tail to give it room to hang free without letting anything else do so. The tail was adorned with a small metal ring just short of the tuft at its end, matching his bracelet, and bare feet completed the casual outfit, Raion’s lack of love for footwear making itself manifest.

Raion just laughed off Kouen’s constant concerns; after all, this was a party. This was the social event of the season, and a chance to let off a little steam after all Hell had broken loose—quite literally! There was no time for restraint or worry or doubt; social nuance meant little as far as Raion was concerned, and had done little to stop the lion from behind himself anyway. If every person in Seireitei was there, the Captain Commander included, Raion still wouldn’t have slowed a step in making a fool of himself and laughing his head off afterwards. Life was far too short—even after almost six hundred years—to waste time with worries about image and reputation, in the former Captain’s mind. Besides, the worst trouble he’d gotten in to in years of antics was the occasional community service, and the closure of a rather risque addition to one of his taverns. Shame they couldn’t associate that kind of fun with the Captain’s title, but he had shut it down anyway to appease further penalties. Shame.

The banter continued back and forth for a few more minutes as they walked, but before long, Raion and Kouen reached their destination. The lion was bemused by the fact that, although open, the doors leading into Squad 3’s Barracks were fully intact. It hadn’t been that long ago since he had punched them open—with a fireball, at that—yet it seemed that whoever was in charge was on point in getting things done efficiently. Well, that was for the better, at least; no entrance was quite as good without a flashy spectacle to accompany it, and intact doors made a large step in realizing that goal. Sure, they were open, but a gesture to a resigned Kouen had the two of them pulling the gates closed, at least temporarily. Guests paused, both inside and outside, likely wondering what was going on as the doors were closed, but they wouldn’t have to wait long to find out.

A loud explosion would rock the entrance to the Barracks as a wall of blue fire simply exploded into being, the Sōkatsui cast by Raion large and, rather impressively, contained to simply blow the doors to broken splinters even smaller than the last time they had been destroyed. Sure, a good deal of them rained down on anyone foolish enough to be in the path of the former Captain’s entrance, but they were small enough that any injuries would have been superficial at best. Hopefully. Yet that was not all; as smoke filled the entryway, a golden-colored mist would flow from it, spreading across the ground and floating at waist-level. Wisps of it would rise up on air currents, and anyone unfortunate enough to breathe it in would feel slightly dizzy, as though they’d been intoxicated by a few too many drinks.

Striding from the mist came Raion, both barrels still balanced on his shoulders, his head raised high as he made his “entrance.” No doubt there were more than a handful who recognized the reckless former Captain, and as many probably shied away from his approach as went to greet him. Wherever Raion went, chaos often followed in his wake; no matter how good-natured the feline was, he had a knack for causing trouble and roping others into it. And with two massive barrels of booze—one could assume, knowing the lion—there was no doubt that some manner of drunken shenanigans would be going down before the end of the night. Squad 3 would doubtlessly have plenty of work to do cleaning up by the end of the night…

“Hello, party people!” As big in personality as he was in appearance, Raion had no problem raising his voice into a booming shout that would overpower other conversation for a good distance. The murmurs that accompanied his “entrance” were easily overshadowed as the lion continued to speak at his maximum volume. “Hope you weren’t waitin’ too long, but the party’s here now, an’ we’re gonna be havin’ a good time!”

Without further hesitation, Raion made his way over to the nearest catering area and dropped off both barrels—fortunately, on the ground, next to the tables. The liquid inside sloshed with its momentum, nearly knocking one of the two containers over, but the lion righted them and grabbed a pair of taps he had brought along with him to get things started. Whatever glasses were provided for drinks by the hosts were swept up and filled to the brim with a rather murky-looking mixture before being spread along the table for others to grab. Once more Raion raised his voice, letting it boom over the crowd. “A’right, the host may have forgotten t’ order the quality liquor from yours truly, but its’all good! I’ve come with m’own supply, an’ ya all are welcome to The Lion’s Share, as much as you can drink!” He paused a moment, considering, then continued. “I recommend keepin’ it to one glass, if ya like consciousness, though!”

The warning was apt – the Lion’s Share was a personal concoction designed by Raion himself, and while the flavor was nothing to write home about—though there was something to be said about it having any flavor, considering its mixture—the alcohol content was so high that it was said to overwhelm even the king of drinking himself. And for sure, Raion could maybe handle two mugs worth, starting completely sober and taking it slow, but even his legendary alcohol tolerance had nothing on this drink. One drink knocking an average drinker out was probably an optimistic view for the imbiber; most could barely down half a glass before feeling woozy. But that didn’t stop Raion from brewing, serving, and drinking it!

As he continued to try and entice folks over—and after about a quarter of the liquid in his own personal sake jar had been downed already—Raion spotted something that made even him pause. Furred ears twitched just at the edge of his vision, and he blinked, not sure if he was seeing things. A young woman with animal ears and… a tail? Tails? The latter could have been him seeing double already, but those fluffy ears were definitely there. Could it be? Distracted from his encouragement of others towards trying a glass of his home brew, Raion pushed his way through the crowd quite liberally, large paws, wide hips, and broad middle shoving people out of his way with ease as he closed the gap. Yes, it was a young woman with those animal features, and Raion had only known one such individual in Soul Society, someone he missed dearly. Oh sure, she dyed her hair from black to that current color, and okay, maybe she wasn’t exactly the same, but…

“AMAYAAAAAAAAA! MY FOXY LIL’ LADY IS BACK!” That was all the warning the young woman would get before more than seven hundred pounds of lion came flying out of the crowd at her to attempt to tackle her in a hug. It was Amaya, after all! ...At least he thought so. But Raion had gotten close to his old friend, a Shinigami woman with fox-like features, to the point where he practically treated her like a daughter. His comment wasn’t a come-on, but a literal description of his sassy female friend. Nevermind she didn’t look exactly the same, it was the person inside that counted, no matter how much she dyed her hair or changed her outfits or only had one tail or was probably in the middle of conversation with the other female Shinigami nearby before his abrupt arrival or…

Whoever this woman was, she would soon find herself buried in a powerful hug if she did not avoid the initial tackle, and likely to the detriment of her ribs and chest given Raion’s unrestrained strength. The lion was practically crying with joy—or his eyes were bleary from inebriation, who knew—and speaking without hearing a word she said. “Oh Amaya! It’s good t’ see ya, my dear! I missed my lil’ lady, it’s been so long! Where’ve ya been? What’ve ya been up to? Did ya find a boyfrien’ yet—or a girlfriend, fer that matter? Or both? Y’know I don’t judge! I will still punch either o’ them if I don’ approve, though! Ahahaha! It’s good to see ya, so very good!”

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Tsuyoshi made his way through the festival grounds, pausing frequently to greet Shinigami as they passed him. Hands were shook, shoulders were pat, and the occasional hug was exchanged as he socialized his way over towards the food table. He fully intended to make more than one round over here throughout the course of the festival.

As he socialized, he made a point to avoid mentioning his rank to any who didn’t ask, though he opted not to dish out dirty looks to any who referred to him as Captain, only gently reminding them that it was a party and that they didn’t need to be so formal, with his characteristic ‘Eh?’ at the end. He was hoping that, between leaving his haori inside and the limiter that was forcefully suppressing his spiritual pressure, could make it most of the night without being roped into some kind of ‘Captain’ shenanigans.

Eventually he made his way to the first major food table, taking a fairly large plate and opting to fill it primarily with meats and rice, as well as a small bowl of what looked like a teriyaki glaze, and a small cup of sake off to the side. Despite presumptions, Tsuyoshi did his best to maintain a constant level of what he referred to as a moderate buzz at parties. He wasn’t a particularly heavy drinker, but he wasn’t one to shy away from it either. Given that it was his party, he was among the first to actually make it to the food table and away, eating while standing using a pair of chopsticks and occasionally bringing the plate up to his mouth to shovel rice in. He went on another path to meander around, occasionally stopping to socialize with passersby.

He noticed in his travels several interesting characters. Tsuyoshi’s eyes darted over upon sensing the spiritual signatures of not one, but two captains. He knew of both of them, but had never formally introduced himself - Celes Shindazu and Kimiko Nakajima, both physical fighters and known for their skill in close quarters combat. Given that Celes was the only Captain he knew of who was known for her bright, neon green hair, he could only presume that the other was Kimiko, especially given that she was wearing her haori proudly. Kimiko made a beeline straight for the food table, not unlike many of the other guests. Just as he was going to continue his thought, a young Shinigami came stomping across the field with a Zanpakuto nearly as tall as he was. Tsuyoshi stepped carefully out of his way, grinning and watching him run by before taking a bite from one of the pieces of seared meat on his plate. He turned his attention back outwards, eying the second Captain - the one he’d determined based on the insignia of her Haori and the color of her hair to be Celes.

Another Shinigami with… fox ears? He paused mid-thought, looking over Chika and Celes together as a duo. He gave a slight tilt of his head, mulling over their appearance. He hadn’t seen Chika before and, while the fox ears were a bit of a strange addition, he noticed that he hadn’t seen or heard of her before. Given what he was seeing, he made a note to introduce himself at some point. It didn’t need to be now, though. The night was young. Just as he was thinking that, he noticed the gate to the squad grounds slowly close. Tsuyoshi watched quietly, taking another bite from a piece of meat and tilting his head.

Just as he was about to actively wonder what was going on and walk over towards the gate, a loud explosion from a sokatsui was heard and felt, followed by a large brute of a lion walking through the gate with two barrels of liquor on either shoulder. Tsuyoshi grinned and rolled his eyes. There was enough talk of a lion man of a former captain teaching at the academy, and he made a mental note to make sure that the academy was sent a bill for the gate. He watched Raion make his grand entrance and then immediately hustle on over to and embrace Chika in a hug, going on about… something that got drowned out in the rest of the noise.

With a smile on his face he gave a pivot, making his way towards Kimiko. After several deliberate steps in her direction, another Shinigami caught his attention. Part of it was the fact that she was stunningly attractive, which left Tsuyoshi to make another mental note that he had to introduce himself before the night was over. The other part, however, was that she was looking positively lost standing in the middle of the festival grounds without a clue of where to go. Thinking back, he swore that he had told other members of Sanbantai to introduce themselves to other shinigami and make them feel at home and engaged in the party.

He made his way over to Iroka, giving a wave of his chopsticks with his plate in hand. As he approached, the tattoos adorning his arms were more clearly visible, albeit they seemed undersaturated in the dusklight. Aside from the modifications to his shihakusho, there was nothing to suggest that he was more than perhaps a seated officer, albeit a particularly strong one, given the limiter placed on him. “Orre!~ Hey there! Welcome, welcome!” He placed a full piece of beef into his mouth again before setting his chopsticks down on his plate, waving over to Iroka. “You look lost, eh? Welcome to the party! Food’s over there, drinks are over there. And… also brought by the lion man, eh?” He paused to gesture towards the food tables and also to Raion.

After he had closed the distance to a relatively normal talking level, he flashed Iroka a warm smile and gave her a nod. “I’m Tsuyoshi, nice t’meet you. You should come with me. I have some people I intend to meet, and I think you’ll like… at least one of them. I hear Celes is particularly sociable - for a Captain.” He grinned at the light joke, before nodding in the direction of where Celes was. “Let’s make you some acquaintances before the first show goes on, eh? It gets easier to mingle after the second person you talk to.”

He took a few steps towards the food table and then glanced back. If Iroka had chosen to follow him, he would continue towards the tables.

In the distance, towards the stage, it looked like shinigami from Sanbantai were starting to help pile some props and other fixtures onto the stage proper. Standing to the side were several younger shinigami, primarily female and in a group of about five. Based on what the Shinigami were bringing up onto the stage, it looked like some kind of live musical performance was getting set up.

[Satoshi Kazuhiko]

"Yoshaaa!!" Kazuhiko practically squealed with delight as he lined himself up with a seat with plate of food in hand.

It was a plate that he had painstakingly gathered. A meal as well balanced as he was! Which is to say it consisted entirely of a single food group. A slice of ham glazed with honey, a chicken drumstick, and a cut of steak sizzling with garlic butter. His eyes sparkled with tears of admiration as he lovingly adored the perfect plate that he had assembled! The portions were perfect. And no one had felt comfortable telling him that he needed to sully his plate with some sort of starch or vegetable!

He took a deep breath and said a quiet prayer of thanks over his plate of food before beginning to descend towards his seat. And that was precisely when disaster struck!

A sudden explosion caused the gates he'd admired not long ago to erupt in splinters! "Uwa!?" The sudden cacophony startled the boy such that the balance of the plate became precarious in his grasp! It left the safety of his palm and took flight! Kazuhiko's head turned back to find the dish turning in mid air, it's contents already separating! "N-no!!" He plead as he desperately tried to catch the plate with his hand!

The ceramic rang as his fingertips made contact. "No! No! No!" But they served only to tilt the dish further, a glancing blow that added to the chaotic spin of the tragedy occurring in slow motion. And what followed a heart beat later was the sound of the plate shattering at his feet. It's contents upon the oft-tread floor of Squad 3's combat training grounds. All but the single piece of ham, which now rested lazily atop Kazuhiko's blonde hair and dripped glaze upon his nose. "...No..."

He drew in another deep breath, but this time, there was no prayer that accompanied it. Instead, a tired, familiar sigh. It was foolish of him to assume that he'd escaped the chaos simply because he was no longer working at that tavern. Perhaps if he had come to a study hall or a first aid training... But this was a party. And where there was a party, there was always-

"Raion-sensei you made it!" He beamed, his grin wide as he plucked the piece of ham from his head. "And I see you've brought some refreshments with you!" Because of course he had.

Kazuhiko took a kneel as he began to gather the food he'd spilt and the plate he'd broken. He worked as quickly as he could, though only with a single arm, but never looked away from the great lion of a former captain. As disappointed as he was over the loss of his food, something else had overpowered that sadness. It was pride! "Look! I did it!" He declared as he got to his feet with an arm full of waste. He let it spill into a trash receptacle before finishing his sentence!

He then spread an arm wide, presenting himself off to his former employer and former teacher! Gone were the white and blues of a student-

"I'm a real member of the Squad 4 now!!"

[Munemasa Iroka]

At first all was normally noisy around her, with snippets of small talk being caught by the orange haired Shinigami's ears. She simply stood where her Division mates had dumped her, staring and blinking, obviously out of her element. True, she had seen crowds, and she had been in crowds, but there was this strange cohesive chaos that the multitude at a party possessed, and Iroka had never been to a party before, even though such a thing would sound shocking to the average Shinigami. Given the unique nature of her existence, many things were still new to her, and a party was certainly a first time. Suffice to say, the experience was quite overwhelming.

If the rowdiness wasn't bad enough, the sudden sound of an explosion caught her ears, and Iroka whipped around to see what had been the door of the Third Division wreathed in smoke and blue fire. Through the smoke strode a lion... wait, what?! Didn't lions stand on all fours? Fortunately for Iroka, her brain decided to behave, and she remembered that there were such creatures that seemed to be anthropomorphic humans, referred to by others as the Beast-Clansmen. This obviously had to be one of.... Her memory got jogged again, and she remembered more clearly now. He was one of the teachers at the Academy.

A normal person would have gone to meet and greet their rambunctious former teacher, especially as they had successfully graduated into the ranks of the Gotei 13. As a matter of fact, Iroka noticed a bespectacled, yellow haired boy(?) doing just that. That seemed to be the standard thing to do, as far as etiquette was concerned, wasn't it? And yet unfortunately, thanks to the amount of abuse that she had suffered from her parent, Iroka did not feel any form of delight or pride at meeting her former teacher, but surprisingly shame. Especially as she overheard the smaller Shinigami proclaiming he was a part of the 4th Division now. Her Division.

On any other day, Iroka would have probably screamed and attempted an attack hug on a fellow Division member whom she had never met before, especially one such as the blonde boy, as she did have a soft spot for children (even if he was probably not really a kid). But hearing him proclaim his achievement made Iroka wonder to herself what she had also achieved. While graduating from the Academy would normally suffice as a proper milestone even in Iroka's opinion, she did not feel that HER graduation was of any noteworthy thing, due to how her parent had responded to her when she had brought the news of her graduation to Kimyou in the Nest of Maggots. Kimyou had just stared at her, a blank look tinged with disgust, and then had asked a single question: "So?" And Iroka had been convinced that everyone else's graduation was noteworthy, but hers wasn't.

Iroka was by now convinced that coming here was a terrible idea. The scamps that had dragged her here had vanished into thin air, leaving her alone and although there did seem to be quite some food available, it seemed all so rowdy and chaotic and disorienting. There was no point in being here. But for all her feeling out of place, her deceptively intelligent mind was already working out a solution that would see her happy at the end of the day. Iroka decided on a battle plan. She would raid the food areas, and then flee for her life with her spoils of war. Being the kind of person who never really seemed to fit in, she was sure she would not be missed by anyone, especially as no one had interacted with her since her arrival.

No one, except a tall, muscular fellow with intricate tattoos on his arms exposed by his altered Shihakushou. Iroka just stared at him as if she didn't understand what the fellow was saying, then she turned sharply, expecting to see the person he was talking to standing behind her. There was no one behind her. Slowly, she turned again to face the tall fellow, as she took greater notice of his physical features. And she definitely wasn't complaining about his looks. "Ara ara!" she said breathily, unconsciously, before realizing with alarm that she was probably doing something stupid.

"Sumimasen!" she speedily apologized, bowing deeply. "Nice-- nice to meet you as well, Tsuyoshi-sama! I am Iroka; Munemasa Iroka. Hajimemashite!" Oh she was definitely going to go for the food, nodding gratefully as the man who'd introduced himself as Tsuyoshi pointed the edibles out. But the next statement he made had caused her blood to freeze. Did he want her to go and interact with a captain?! For someone as smart as she was, it would have been easy to realize that by referring so informally to a captain, Tsuyoshi was either very rude, or of similar rank, but in her distress at being told to meet a vastly superior officer, she had failed to take adequate note.

One of the things Iroka was frightened of was strict people. And due to how her parent had treated her, she almost always had an unconscious bias that high-ranking people (or at least those in positions of power over her) were very strict. Tsuyoshi had glanced back to most likely see if she was following him. He would notice that she was, and that she was as white as a sheet, the fear obvious on her face, and her body language stiff and agitated. The only reason she was following him was because he said she should. He was a superior; the feel of reiatsu she could sense from him suggested that his power level was way higher than hers, and that was enough to cement him as a superior in her mind. So he had given an order (he actually hadn't, but Iroka assumed he had), and she had to obey.

She would have liked to talk to the Squad 4 kid, but first she had to handle this ordeal. If she survived it, and she hadn't forgotten about hearing there was a new Division 4 member here, she would go looking for him.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Tsuyoshi paced over towards the food table once Iroka had made her way back to his side. His pace was even, calm, and fairly aloof. He spoke in between bites of food, albeit without his mouth full, and paused every once in a while to give a wave to other Shinigami that he recognized, though he kept his passing greetings fairly short. “Ehhh, you don’t need to use -Sama. We’re at a party! We’re supposed to let loose and have fun. Besides, I don’t like titles anyway.” He paused, gesturing broadly after placing his chopsticks down to the groups at large. “I’m not a ‘better’ Shinigami than anyone else here, eh?” He picked his chopsticks up and maneuvered a chunk of meat back into his mouth. He cast a look over to Iroka, listening to her response and taking the opportunity to actually get a clear look at her.

It was impossible for Tsuyoshi not to recognize how attractive the woman was. Though she didn’t look like the most physically capable Shinigami, she definitely didn’t carry herself like a slouch in his eyes. The modifications to her Shihakusho were exceptionally flattering, if not a bit unprofessional, but Tsuyoshi didn’t chalk professionalism up to much anyway. After all, he never wore his ‘proper’ uniform except to Captain Meetings and often strolled around the squad grounds without his haori. The formality of being a Captain was an exhausting concept to him when he was a graduate Shinigami and it was just as, if not more exhausting now. The next thing he noticed was her hair - a… different shade than most, but not altogether unpleasant. He did wonder, though, where she found the hair dye for that particular shade of bubblegum. Probably from the Rukongai somewhere.

Her eyes caught him next and, without his knowing, he lingered on them (whether she met his gaze or not) with a warm smile, before turning back forwards as they made their way across the grass. There was something else that he noticed as well. “So, Iroka, which squad are you from, eh? Definitely not Sanbantai. Actually, you don’t look like you’re from any of the combat squads, eh? Are you from Sixth? Eighth? … Oh, maybe Thirteenth now that Ludwig has… moved on, ne?” He mentioned the last part off-hand. Ludwig’s passing through the relinquishing of his Shinigami abilities was an incredible sight to behold, but a tragic loss for Seireitei as a whole. While Tsuyoshi did not hold a lot of natural respect for his peers, it was impossible for him to neglect the fact that a Captain was willing to give up his Shinigami powers in order to protect Seireitei.

It was after this line of questioning that he noticed the change in Iroka’s demeanor. No, that’s not true, he noticed it before, but it was at the front of his thoughts now that he had reconciled with her appearance. He brought the plate of food up to his mouth and shoveled rice into his mouth as they approached the food table. He took a step to the side once they got there, looking over the selections and at his plate. He, again, went to refill his plate primarily with different types of protein, including some seafood and seared beef again, before helping himself to another scoop of rice. He shifted his stance, as though waiting patiently for Iroka to finish fixing herself a plate.

He used the downtime to go back to acknowledging passersby as he ate and waited. Once Iroka had finished and looked like she may or may not be ready and willing to go join the others, he spoke. “You know. There’s also some spots inside, if you don’t want to be around all of,” he paused, gesturing to the broad area around him, “this. Some of your squadmates might be in there too. As for me though? I’m going to go say hi to Celes, the kid with the sword too big for his body, and the girl with the fox ears.” He winked at her and turned about, walking at a deliberately slow pace towards Celes and company, giving Iroka plenty of time to be indecisive and rush after him if she needed to before he made it to the group.

[Zatoshi Kizukara]

Zatoshi found himself at the drink table far faster than he'd ever meant to be. His mind was caught in a snare, and while he wrestled with the anxiety that preoccupied it his body tried to kill it in a far more direct manner. He exuded this nervous energy that consumed him, wearing it like a veil that shut him off from looking like a good conversational partner at this social gathering.

Rather he was treated like a crack in the pavement to be stepped around. On his third drink of rice wine already, it was clear he was far away. He didn't feel right being here, but as one of Sanbantai's unlikely heroes during the defense of the Seireitei, it was practically a requirement for him to be. He sipped his wine absently and continued to spiral inwards. Perhaps his subconscious could yet create a truce with his thoughts, if only it could ply him with more drink. A non-plan that could easily be as disastrous as it could be successful.

[Munemasa Iroka]

Tsuyoshi's preference for titles mattered nothing in the slightest to Iroka; even if she agreed not to use any titles when addressing him, it was very likely that she would forget and address him with 'sama'. Her parent had drilled that into not only her memory, but her behavioral 'system' as well. As the original intention of her design was to be, so to speak, the prototype of a series of slaves for the Gotei 13, her parent, Kimyou, had ensured that she would show the utmost respect for anyone she deemed to outrank her. Being extremely quirky, Iroka hadn't turned out as Kimyou had hoped, but the 'programming' was still there.

"Right you are, ne? My apologies, Tsuyoshi-sama," she replied, absentmindedly failing to abide by his wishes. As to whether this man was a 'better' or 'worse' Shinigami than anyone around, Iroka chose not to give a verbal response, but she was convinced that the presence of ranks within the Gotei 13 proved that if Tsuyoshi didn't care about such comparisons, Seireitei did. Anyway, it was a good thing that ranks would not prevent her from having fun here... if she knew how to have fun. As Iroka looked around her, she realized that the only thing she was sure she could do easily here was eat. Maybe while she did, she would learn something interesting to do here as well.

So, it was quite obvious that she wasn't a fighter, wasn't it? Iroka wondered why her parent had not chosen a more battle-worthy 'shell' with which to house her mind. Of course, she remembered the reason Kimyou had given: so that she would physically match her name. Maybe that was proof that she wasn't even expected to be anything noteworthy. Unfortunately for Kimyou, they had not been allowed to continue the IROKA project, and so the more useful, more efficient versions of Gotei 13 minions that Kimyou had hoped to create and gain glory for would never come to fruition. That was most certainly the reason her parent despised her. Pity she couldn't do anything about it. "I'm from Yonbantai," she answered, in response to Tsuyoshi's enquiry.

As Iroka pondered on what she could possibly do, when there was no more eating to be done, she suddenly noticed that Tsuyoshi was looking at her. She simply stared at him blankly, though there was a slight, though obvious, degree of puzzlement on her face. Why was he smiling at her? Fortunately, he did not keep looking too long, and began moving towards the food tables. Finally! The fun was about to begin! Fun being stuffing one's face with food. Iroka was glad she could at least hide the fact that she was almost salivating as she approached the table. What a glutton she was....

With the prospect of food before her, she unconsciously began to loosen up. Waiting until the Sanbantai Captain had filled his plate, Iroka set to loading her own plate with food. Two things would immediately become apparent. First was the fact that someone of her size was expected to have a little trouble finishing what she had on her plate. But it wouldn't be as surprising, comical even, as the fact that Iroka's apparent choice of food mixes was ghastly. She had two heaps of food on her plate; the first was rice and some meat, slathered copiously with... dairy cream. As if that wasn't bad enough, the second heap comprised of cakes, upon which had been smacked chili pepper paste.

Picking one of the cakes, upon which was an unholy amount of red paste, Iroka flung it into her mouth and began chewing heartily, although she slowed down moments after she had begun the process of masticating, an intense expression on her face. Then all she said was, "how insightful..." before popping another cake into her mouth and chewing away, obviously enjoying the strange combination. "You're very kind, Tsuyoshi-sama," came her reply. "I think I shall stick around you for a while, though. I'm ashamed to admit I don't know how to meet new people, so it will be easier to do it when you're there, as you already know some of them." So saying, she kept pace with the captain, hoping that her purposeful attempt at socializing would not end up in disaster.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The food was delicious. Wow, was it delicious. So delicious, in fact, that those words were more or less the only ones Kimiko's mind could conjure as she consumed what she had picked up from the serving tables. The chicken rice was not too soft nor too hard, a perfect middle ground that distinguished it greatly from some of the bowls that the Captain purchased within Rukongai, and the fillet mignon that accompanied with it was cooked to perfection, allowing its sauce to flow within the meat and grant it exquisite taste. And then, there were the fries and the sea foods she took from the second plate. The first were salted very well, making their consumption almost downright-addicting, and the sushi... Oh, the sushi was good too. Just... really good. Frankly, it was so good that she could not believe that sushi could taste so well. Not that she couldn't say the same for everything else. Even the tea was amazing. The tea! Do you realize how difficult it is to make amazing tea?!

The quality on display here was almost too much for the Captain to bear. Well, no, perhaps it was too much. For minutes on end after she settled down, the swordswoman was completely enthralled by her plates, so much so that she completely ignored everything that was happening around her. She was stuck in a bubble, so to speak, where the only things that remained were herself and her food. She could only vaguely hear what the people around her was saying, and she could not really see what they were doing either, for her sight was totally consumed by what remained within her plates. In a way, one could say that this focus of hers was somewhat impressive, even if it was directed towards a rather-banal goal in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps this was a result of the intense training her body and senses have both gone through over the years, and of the many battles she has gone through as a Shinigami of the Gotei 13.

But of course, this focus of hers could only be sustained for so long. Something needed to happen so she could be shaken out of it, something big. Well, something big happened alright. Suddenly, amidst these enjoyable festivities, a great thundering sound echoed from the gates leading into the party. It was loud enough to attract the attention of a lot of people, and unsurprisingly, it thus took Kimiko's too. Frowning in confusion as she was so abruptly snatched away from her culinary experience, she raised her eyes towards the gate in an attempt to understand what was happening. As she raised her head, however, she suddenly felt a need to defend herself as she witnessed what was heading towards her: multiple shards of wood blasted away from the gate. They were small, but just a single one of them could ruin her food. So, in this moment of urgency that she could only describe as being the most extreme of cases for the sake of her enjoyment, she acted quickly.

The only thing most of the party-goers would have been able to witness should they have set their eyes upon the Captain of the Eleventh Division would have been the shards of woods being obliterated into harmless smithereens onto the floor below. However, those with either the sight or the sheer innate speed to keep up with what the officer had accomplished in the moment would have been able to witness quite the sight. With superhuman speed, she had unsheathed the blade which rested in the white scabbard at her hip, then slashed every single one of the wooden shards heading towards her position, all the while she remained in a sitting position in front of her food. The slashes were each precise and accurate enough for her to accomplish this action multiple times over, causing each shard to be cut into further and further pieces until all that remained of what they once all were was but a cloud of miniature wooden pieces. Then, to conclude this shocking display of swordsmanship, she guided the pieces onto her blades, settled them all onto the ground below, and then collected them into a pile before returning her blade to its scabbard.

After the shards were collected, the warrior stared at the pile on the ground with wide eyes of concern. From the looks of it, it seemed that she had cut them all, and so a wave of relief began to wash over her. Even so, before she could allow this wave to calm her down, she would rapidly look towards her plates, examining them extensively to see if there was anything wrong with them. The meat was okay... so was the rice... Was that wood dust on her fries? No, that was just her imagination... What about the sushi? Those were fine too... Everything appeared to be in order. Only then did she allow her stiff shoulders to slump down, and a sigh to be expelled from her lips. Eventually, she even allowed herself to smile a bit. "Not today!" She even expressed quietly with a bit of a shaky laugh. It was not often that she could enjoy these kinds of food due to her work and, well, the prices in Seireitei, so she was very happy that she was able to take care of the problem.

With that said, now that the moment of relief had passed, frustration would start to bubble in her throat as she looked on over towards the gate. An understandable reaction, given that it was not just her food that could have been taken by the explosion and the shards it left behind. It did not take long for the culprit to then reveal himself. It was this large beast, downright a mountain of muscle and fur. A Beast-Clansman. Kimiko wasn't quite sure of who this person was supposed to be at first, but once he began to speak, she was then reminded of a particular individual who she remembered hearing about back when she was a student of Shin'ō Academy. Back then, she had heard of a most eccentric lion teacher who taught with immense energy and excitement. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite remember his name, but he was being spoken of in the halls so many times that she found herself often imagining how he would look out of pure curiosity. Well, she got that image now, and... now that she did, it was most certainly overwhelming.

For as overwhelming as it was, however, it at least made her less frustrated. Being from the Eleventh, Kimiko has seen her faire share of eccentric people, and so she was now somewhat used to them being around her. For all she knew, many of them acted exactly like this man. They were loud, sometimes obnoxiously-so, and had a penchant of destroying things while expressing themselves. Unfortunately, even if she was less frustrated, the explosion had completely taken her out of her experience, and so she now found herself looking at her surroundings rather aimlessly. "Wizards with their explosions..." she would complain under her breath as the last bits of her frustration exited her body as she analyzed the area. Eventually, while she would do so, she would come to realize that there was a kid near the gate, or well... a really small officer that could be mistaken as one. He had dropped his food due to the explosion, and though he appeared to be very happy to see the teacher, she could tell that he was less so about the food. The Captain would stare at the little guy for a moment before she would eventually raise herself from the couch.

Shortly after she raised herself from the couch, the swordswoman was then walking onward towards the gates with two plates in her hands. The first was, well, her own second plate from before. Unlike the rice and the fillet mignon,  there were still some fries and sushi left from before. The second plate contained ham - she had noticed that ham was resting on the boy's head before he threw it away, so she found it wise to give another piece to him - and some chicken drumsticks she had picked at random, coincidentally from the same servings the young officer had taken the ones he lost from. By the time she reached him and the lion, the latter had literally pounced elsewhere onto somebody else in the party, causing her to remain there with an incredulous-expression. Fortunately, that did not last for too long, as she would then let herself be known to the boy. "Food really shouldn't be wasted like that... especially not when it's this good," she would comment on what happened before she offered him the plate she had taken for him. "Here. I'm not sure that's all you picked up earlier, but that should be alright."

Whether the little one would accept the plate or not, Kimiko would then give him a glance. From afar, he already looked quite young, but now that she was closer to him, she could see that he looked even younger. He was small and thin, which caused his Shinigami robes to barely fit him, and practically everything about him was soft and slightly juvenile. Hell, his Zanpakuto was obviously too big for him, as noted by the fact the scabbard was almost touching the ground. Yet, despite all of those childish traits, there was something about him that immediately struck the Captain. She wasn't sure if it was just her who couldn't see it due to his robes being in the way, but she could swear that his right arm was gone. What the hell...? I thought the Fourth could easily take care of lost limbs... Did he lose it before becoming a Soul?  Her thoughts ran on as she wondered about this. In an attempt to not appear disrespectful, however, she would not focus on it too hard. "You're one of the new graduates, right? Congrats. The Academy's pretty tough. I had to study non-stop just to pass the finals back then, and they made me do them early."

It was possible that the young man had heard about Kimiko in one way or another. Even to this day, many years after her graduation, there were still some talks about a woman who could not use any spell in the slightest winning a fight against a Hollow during a disastrous school activity in the Living World, and therefore being allowed to graduate far faster than any other student.

[Satoshi Kazuhiko]

The food sank to the bottom of the trash with a series of wet plops. Each one of them hit poor little Kazuhiko like a right hook straight to the heart! As if harmonizing with his own regret, the voice of a woman chimed in. Her words were a playful rebuke for the discarding of the food. There was a strange comfort to the reprimand. A warm absolution for his silly mistake. And with it came a bit of kind banter.

Kazuhiko turned to look upon the person who was kind enough to engage him. But he was distracted before he could make eye contact with the woman! A plate over-runneth with meat! Perhaps it had not been so greedily stacked as his previous plate, but all of main attractions were there! The ham, the chicken, and even a bit extra! "S-sumimasen!!" He spoke as quickly as his heart beat! And he consumed them just as quickly! Quick enough that it was worth pondering if he could have eaten the food he'd dropped before it had descended all the way to the ground!

His plate was upturned, and the food slid down it like a ramp! It was empty in seconds! And just as quickly discarded onto the table behind him with the eagerness of a child discarding the wrapping paper that'd hid a birthday gift! The ceramic sang as it spun. And finally settled safely with a soft clink on the wooden serving table!

His attention shot then to the kind stranger who'd saved his meal! "Arigato g-" But then his eyes, those brilliant blue eyes, went wide with shock! The woman had an aire of authority even before acknowledging the sweeping white Captain's coat she wore. She was a vibrant and attractive young woman, but he had to look up to see it. Kimiko towered over Kazuhiko by about a foot and it was impossible not to suddenly feel like he was being scolded by the headmaster!

"T-t-taicho!!!" And his composure broke. The boy was clearly full of energy... Even if it was somewhat... Misguided.

"Gomennasai! Gomen!" He bowed to her, one arm draped across his belly, though it was still hidden beneath the sleeve of his attire. The bow caused his overlong sheath to slap against the underside of the table, causing him to stumble a bit. He steadied himself and concluded his bow, standing back at full attention. 

The captain's congratulations helped to replace the anxiety of disappointing her with a sort of childish pride. His smile widened into a big, toothy grin! And his left hand emerged from the depths of his sleeve to ruffle at the back of his own hair. "Thank you! I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for my sister!" It was clear that he carried a great reverence for his family.

"Truly? Even a high ranking Captain like you had trouble with the academy?" He peered past her to look at Raion. His eyes narrowed with some measure of grim suspicion. Whatever he was remembering had clearly been grim and traumatic. He put the back of his hand against the side of his mouth and leaned in in a poor attempt to veil a whisper. "Was it because you were taught by Raion-sensei too?"