A Display of Fleet Footwork [JT]

[Celes Shindazu]

It would be an understatement to say that the events of late gave Celes some things to think about. The persistent invasions of Soul Society, the meeting between Kimiko's Inner Hollow and her own, and confrontation she had with Brutus in her own Inner World. Each one of them was significant in their own way, but the latest was by far the most impactful. She almost couldn't believe that she had effectively made a deal with a devil. The sigil that had imprinted itself upon her waist served as a cruel reminder of the terms of their pact.

Had she gone as far as to sell her soul to Brutus? No! However, it was damning in its own right. She would need to ensure Brutus' safety upon Guujin's death while he scavenged his body for... something? The Captain still was unsure what Brutus even desired. Ultimately it didn't matter. In return, Brutus had offered her the one thing she desired. The information she needed to take down the Right Hand of Las Noches, Guujin Karai. The murderer of Camila.

In preparation for their inevitable showdown, Celes knew that it was time to train. She needed to hone her skills. With this in mind, Celes would spend the next few days in the courtyard, just like any of her Unseated Officers, brushing up on all of her skills. Sweat rolled down her brow. Her muscles ached. Bones nearly split in two. None of it mattered. She could only push forward. Unfortunately, she'd soon realize that her Hakuda and Zanjutsu were nearly flawless. Besides subtle adjustments in form and technique, there was no real improvement. Nothing that truly gave her that edge. 

This begged the question? What else could she improve on. She gave it some thought. There was no way she was going to pick up Kidō. Even for someone like Guujin. Besides, it would take up far too much time on developing skills that could truly help her. There was her Shikai and Bankai. She could practice with it to forge a better understanding. That, however, posed its own problems. Yukito seemed ready to cause senseless death and destruction on a whim. It took all of her willpower to restrain the Inner Hollow. Utilizing Bankai would only serve to give him wiggle room. She immediately discarded the idea once that became a concern.

The Captain was stumped, at least momentarily. After a few moments, she came to a realization. Nobody could deny that she possessed lightning-fast agility. Despite that, her proficiency in Hohō... left much to be desired. She had learned the bare essentials. Shunpo and Shunpo Karin. Besides that, she also had Shunpo Eichi, a step that was extremely useful for those with incredible strength. Besides her mastery of those techniques, she didn't really have much in the form of advanced training. 

Perhaps this was the edge she was looking for? It did beg the question though. Just who was there to teach her? "I know Kimiko is a prodigy when it comes to Hohō, but she's always so busy with her Dojo." She'd, for the time, scratch her off the list. No need to disturb her unless necessary. "Hmm. Captain Tsuyoshi?" She, admittedly, didn't really know the Captain that well. Perhaps once they grow closer? "Hmm. Well, there is always Shihoin." 

Kimiko Shihoin had quite the reputation within the Gotei 13. Her noble descent and her willingness to stand up to authority were certainly notable traits. However, this is not what attracted Celes. It was her seemingly playful attitude that mirrored Celes' own which she demonstrated at the meeting organized by Shawn. Besides, Celes once went on a nightly patrol with one of her many wolves. Besides, her disciple shared the same name. That had to count for something. Right? Rising to her feet, Celes stretched and quickly disappeared from sight.

---

It would not take particularly long for Celes to reach the Barracks. The Captain of the Tenth had very little idea of Kimiko's schedule. Actually, she knew very little of the Second Division. She never really visited. To her, they were cloaked in shadow. "Heh. Fitting I suppose for the stealth force." Nevertheless, she took a few steps forward into the courtyard. As usual, the Captain would be greeted rather formally by several Officers of the Division. Celes smiled and got the pleasantries out of the way. She still didn't care for the title of Captain Shindazu, but who could blame them. She did not come by here often.

"You honor us by coming here, Captain Celes." The Shinigami's eyes lit up happily. "Finally! Just how I like it!" Instead of blurting it out so informally, Celes bowed her head in return. "No, please. The honor is mine." She'd pause for a moment, clearing her throat. "Pleasantries aside, I'd need to speak with Captain Shihoin. Is that possible?" Celes maintained a bit of formality with Captain's she didn't really know. Thinking about it, she didn't know if Kimiko had a preference. Perhaps this would be a good chance to find out. 

The woman looked up and thought about it. "Y'know, I actually don't know if she's in right now. We can find out though." Celes nodded and smiled brightly as she was lead through the Second Division Barracks. She wasn't sure why, but she always expected a different realm with other Squads. As if they were so different in the way they operated. Perhaps this one was or perhaps it wasn't. The lime-haired Shinigami wasn't really sure. Thankfully it would not take very long for them to arrive. Upon showing the way, she bowed out and headed off, presumedly to work on whatever she needed to do. Celes took a deep breath and knocked on door to Kimiko's office. "Captain Shihoin. It's me, Celes Shindazu. Captain of the Tenth. I would like to discuss something with you." She had to admit... she was a little anxious. She still wasn't quite sure about etiquette between Captains. Was this okay for her to do? For now, she merely awaited some answer from the chambers. 

[Kimiko Shihoin]

From the moment of arrival Celes would likely feel something was very different about the second division. The individual that welcomed her and led her into the barracks spoke with a very low volume almost like she didn’t want to be heard. It was enough that Celes would actually have to use intent to actually pick up on every word, something that wasn’t normal. All the same though she was given the respect of her position and allowed to enter the barracks. At which point she’d see that although it looked fairly common and in line with the others there were some major differences.

The first thing she was likely to pick up on was the lack of light. The only light actually finding its way inside of the building now was that which gained entrance through the same door as her. If there were members inside the barracks right now then they were doing a good job because for more than a minute Celes wouldn’t hear anything. Even the guide that walked just in front of her made no noise as she took step after step. An eerie silence that just seemed unnatural, something that put worth into the common. Before reaching the Captain’s office though Celes would be able to hear the sound of something moving although seeing it would be impossible as it came from complete darkness.

“Captain Shihoin. It's me, Celes Shindazu. Captain of the Tenth. I would like to discuss something with you."

“It’s open.”

Celes would hear Kimiko’s voice from the inside of the office. Once inside though it takes a moment to get used to what she could see. Kimiko’s office, unlike the rest of the barracks at the moment, did have some light, but it was all provided by candles large and small burning throughout, giving enough light that everything was very dim. In the middle of the room was Kimiko upside down with her feet pointed up towards the ceiling. What would seem like normal handstand push ups though was anything but as Kimiko forced herself up and down as sweat dripped to the wooden floor beneath her. Although it might be impossible to see in such dim light Kimiko was doing something she doubted most would try.

“There’s a button to your right at above chest level.”

Once Celes found and pressed the bottom the window on the opposite side of the room would begin to open allowing the light from the day inside. Brightening up the room Kimiko would push herself to get just a couple more reps done. Her index fingers are the only piece of her body keeping her upwards on top of two pointed daggers secured into the floor. It’d come off as some strange circus act that didn’t seem possible yet it would be right in front of Celes. Only a handful of moments and Kimiko relented, allowing herself to fall backwards onto her feet. Shaking her hands afterwards she was a little surprised now to see Celes. Walk-ins weren’t something that happened often, especially for her.

“What brings you by Captain Shindazu?”

[Celes Shindazu]

As she stood before the door, awaiting an answer, Celes' eyes darted from side to side. Her facial expression revealed... confusion. "Was it always this dark in here? It's practically pitch black! How did I not notice this before?!" Keen senses and sharp instinct could go a long way in finding your way through the dark. And well... a guide who know where she was going didn't hurt either. Nevertheless, Celes was downright shocked. Hell, there was no movement around her. Or at least none that she could distinctly hear. It was right out of a horror movie. 

A bit unsettled, the lime-haired Shinigami briefly tapped her foot on the ground as she waited. Finally, a voice pierced the silence. “It’s open.” Taking a deep breath, Celes opened the door and entered the room. She had expected the typical set-up before arriving in the Barracks. A Captain's desk with a stack of paperwork a few feet high. The persistent darkness of the Second Division had begun to shift her thoughts on this though. Needless to say, she was quite surprised with everything around her.

The room was dark just like the rest of the barracks. However, unlike the dark hallways she moved through not more than a few seconds ago, this one had some light. Candles and other open flames dimly illuminated the room. Before her was the silhouette of the Captain of the Second. It was difficult for her eyes to pierce the darkness. Heck, she couldn't quite make out what Kimiko was even doing. Thankfully, the woman would throw her a bone. “There’s a button to your right at above chest level.”

Darting her eyes to the side, Celes was able to make out the vague outline of a button. Thankfully it was within the light of the candles. It would've appeared very silly for anyone to miss a button after practically being told where it was. As she pushed the button, the other side of the room whirred for a moment. Whatever device it was, it seemed to be working. Slowly, the window that was on the other side of the room opened. The room was filled with the sun's glow. It was certainly a welcoming sensation.

This newfound light would fully reveal Kimiko and even now, Celes wasn't sure what she had expected. The Captain was upside-down. Using her fingertips, she pushed her entire body up and down. To make it even more impressive, her fingertips were calmly placed on the pommel of two daggers. This was no mere workout. This required incredible focus and physical strength, not to mention impeccable balance. Needless to say, Celes wasn't even sure if she could do this without falling first a good few dozen times. 

Upon finishing, Kimiko allowed herself to fall backward and landed on her feet and their eyes finally met. For once, Celes was able to get a really good look at her. The Captain had tan skin and was a brunette. Her hair was bundled up into a ponytail and she had piercing blue eyes which contrasted Celes' amber-colored eyes. Shifting her eyes up and down, Celes could immediately tell. This woman was strong. This was exactly what she had been looking for! Once more, though, Kimiko broke the silence between them. “What brings you by Captain Shindazu?”

If Kimiko paid close attention, she'd likely notice Celes twitch for a moment. A tingle ran up her spine as she heard her far more formal title. She brought her hand up and initially laughed nervously in response. "Please, just Celes will do. We are colleagues after all. No need to stand on ceremony. No need to impress." She'd smile brightly. Hopefully the point got across. Nevertheless, it was a fair question for the Captain to pose. At least Senshi had the decency to write Celes in advance before visiting her Barracks. Where were her manners?!

She sighed briefly and tried to find the words. Once she did, the Captain of the Tenth spoke in a soft voice. "To be frank, I've been looking for chances to improve myself." It was a little vague at first, but sure enough, Celes would elaborate further. "As you may know, I'm a master of both Hakuda and the sword. Unfortunately, my skill in Hohō leaves much to be desired. I know you are one of a few masters of the art in Soul Society. Simply put, I've come to learn." She'd bow her head politely mostly as courtesy. 

[Kimiko Shihoin]

There it was, the windows began to open and Kimiko could feel the light of the sun breaching in on her office. Closing her eyes after a moment Kimiko allowed the room to fill with light before opening them again knowing that she risked her vision being disturbed by the sudden change from near complete darkness to bright daylight. Getting off the daggers and onto her feet she got the first good look at Captain Shindazu with her own eyes. She’d seen the Captain some time ago yet it had been through the scope of Haunzu.

“Alright then Celes what brings you by the Second?”

It was a good sign that Celes wasn’t one to stand off formalities or treat such standings as absolute. Kimiko wasn’t the type of person to do such a thing either and it had cost her quite a few problems as a Shinigami. Both when dealing internally with her Family and especially the Central Forty Six. What came next as an answer wasn’t something that Kimiko had expected to hear at all. The prospect of one Captain coming to another for advice was already something that inthaplen often, input on training though was another level.

Kimiko was honestly quite shocked, a fellow Captain that was rumored to be on the same level at Hakuda as herself. One of the few Shinigami in Soul Society at the moment that by all accounts she’d seen possessed physical attributes on the same level was coming to her for training in Hoho. While the art of movement was often seen by most Shinigami as only a fall back, Kimiko and most of Division Two took it very seriously. Moving her right hand up to the side of her head Kimiko sighs knowing she couldn’t deny this was a fun prospect.

“I don’t mind helping you along, but I’m not the best teacher. I can try to explain how things are supposed to be and what you’re supposed to do, but everything I learned and taught is through action. Everyone I’ve trained from Division Seven, the Onmitsukido and here in Division Two can attest that physical training is all I really offer. If you’re alright with that I don’t have any problems though.” Kimiko as an honest person just wanted Celes to raise her head. Just as Celes didn’t like being addressed as a Captain, Kimiko wasn’t to fond of being bowed to even by other Shihoin.