Hopes And Dreams [Social]

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Finding herself waking up with a rather cheerful disposition as she always did, Chika stretched her back with a rather noteworthy bend. After all, today was a rather important day for the girl! While she couldn't spend much time actively defending the Seireitei due to not having been back in Soul Society, she sure as hell was going to do what she could today in order to try to begin reparations!

And, those reparations were going to be best spent in the districts of the Rukongai. After all, her Squad had been mandated to venture out and do what was possible in order to help recover from the aftermath. Given fighting wasn't inherently going to occur, she felt comfortable travelling with her Squad on the matter. After all, she wanted to do what she could in order to help out those that couldn't hope to defend themselves! It was a necessity of the Sixth!

---

Stretching her shoulders, Chika found herself jumping across the buildings of the Rukongai, doing what she could in order to scout the district out the best she could. Her mission for today? Report back what was necessary to her Captain regarding the most damaged areas within the Rukongai after the recent excursion from Hell. Gods, such an event still bothered her. Even if they were the most vile, terrible creatures in existence, was this much destruction really necessary?

It couldn't've been. Thankfully, the few stragglers of demons that remained caught out were being handled in part by the Tenth Division, alongside what work Chika and the Sixth had been putting in to clean up the districts. They certainly had their work cut out for them, that was for sure. With a soft sigh, Chika continued onward. Thankfully today wasn't going to be anything overly hectic; there wasn't a need for her to get directly involved in combat. She'd leave that to the Tenth.

And, speaking of the Tenth, given she'd finished her time doing a bit of work for the time, she wanted to go check in on her friends in the division. Taking a moment to look around, picking up on any energy signatures she could for the time, the girl found herself sprinting back into action with vigor. Even if a little tedious, she was going to do what she could to make the day as enjoyable as possible!

In time, she'd eventually found the Captain of the Tenth. Upping her speed for just a moment, and jumping into the air while she'd been closing in, Chika outstretched her arms toward the captain as she approached. In order to minimally catch her by surprise, she decided to shout. "Captain Cele~s!" As she closed in, she wrapped her arms around the Captain, pulling her into a quick embrace with a spin.

After a short moment of Celes being hopefully receptive of the hug, she eventually pulled off, and stood back with a bounce. "I had no idea you'd be here! I knew your Squad was showing up, but to see you here too~? That's awesome!" Her smile exploded outward with nothing but glee. "You here to help with reparations? We certainly need all the help that we can get with it!"

[Celes Shindazu]

"Captain! We found another one!" Celes' eyes darted over upon hearing the Officers of her Division call out to her. Walking over, the lime-haired Shinigami looked at the ruined remains of a building. The ceiling had caved in. Hellfire clung to the broken and battered walls. Scratch marks and claw prints marred the ground. As she approached closer, the Captain could see a form shifting under the rubble. As the Officers decided to claw away at the rubble, pushing it to the side, Celes assisted with its removal. Effortlessly tossing stones the size of her torso aside, they would eventually excavate someone trapped underneath. 

Before them was a young woman. Her brown hair had become messy, covered in dirt and other debris. Her soles had been charred by hellish flames. The woman's hands were wrapped around her knees. Celes began to approach slowly, but the woman simply scrambled away from her. Pushed up against the wall, she began muttering softly. The Captain couldn't really make it out, but she'd caution her advance. "Hey... hey. It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you..." Kneeling, Celes gently reached out her hand. "We're just here to help." Flashing her a smile, the Captain briefly allowed her reiryoku to bleed from her form. It would be a little soothing, calming the woman who proceeded to take Celes' hand hesitantly. Leading her from this stone prison, she'd usher the twitching woman to one of her Officers. She'd proceed to speak in a bit of a commanding voice, a tone that that the Tenth Division wasn't normally used to. "Take her to the Rukongai Relief Center. Make sure she's taking care of... Oh. And be gentle, please." He nodded to the Captain and began to show the woman to the Center.

Needless to say, it was tragic. She could hardly believe that Hell had arrived in Soul Society a few days ago. Seireitei had endured, but the Rukongai had to suffer in its stead. Hellions who escaped the slaughter delved deeper and deeper into Outer Districts, killing as they saw fit. Celes' did her best to see to it that this would not continue. Collaborating with the Sixth and the Fourth, the Captain helped set up Relief Centers. Survivors would be offered basic necessities such as food and water. It would also provide temporary shelter. In the meantime, the Sixth assisted with reparations. The Fourth assisted with treating injuries. This left the Tenth to track down Hellions that survived the battle.

At least, that is how it began initially. After some time, Celes broke her Division up into two groups. Half would assist the Sixth with restoration while the other half became a strike force against Hellions. It was a great way to bolster the ranks of the Sixth's efforts while focusing on protecting the survivors. With this in mind, the Captain turned to her other Officer and issued orders to convene with the strike team on any updates. As the Officer ran off, Celes sighed for a moment. 

She was about to move on, but then... she heard someone. A voice carried upon the wind. "Captain Cele~s!" The Shinigami turned on her heel, immediately recognizing the voice. Why was she not surprised that Chika Hirabayashi returned to the front lines? She wasn't sure. Perhaps she had simply gotten used to the girls' mannerisms. Unexpectedly though, Celes would find herself hugged by the fox girl. The Captain's cheeks flushed a rosy red. She was practically frozen in place. "Uh.. uh... how to react??" A few options ran through her mind until she decided. She raised her hand and simply patted the shorter girl on the head. There was a kind affection to it.

Chika, as usual, was very energetic. With a slight bounce to her step, she'd begin raving over Celes' presence. "I had no idea you'd be here! I knew your Squad was showing up, but to see you here too~? That's awesome!" Celes couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Well... I guess I'm just not a desk job kind of Captain. My place is out here with my Division." She'd explain briefly. "You here to help with reparations? We certainly need all the help that we can get with it!" Celes nodded her head practically in immediate response to the girls' question. 

A smile arose on the Captain's face. "Yep! With the Relief Centers set up and the Fourth tending to the wounded, I felt it appropriate that we chip in as well." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "We might've survived this time, but these people... they had to suffer. They've survived the apocalypse. I want to show them that there's someone looking out for them." There was a genuine passion to her voice. These were not mere words or posturing. She genuinely believed every word of that mission.

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Smiling while the captain spoke, Chika couldn’t help but feel pleased by her words. She was glad to hear that the woman wasn’t some boring desk-job Captain! She had suspected such given the amount of time that Celes had spent working with her Squad, but ultimately this was good confirmation of that fact. Given that was the case, she’d have to stop by and visit more!

Though, this wasn’t particularly the time to think on something like that; they had business to do today. “I couldn’t agree more,” Chika spoke with a nod of her head, “I’m glad that we’re here and able to help out where possible! I’ve already stopped by where I used to live out here, and for the most part damage has been relatively minimal. I’m… incredibly grateful that there haven’t been noteworthy casualties.”

For the first time in a long, long while, Chika’s words and expressions turned almost somber. Anyone that knew the girl’s normally energetic, bubbly personality would likely think she was a different person entirely! Instead, she was calm; almost sobered by the events that had taken place not long ago.

She hadn’t the opportunity to help out in the demon battle, unfortunately. She’d been out on a bit of an excursion into the Human World at the time, dealing with a hollow-that-had-turned-out-to-be-a-vampire. While certainly not a fun situation to have dealt with, she was glad to at least help out her Squad in the aftermath. The last thing she wanted was to seem like a burden.

Thus brought the girl’s mind to Captain Celes; a bastion of hope in these otherwise downtrodden times. She’d quickly become someone that Chika had looked up to, along with really all of the other Captains. And, while the opportunity hadn’t quite presented itself for Chika to get to really know her own Captain, what with how busy Kyomei was with the fallout and leading the Squad, she hoped that opportunity would’ve presented itself at some point soon.

“I’m sure that everything’s going to be all right,” Chika spoke, trying to psyche herself up once more, “after all, we’re here now! Sure, we might be a little late, but better late than never, yeah?” With another cheeky smile, the foxgirl’s tail swayed back and forth to emphasize her rather excitable mood at the moment. She’d been back to normal; well, as best she could be. Though, her own words reminded her of something she wanted to bring up.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, “I wanted to ask you, Captain Celes; given you’re currently the first-in-command in this general area, what might be your orders?” Standing at attention, feigning a level of formality, Chika did what she could to listen to the Captain’s words dutifully.

[Celes Shindazu]

“I couldn’t agree more,” Celes couldn't help but smile. There were many traits that Chika and the Captain shared. They were passionate and kind souls. Both of them seemed to want the best for everyone they met. Chika's headstrong nature reminded Celes of her younger days. Needless to say, it got her into a bunch of trouble. Her fight with Valentin... ending up in Hueco Mundo where she met Torre... her discourse with Camila. These experiences defined her. It all culminated to make her who she was today. She hoped that Chika would, one day, find the same clarity. 

Nevertheless, the Officers' energy was infectious. “I’m glad that we’re here and able to help out where possible! I’ve already stopped by where I used to live out here, and for the most part damage has been relatively minimal. I’m… incredibly grateful that there haven’t been noteworthy casualties.” Chika's tone trailed off at the end. Celes tilted her head in response. It might've been the first time that the Captain ever saw Chika this gloomy. Despite that, Celes could definitely understand it. She barely remembered where she ended up before she was taken in by the Seireitei. She didn't need to. All of Soul Society was her home. It was her responsibility to protect it and she'd do so until the bitter end. 

After ruminating for a minute or so, it seemed that the conversation would shift from the earlier doom and gloom. “I’m sure that everything’s going to be all right,” The lime-haired Shinigami chuckled briefly. “after all, we’re here now! Sure, we might be a little late, but better late than never, yeah?” "Well. Seems she returned to her usual disposition." It was quite the pleasing sight for the Captain. Seeing others be depressed or lose hope. It tore at her heart. Thankfully, Chika seemed to not let herself be brought down by the events of late. Celes could respect that. 

She nodded before her eyes darted from broken building to building. She saw her Division and the Sixth working together. Some were helping other citizens from the rubble, escorting them away. Others were sizing up buildings to prepare for the inevitable restoration of structures; short, small or wide. Such comradery and a willingness to aid put a smile on the Captain's face. She looked down at Chika and spoke in a cheerful tone. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

A soothing breeze washed through the streets, helping calm Celes' nerves. This project was bigger than her. They had endured the assault of hell. Now they were fighting for the soul of the people of the Rukongai. She was determined to make sure that hope was still in sight for any one of them. This was her mission. Speaking of mission... Chika suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!” Celes turned her head to lock eyes with Chika. "Yes?" “I wanted to ask you, Captain Celes; given you’re currently the first-in-command in this general area, what might be your orders?”

The girl stood at attention, seemingly ready to receive orders. Celes' eyes widened. "Oh yeah. I guess I am the first-in-command at the moment... huh.." It was still a bit of a learning curve for Celes. The responsibility to lead. She felt comfortable doing it with her own Division. After all, she had gotten to know them quite well over the years. She knew their mannerisms. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. She was responsible for them. The other Divisions were a mystery to her. Could she really give orders? 

Taking a deep breath, Celes locked eyes with Chika once more. She'd raise her hand before speaking, "At ease, Chika." This was not the time to posture. Not that Celes really cared for the formality. Hoping that Chika relaxed, Celes would explain her plan. "As discussed, these people need our aid. There are still hellions lurking about and people trapped underneath rubble, within buildings, and other debris. I was going to continue to push ahead and see who else needs help. After all, these outer districts can become incomprehensibly large." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "That being said, I could always use more help." She closed her eyes and grinned at the Unseated Officer. "Besides. I have to reconvene with the strike team. Reports on the extermination, y'know. They're probably closing in on the 80th District at this rate." Turning on her heels, Celes pushed ahead, ready to help anyone in need as they headed for the 80th.

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Hearing Celes tell her to ease, Chika nodded her head. She knew the captain disliked the formalities - she'd made that clear during their last meet - so she had no problem doing so. With a smile, she did what she could to listen to what the woman had to say on the matter. It seemed that District 80 was up next on their list of districts to hit! That didn't seem to be all too much of a problem, all things considered. She had full confidence that her Squad was on their way there as well.

Though, she'd heard Celes prepare to leave. Matching her pace as necessary, Chika did what she could to keep up with the girl's movements via Shunpō. She was notably slower than the Captain had been capable of moving, so she was going to need to do what she could in order to keep up with her. She'd eventually be able to speed herself up in time, but that was going to take quite a bit of training to reach that point. Perhaps today was going to be a help to them? It had been hard to say, but she was excited to see what would come from her time with Celes!

"Captain," she spoke, "you don't mind if I join you during your expeditions, yeah? I'm looking to try to get exposure to the duties of the other Squads as much as possible, and I'd think this is a good training if I'm able to join you in your mission endeavors!" Smiling softly, Chika hadn't expected Celes to decline her, given the circumstances, but she felt it was necessary to ask regardless. After all, that was just common courtesy!

Assuming she followed along, Chika focused her attention toward keeping an eye out on stragglers of hellions that threatened to cause a bit of discourse. She figured that a lot of them were likely going to be fleeing about, but even if they weren't, she was going to do what was necessary in order to protect the citizens! Interestingly enough, she'd managed to spotted one rather quickly.

Rushing over through the use of Shunpō, Chika made swift work of the beast that threatened to attack poor, defenseless civilians. With simple motions, and a swift attack against the hellspawn before her, Chika made a swift slash toward the beast's neck, beheading it rather easily in an effort to protect a woman nearby. Standing up, flicking the blood from her blade, and sheathing it shortly thereafter, Chika smiled toward the woman. "Bless you, Shinigami!" She spoke, prompting a giggle from the foxgirl. "All in a day's work, ma'am! Be safe!"

[Celes Shindazu]

Moving down the street, Celes effectively "jogged" at a comfortable speed for her. Considering she was among the fastest Shinigami in Soul Society, this quite a bit quicker than what the majority could muster. Unfortunately, this also seemed to be the case for Chika. The Unseated Officer was forced to utilize Shunpō after Shunpō just to keep up. It wasn't until Celes looked back that she realized how fast she was actually going. Slowing down a little a less strenuous speed for Chika, Celes heard the Unseated Officer speak.

"Captain, you don't mind if I join you during your expeditions, yeah? I'm looking to try to get exposure to the duties of the other Squads as much as possible, and I'd think this is a good training if I'm able to join you in your mission endeavors!" Celes was surprised, to say the least. "Was... she not paying attention again?" Pondering on it for a moment, the Captain shook her head with a soft chuckle. Addressing Chika shortly after, Celes simply decided to go with the flow. "As long as it doesn't interfere with anything issued by Captain Kuchiki, you're more than welcome!" She'd speak in a cheerful tone. 

At the pace they were moving, it could take them a little over half an hour to one hour to reach the 80th District. That didn't even take any necessary stops into consideration. Alas, it was a necessity given their mission. Every now and ten, Celes hopped up to nearby buildings to get a better birds' eye view. Her eyes darted around for a few moments until they came across a disfigured, creature with chains. "Well, speak of the devil." She could just barely see the scrambling away on the ground.

The Shinigami didn't need to think twice. She gripped her Zanpakutō and rushed forward. Before she fully closed in though, Celes saw the blur of another figure. It was Chika! Utilizing a Shunpō, the girl found herself right by the Hellion and with a single stroke of her blade, decapitated him. Slowing down, Celes stooped close by and heard the womans' and the fox girls' exchange. As expected, the woman expressed much gratitude for being saved. Celes couldn't help but look upon Chika proudly. 

That's when Celes heard it. Some yelling in the distance. Utilizing a Shunpō to draw closer, Celes came upon two of her own. Facing down a fallen wall, they both did their best to heave the heavy piece of debris. "Come on! Lift it, Angelica!" The girl barked back at him. I'm trying, damn it!" A woman's leg was trapped underneath the debris. Seemingly barely conscious, Celes' brow furrowed as she approached the two Officers. Kneeling to grip the edge of the wall strained for a moment before lifting the stone wall above her head. As the other two let go, they both smiled with relief that Celes was here to help. After all, the Captain possessed incredible strength that was rare among Shinigami.

With a soft grunt, Celes tossed the wall nearby and out of the way. Picking up the woman who was trapped underneath, the man nodded to Celes, understanding the drill, and took off with a Shunpō. Angelica on the other hand turned to Celes and smiled brightly. "It's great to see you, Captain!" The lime-haired Shinigami nodded in return. "Likewise. Say, have you seen the strike team recently?" The girl blinked for a moment. "Well, they passed by here maybe an hour ago?" The Captain nodded and looked down the road. "Why do these outer districts have to be so damn huge..." 

The Captain simply sighed and turned her attention back to Angelica. "Keep providing relief as necessary. Make sure to slay any hellions you see. We don't need them causing any more trouble than has already been done." The girl nodded her head. "Yes, Captain!" Celes turned to Chika and motioned for her to follow. On their way to the edges of the Rukongai, Celes would continue to stop and help, wherever necessary. Sometimes it'd just be to slay a few runaway hellions. Other times it'd be to lift heavy objects. No matter the obstacles, she'd do what she can and they pushed forward.

[Chika Hirabayashi]

As she gladly accepted the praise given to her from the older woman that she'd just saved, Chika made immediate note of the whirring sound of Shunpō soaring passed her. Turning her head, she noticed almost immediately that Captain Celes had been gone! Turning back to the woman, Chika gave her a soft salute. "Glad to be of service! Please, stay safe now~!" As she finished, she set off almost immediately.

Zipping back atop the roofs, and making her way closer to the 80th District, Chika did what she could to keep up with Captain Celes. Thankfully, given her rather noteworthy capabilities, it made her stick out like a sore thumb amongst the other unseated officers; that was to say, the energy that Celes gave off, despite not being a spiritual combatant, made her rather easy to find. Closing the distance between herself and the Captain that zipped off, Chika came across quite the sight.

As Celes lifted the wall from the trapped individual like it had been practically nothing, Chika simply watched in awe. While she knew that she was likely never going to be able to do something like that, she still couldn't help but want to be able to help folks in a similar fashion. Gods, Celes was quite the inspiration! As she took one last step to put herself next to the Captain as she prepared to leave, Chika made a quick comment. "That was quite the feat!" she exclaimed, "how long have you been so strong?" Following the Captain as the two pressed onward, Chika couldn't help but smile.

"Hmm..." she spoke, "I wonder if the Starcursed Brand could allow me to get strong like you are, Captain!" Chuckling to herself, Chika got quite a bit of amusement from her own comment. She'd known quite well that her Starcursed Brand had worked in mysterious ways. Perhaps that was one of them? She'd have to do what she could in order to fully learn the potential of what the Brand had in store for her! She'd only hoped that Celes could've been helpful on that front.

Though, something concerned the girl. Squinting her eyes toward the direction of the 80th, Chika found her breath catching in her throat. "S-Smoke?" She asked aloud, making comment on the puffs of dark air that continued to pollute the skyline, "b-but the other districts weren't nearly this bad! What happened?" Rushing ahead as best she could, and moving as fast as her body could physically let her travel, Chika did what she could in order to head over to the 80th.

As the two eventually closed the distance, Chika halted her movement. Even if Celes had decided to go on ahead, she couldn't bring herself to the moment they came within view of the 80th. Not after she'd gotten a good look at just what had happened within the area; nothing but wanton devastation had occurred. From above the houses, she'd seen quite a number of buildings completely smashed to the pavement, the groans of those that somehow still lived, and countless more dead within the streets and their own homes.

It was an atrocious sight.

So much so, that Chika found herself dropping to her knees. Tears quickly began to well up in her eyes. "What happened here..?" she forced out, "how could anyone do such a thing? How could someone just... kill like this? So many innocent lives... Gone." She couldn't bring herself to speak any more than that. It hadn't been hard to piece together that this wasn't the work of those demons; none of them nearly possessed the spiritual prowess to exert a gravitational force like this. At least, none other than the few she heard about that appeared toward the Seireitei. None this far out could've done something like that.

[Celes Shindazu]

Having ushered the members of her Division away, Celes turned to Chika, but would be surprised at the Unseated Officers' view of her strength. "That was quite the feat!" The Captain couldn't help it. She was blushing. Celes had never really given it any thought. She had begun training her body and mind years... if not decades ago. It was difficult to keep track of everything. Nevertheless, she forgot how impressive others found it. "How long have you been so strong?" She blinked a few times. It wasn't the type of prowess that most were interested in or even cared about. 

She smiled briefly and then motioned her head. They had to move on. That, however, didn't mean that she couldn't talk on the go. Slowing down a good bit, Celes would match Chika's pace as they presumedly leapt from building to building. This slower pace silenced the howling wind quite a bit as well. "If I remember correctly, I made the shift to focus on my physical prowess while I was still a Third Seat of the Eleventh Division. Ever since then, I just kept hammering away at it." 

"Hmm..." Celes turned her head, looking at the girl. "I wonder if the Starcursed Brand could allow me to get strong like you are, Captain!" Once more, a blush crept onto her cheeks. She couldn't help but chuckle softly. It rapidly expanded into hearty laughter. "I wouldn't give this "brand" of yours all the credit." She'd briefly pause between her leaps. "Strength of any kind is achieved through hard work and determination. At least the one worth having is..." She'd flash a grin at the Unseated Officer.

"From what I've seen of you thus far, you've done well to get to where you are today. Take heart in that. Besides... don't just settle for me. Aim past that and reach for the stars." If there was one thing that Celes enjoyed more than fighting, it was the joy she got from building others up. To help them realize their potential. Before she had a chance to speak further though, she noticed a glimmer of surprise in the Officer. "Hmm. Chika?" "S-Smoke?" Celes tilted her head. "What the hell does she me-"

As she finally allowed her eyes to dart around, she'd focus on the rising cloud of smoke and darkness that filled the sky. "b-but the other districts weren't nearly this bad! What happened?" Celes' brow furrowed. Chika had taken the words right out of Celes' mouth. That's when it hit her! "W- wait. My men!" As she landed, Celes suddenly disappeared. It was clearly a Shunpo, but Celes was moving at her full speed. Needless to say, it was fast! The force of her feet kicking off of the building caused it to crack before being practically flung outward. 

Rocketing forward without a second to lose, Celes slid on the ground to a grinding halt. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The buildings around her... they were completely destroyed! Worse yet, countless corpses littered the ground. Their maimed bodies were practically unrecognizable. It was a bloodbath! Shortly after, Chika arrived and practically broke down. "What happened here..?" Celes didn't have the words to describe the massacare. The boundless destruction... "how could anyone do such a thing? How could someone just... kill like this? So many innocent lives... Gone."

Shifting through the silent streets, Celes could hear the approaching footsteps of a crowd. Approaching swiftly, Celes prepared herself. Were they friend? Foe? She wasn't sure. As she readied herself to lash out, she'd catch an immediate glimpse of black Shihakushō. Just like that, all of Celes' anger washed away. Their Zanpakutō were drawn, but they'd quickly relax as they took note of their Captain and the Unseated Officer. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to control the grief she was experiencing over the slaughter, Celes approached.

Almost as if on cue, one of the Officers stepped forward and spoke nervously. "Captain. I think I speak for all of us when I say that it is good to see you." Celes' expression was unmoving. She wanted to smile. She wanted to embrace the group. She was ecstatic that they were okay. However... there was a bigger picture. "What the hell happened here?" Her voice was cold. She began to shake a little with rage. Someone had to be held responsible for this! "I- I am not sure, Captain. Everything was destroyed when we arrived."

Celes simply nodded and began to walk around. She had a look at the state of the buildings. They were wrecked. There was no question about it. Yet the caliber of destruction seemed... different. It was almost as if they had lost their integrity. Kneeling down and looking at the bloodied remains of the citizens, she noticed the ground beneath them. It was cracked. She muttered to herself softly, "Could it be..?" Thus far? It seemed to be the work of gravitational pressure. Rising to her feet, Celes spoke, addressing the members of her Division. "Were there... any of our own?" Her Officers didn't even need to answer. None of them dared. She felt their gloom. The pain present in their expression. All of this was too much to process... for any of them. Even Celes stood their in silent contemplation.

[Chika Hirabayashi]

She truthfully couldn't believe her eyes. All of the devastation had been caused here... and for what? Just what was the reason behind any of this? She couldn't tell, nor did she really want to. This all made her sick. Sick to her core. She wasn't one for violence, but for someone to go and take so many lives like this, both Shinigami and Rukon citizen alike? They needed to be held responsible for their actions. Slowly rising to her feet, Chika looked onward with tears still in her eyes.

As she listened in to what Celes had discussed, her thoughts were only further solidified. She felt driven more than ever to try to make things right. To try her best to make sure those that had suffered here today could be avenged. She couldn't stand for this! "Celes," Chika spoke, uncharacteristically somber, "about how many lives do you think were lost here today?" Clenching her fists, she awaited an answer from the Captain.

All of this drove the girl absolutely mad. So much so, that she made no effort to hide her now-building spiritual pressure, releasing out in waves. While not quite enough to exert a gravitational force upon the world around her, she certainly sat as an intimidating presence of sorts; one that hadn't quite befit someone still stationed as an Unseated Officer. She couldn't help it; the girl genuinely had never felt more upset; more livid over something like this happening. After a few short moments of digging her nails into her balled-up hands, a bit of blood trickled down onto the ground.

Assuming Celes gave an answer - or, more accurately an estimate - Chika would speak up again. "I swear on the Starcursed Brand - on my honor as a Shinigami - I will make whomever did this repent. For each and every one of these poor individuals that couldn't defend themselves, or tried to the best of their ability, I'll see to it that the culprit is tried for their abhorrent actions." Once more, tears began to fall down the girl's cheek. She sobbed every now and again, trying to breathe through her emotions, but didn't break out into a cry anymore. She needed to be stronger than that. She was a Shinigami, damn it! She needed to do her best to act like one!

[Celes Shindazu]

Given the circumstances, Celes remained quiet. Whether it was to honor the fallen or to assess the damages was unclear. Not so much as a breath would escape the Captain as she merely took it all in. Her Division remained equally as quiet, waiting for any orders. The silence would, unsurprisingly, be broken by Chika. "Celes," The Captain turned her head to look upon the girl. All of the pep and energy from before had totally left her. "about how many lives do you think were lost here today?"

Accompanying her words was a surge of reiryoku. As it bled from Chika's form, Celes turned to the squadron she had organized. Her voice was stern. Cold. "The damages?" Its leader too a few steps forward. It was clear from her posture and apprehension that it'd be less than ideal. "A rough estimate?" She looked at her peers who all seemed to shrink for a moment. "Of the area we surveyed, which wasn't very largely, the count was at 73. Considering the damage to buildings though... it could be that many were trapped underneath..." 

It was a grim truth. Celes closed her eyes and sighed. Her thoughts raced. "Could this have been Lagos' doing?" Despite quickly jumping to the Noveno, she briefly worked it out in her head. "Given where I came across her? Perhaps not. Damn it!" Truth be told, Celes hadn't a goddamn idea who the one responsible for this was. None of the Hellions seemed strong enough to do so. This type of gravitational pressure was the result of a powerful spirit. An opponent more on par with herself. 

Before she had more time to dissect everything though, Chika's voice disrupted her train of thought. "I swear on the Starcursed Brand - on my honor as a Shinigami - I will make whomever did this repent. For each and eve-...." It was passionate. Celes couldn't deny it. In some ways, she could certainly agree. Someone did have to held responsible for it. Someone would have to suffer. However, now was not the time to act on impulse. Practically interrupting the girl, Celes' voice rose above hers in a roar. "Miss Hirabayashi. That's enough!"

It was authoritative. Almost uncharacteristically so. Turning on her heel, the Captain began to approach the Unseated Officer. Celes wanted nothing more than to maim whoever was responsible. She wanted to discover their identity to curse them ten times over. She wanted vengeance for these men, women, and children. However, she was a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. She could not allow her vision to be clouded. In the same vein, she was hesitant to allow someone as eager and stubborn as Chika to have hers clouded either. 

As she spoke this time, her features softened quite a bit. Her tone had also shifted. It was far more understanding this time. "I understand your pain, Chika. Trust me. I grieve with you..." There was some pain in her voice. "However, now is not the time to be rushing into this blindly. Our duty is to tend to Soul Society, first. We have our hands full as is because of Hell." She'd pause for a moment. "That being said... you are right. We can't let a deed like this go unpunished! After helping the living recover... we will avenge the fallen." She smiled brightly as her voice radiated with assurance.

It would be less than ideal for a Captain and an Unseated Officer to stir up a potential hornets' nest while there was still work to be done. The Tenth, the Sixth and the Fourth all had a duty to help rebuild. They couldn't go off on a wild quest for revenge. Nevertheless, she believed that these people deserved justice. "However, we are dealing with a significant security risk!" Next, Celes would address her squadron. "Fan out. See if you can find any survivors out here. Perhaps they may be willing to divulge any information." They all looked at one another for a moment, before nodding and spreading out. Finally, she'd address the girl before her. "As for you, Chika. I want you to head back to the Relief Centers. Try to find out about any Shinigami or victims who were sent to the closest districts from here. Perhaps one of them has insight into what happened here." Her orders were clear. This was a quest for information. Whether it would bear any fruit at the moment? Nobody could tell. Nevertheless, Celes wanted to do what she could to ensure that these people would be avenged!

[Shawn Rabuburēdo]

Posting with Shawn's account, after counting both characters gain a 30% boost with each other!