Shadows Rehearsing in the Daylight [Hanako/Kimiko]

[Hanako Nozawa]

The early afternoon sun beat down from overhead. Lunch had come and gone, and with it, the mid day break from one's training. Now, the students of Shin'ō Academy dispersed back to their arranged classes, and the cacophony of training sounds began to fill the air once more. Hanako was no different, and satisfied with the memories of her meal, she, too, made her way to a more secluded area of the training grounds. Her zanpakutō hung from behind her left hip, and one hand fidgeted with the edge of her kosode as she looked around the field for the person whom she had been supposed to meet.

Today's training would not be ordinary, apparently. No, today, she was supposed to meet with someone very important. Today, she would be assessed by her soon-to-be captain, one Kimiko Shihoin. To tell the truth, her nerves were a little electric just by the thought. Butterflies wouldn't stop flapping around her stomach. She'd known she wouldn't remain in the academy forever, but now that she was being assessed by the captain herself? It was enough to make her nervous, and then some!

"Easy, girl." She muttered to herself while straightening out her disturbed clothes. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled as slowly as she could to get herself back under control again. "What's the worst that can happen? You either impress her, or she tells you what to improve on. No reason to be nervous." She told herself, though she was hardly inclined to believe her own words. The thought of being kicked out and sent back to the Rukongai did cross her mind, but she didn't want to even entertain the thought! No, surely it was just going to be another training course.

With no sign of the captain in sight, Hanako made her way to a nearby bench and took a seat. She was careful of her zanpakutō as she did, and finding herself in the shade underneath a tree, she leaned back to continue to wait. She hoped it wouldn't be long, is all...

[Kimiko Shihoin]

A typical day that happened every year, the final review of the students in the academy. This was the sort of day that Kimiko didn't really mind. It got her out from behind her desk long enough that she could stretch her legs and yet it wasn't long enough to have any sort of real fun. All the same though most of the individuals that could give her a bit of real fun weren't in Soul Society or didn't have the time much like she didn't. Most of her life now had been weighed down by the reasonability of being the Captain of Division Two and Head of the Shihoin Family. Her aspirations achieved very early in terms of her life and yet they actually kept her from doing the things she enjoyed. She wouldn't have ever fathomed such a twist to her fate when she'd first come to academy to fight against her former Vice Captain Aevus.

She'd come to the academy once again to see what sort of fresh starts were looking to adopt the darkness. One of them though was in full view right away and although it was easy to spot her, Kimiko already got an answer about her. She wasn't the best at spotting an enemy that didn't want to be seen. Perched up near the top of the tree with the leaves of its body mashing her own figure for the most part Kimiko just watched as she approached and then sat on the bench below her. A skill that was useful to know, but one that could be taught all the same, so it wasn't a major negative. What she could see all the same though was the obvious stress and doubt that she carried emotionally.

"She can also say you're right where most are out of the academy."

Kimiko spoke with her voice that carried with it a tone of joy, play and tease. Despite how long she'd been a Captain now she hadn't let it change her completely. Still the overly confident, but playful female that didn't have any problem beating the shit out of anyone with a smile on her face. She didn't like how most people treated others and thus would always do things her way regardless. No one could control her completely, something she'd already made clear to the higher ups in Soul Society by spitting in the face of Central Forty Six when she threw her badge on the floor denouncing her position as their Captain.

Swinging downward Kimiko would suddenly be hanging upside down from a thick branch with her arms dangling down as her deep blue eyes gaze down at Hanako. Although she'd developed years ago now, she still didn't always take into account the size of her chest. As her clothing struggled to contain the sections that caught most men's attention. "Of course I can't say anything until you show me what you can do. So are you ready to show me Nozawa?"

[Hanako Nozawa]

Now, Hanako had never been one to not brag about her skills. One of those skills in particular was her ability to sense the presence of others, even when they were attempting to suppress it themselves. Of course, the thing about such a skill is that she must be focused on it to truly get any use out of such a thing, and right now, her mind was hardly entertaining the thought that the person she'd come to meet had, in fact, been hiding nearby and waiting for her instead. So, when the captain did make herself known in the most innocuous of ways by simply speaking aloud, Hanako reacted as she was prone to do when startled:

She shrieked and jumped in her seat.

It took her a second or two to settle herself again, and after the loud shriek she had just let out, Hanako found it difficult to look at the woman straight without blushing deeply. Well, that's what she would have said if asked, at least. In reality, in the seconds to follow being startled, her eyes had found their way to the woman's state of dress, not dissimilar to her own, and were having a hard time pulling themselves away from the sight before her. It was difficult to tell which of them was larger, with the captain hanging as she was, but nonetheless, Hanako struggled to get her words out in any intelligible fashion, and instead stammered while staring without blinking.

"I, uh..." She practiced her breathing again. "Yes, ma'am. Anything you want..." Of course, she didn't realize that she hadn't actually said what she'd intended, even if the message was nearly similar. Neither had she yet to blink, though her embarrassment after screaming had all but been forgotten by this point. Now, she typically didn't act this way. She always tried to keep in control of the situation, to be the one steering the conversation, and to use her own charms to captivate the attention of others. It simply wasn't often she was on the receiving end of the game, though at the moment, she'd have hardly complained! They were glorious... and the captain herself was beautiful, too!

"You, um... You going to stay up there the whole time?" Hanako tried her best to control herself, all while desperately not following up what was supposed to be a playful way to ease the tension with the simple word 'please'. As her mind slowly caught up to the situation, and she felt some semblance of thought return to her, she found herself no longer nervous about today. Instead, she was delighted to have signed up for the stealth classes, after all.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Quite a surprise although it was a fun one at the very least, that’s how Kimiko felt about the academy student that suddenly shrieked out loud like a tiny child. It wasn’t the best thing to see regarding a recruit to the Second Division. All the same though she was certain most couldn’t see her even in this limited cover so to deduce points right away wasn’t her intention. It took a couple moments for the woman to calm down and then direct her vision up to meet Kimiko’s. Although her line of sight toward Kimiko she might be looking at someone either allured by her or jealous once again.

Nozawa was from the looks of it very shaken although centering herself then just like that seemed ready and once she asked if Kimiko was going to stay up in the tree the Shihoin extended her legs and she dropped from the branch. Flipping her body as easily as standing up is all that one could express as Kimiko landed on her feet now facing Nozawa upright. “I could see what I want just fine from there, but perhaps a better spot for both of us. Is there anywhere specific you want to go?” Kimiko didn’t care where Nozawa wanted to go. She knew that comfort was important as nervousness could limit or even prove to be hindering when being tested.

The academy really was a strange place to Kimiko, having avoided it through her own training as a Shinigami she only ever really comes to the establishment when seeking out new recruits like now. Lately though whenever that happened and she found someone with the spine to join, well they didn’t. Sometimes she sent Haunzu in her place, but even some of the active Shinigami still couldn’t recognize her zanpakuto. She could only hope that Nozawa wouldn’t just prove herself once but dozens of times in the future.

[Hanako Nozawa]

In no time at all, the captain had climbed down from the tree and stood before her in all her... glory. However, Hanako paused upon realizing the height difference between them. When she thought of a captain and all the stories she'd heard of their strength and power, what she was not picturing was a very well-built and endowed woman... who, in fact, stood a full six inches shorter than herself. Hanako sometimes forgot how tall she was, though maybe this was a little much to absorb all at once.

"No, no..." She answered the woman through a smile creeping onto her expressive face. It had taken all of her willpower not to answer that they should go to her bedroom. However, a pinnacle of self-restraint and control, she most certainly was not... "I can see everything I want just fine here, too." One corner of her mouth lifted by reflex, turning her innocent smile into a playful smirk almost against her will. The butterflies in her stomach were certainly active for a different reason now, though if she weren't careful, she may get herself into trouble with her captain before even joining the ranks!

"What would you have me do first?" Hanako's smile widened a little more again, and one hand reached up nonchalantly to brush a lock of hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. "For the assessment, I mean!" A brief, throaty chuckle punctuated her clarification; though whether she'd meant one interpretation or the other was unclear. Shihoin-taichou's dark blue eyes were as gorgeous as the rest of her! A part of her was starting to worry she wouldn't be able to concentrate while talkign to such a cutie. "Where do you want me~?"

[Kimiko Shihoin]

A stealth member that was certainly going to be on the taller side that was one thing that would have to be handled right away for Nozawa. Kimiko didn’t have any problem training anyone so long as they could pick up what needed to be learned. She’d taught and overseen shinigami larger than Nozawa before whether they be women or men it didn’t matter. She would have an easier time hiding then the largest of her students in the past. She was certainly sporting a chest though, but that wouldn’t be a problem for Kimikko to point out. She’d developed in the same way after already being trained in the art of stealth. So teaching someone else how she’d figured out how to stay both out of sight and completely in view with her assets would be easy.

Kimiko didn’t have any problem with the gaze that Nozawa was giving her as virtually everyone gave her a similar look. She’d learned years ago that she was what almost anyone would consider appealing visually. So accepting that fact and then learning how to use it for herself was again something she could teach Nozawa now. She just had to make sure that this future student could focus and pick up her teachings correctly. So now it was time to see what Nozawa could do at the moment, what needed to be assessed, addressed and improved upon. For that Kimiko had brought along with her the best possible tool. Whispering in a high pitch for a moment, Kimiko stepped back as a small wolf pup of black and gray fur walked out from the backside of the tree.

“This is Haunzu. You’re going to try and catch him. You can use whatever you know and have at your disposal. He’s your target, capture and bring him back to me.”

Just like that Haunzu would take off after looking at Nozawa up and down a couple of times. Despite obviously being a pup he mobbed with the speed of a full grown adult. Nozawa was going to have to try since bending down in order to reach out and grab him would give Haunzu the time he’d need to lung to either side. He was trained to avoid what Nozawa was asked to accomplish. He wasn’t going to make this easy even if he could only manage 50 speed. The real trick would be if Nozawa used shunpo in order to appear in front of Haunzu or get right up on him then the pup would hop backwards and take off in the opposite direction.

[Hanako Nozawa]

Thankfully, or not depending on one's perspective, they moved forward with the assessment shortly thereafter. Hanako's attention remained on her would-be commanding officer as the woman stepped back and called for something, only for a sound to pull her away and towards the sight of something coming from behind the tree. It certainly wasn't what she had been expecting, and being so unprepared, Hanako was unable to contain herself and keep anything close to a professional air about her.

In short, she squealed excitedly at the adorable puppy which had walked by. Even as Shihoin-taichou was busy explaining the exercise to her, Hanako was too busy kneeling down to offer her hand to the pup to truly absorb what was being said. Unfortunately, the pup didn't seem inclined to accept her attempts to get close to pet it, and instead ran off at the other woman's command. A small pout gave away the student's disappointment, until she realized the test had, in fact, just begun!

"Oh!" She exclaimed while pushing herself to her feet, and broke into a sprint across the field after the pup! It took her several steps of awkwardly finding her zanpakutō slapping her on the ass before she remembered to reach back and hold it steady by the hilt, but once she'd done that, her speed and balance greatly improved. The pup was as fast as any adult human could reasonably be expected to be, but simply put, Hanako proved herself to be faster! She was quick to catch its wake, and with her free hand, she reached out and-

She grabbed only air! The pup had turned and bound off in another direction in the time she'd had to slow down to try and grab it. With a huff, Hanako came to an abrupt stop, spun on the ball of her foot in quick fashion, and resumed chasing after the adorable target! Seconds later, she was upon it again, and again, she tried to reach for its midsection -only to find it had turned around and run through underneath her legs! Hanako appeared to fumble, fell forward, and rolled once before bounding back to her feet again to give chase once more! Over the next thirty seconds, this pattern began to repeat itself time after time, giving the impression that the young woman was either clumsy or incapable of coordinating herself to make the catch.

However, that wasn't the case, as one as experienced as Shihoin-taichou might have been able to deduce. Far from clumsy, Hanako was quite the acrobat, using her weight and momentum with a good amount of precision to tumble her way into quick turns. As for being incapable of catching the pup, well... She couldn't stop laughing or smiling the entire time. She had begun to enjoy herself fairly quickly, in fact, and each time she got close to the pup, she intentionally slowed herself just to extend the game a little further. That is, until...

"Gotcha!" Hanako yelled through a childish smile as she dove, and with the speed she'd built up, wrapped each arm around the pup's sides to prevent it escaping this time! She rolled across the field a few times, cradling the animal against herself, and finally came to a stop on her side. Less than a moment later, her laughter resumed, as she cuddled the animal and nuzzled her face into its fur. Rather than stand, she opted to roll until she could turn her head to look back at Shihoin-taichou, still smiling like an excited child and refusing to release the pup in her grasp. "I got him!"

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Although it wasn’t unnatural, it was unusual for a Shinigami, even a fresh one just getting out of the academy to be so caught up by Haunzu. The small wolf pup in Kimiko’s eyes was the cutest thing possible. There could be nothing more precious in the world. Kimiko had to smile though not just due to the insane degree that Nozawa was absorbed by Haunzu, but by the fact she hadn’t noticed Kimiko’s eyes this entire time. If she had taken a moment to really look at Kimiko’s face instead of away from her chest then perhaps she would have noticed the golden eyes which matched Haunzu.

The small work pup wasn’t some sort of pet nor was it a wild animal. What Nozawa was struggling to get happened to be a zanpakuto. The zanpakuto of Captain Shihoin that didn’t just have the speed, instincts and senses to tell what Nozawa was doing and what she was about to do, but he could see it as well. Kimiko made sure of that by simply watching. Something that many didn’t know currently was just how in tune Kimiko was with her zanpakuto compared to others. Anything one saw the other perceived at the same time, literally as a second set of eyes.

When it came time that Nozawa was getting closer and closer Haunzu would slow for a moment allowing himself to be caught a bit easier. He didn’t really like giving up, but there were more things to be tested. One of which was how Nozawa was going to respond to accomplishing her assignment. A lot of the members of Division Two had been taught to suppress their emotions or ignore what they were feeling in order to become the ultimate assassin. Kimiko didn’t like such an approach as it made everything dull and boring. So when Nozawa began to cheerfully continue acting in the manner of a small child that’d caught a pet for the first time, Kimiko smiled.

Kimiko had watched and saw that Nozawa had the natural talent necessary, the movements she displayed were things that a good portion of the time had to be taught. The fact she was slowing herself just a tiny bit like Haunzu did to keep the game going longer wasn’t lost on Kimiko. “I can see you’ve managed to catch the pup, how will you handle the wolf though.” Kimiko grinned at this point, almost certain Nozawa would notice her eyes. Focusing her reiatsu for a moment Nozawa would feel Haunzu’s body suddenly expand growing from a pup to full adulthood in two to three seconds.

One moment Haunzu was the cutest pup possible and now his physical appearance would strike fear into virtually anyone smart enough to understand the situation. Although Kimiko saw him as no different, Haunzu spun himself around so he was now face to face growling at Nozawa. She was underneath a full grown wolf that had its maw almost pressed to her face. How was she going to react the moment something changed from good to horrible? Could she handle the pressure of being at war like all Shinigami?

[Hanako Nozawa]

Pups were the absolute best! They were so cute and small and cuddly and fuzzy, and Hanako may have let herself go just a little too much in front of her would-be captain. How was she supposed to resist, however? It was truly impossible to do! Nonetheless, when Shihoin-taichou spoke to her, she listened while enjoying the feel of the pup's fur on her skin. At first, a little confusion changed her expression, then as the pup grew and twisted itself around, she reacted with... a healthy amount of wariness and care.

At least, she didn't scream this time.

Reluctantly releasing the cute little pup, Hanako rolled away from its quickly changing form just a couple of meters. Near the end of her move, her zanpakutō got caught between her and the ground, and she pushed herself up to one knee to relieve herself of the awkward poking into her hip by the time the fully grown wolf was staring her down.

"H-Hey there, Ha-kun~" Her voice wavered a little, and there was an obvious amount of worry and concern in her smile. Would Shihoin-taichou let her be harmed during her assessment? Surely not, but what was she supposed to think now that a full grown wolf was growling at her? She wished it were the small and cute pup again, and that she and the captain could spend the day cuddling it instead of fighting. Wait, was she even supposed to fight the wolf? It was then that Hanako realized her hand was on the hilt of her zanpakutō, ready to draw, and her other outstretched in a distancing gesture. It was a little scary how easily she'd relied on her training without knowing it...

"You look so scary now~" Hanako's voice lilted, her smile widened a little, and she took her hand off her zanpakutō. She shifted her posture so that she was instead standing on both feet, bent a little and with arms wide in as open body language as she knew how to convey. Her fingers even curled and opened again a few times to gesture the animal to come near. After all, she didn't feel like the goal was to harm her. It wasn't, was it? No, she certainly didn't get that feeling from either Shihoin-taichou or Haunzu. Her blue eyes shifted quickly between the two, finding a little amusement in their identical golden lenses before all of her attention went back to the wolf. "Do you still want to play?"

[Kimiko Shihoin]

“Haunzu isn’t a pet Hanako, you’re facing my zanpakuto.”

Kimiko watched as Hanako did her best to get some sort of distance away from Haunzu but ultimately what happened was no different than watching someone get bit only to get fearful of what they were cuddling only a moment ago. It was natural to be afraid of Haunzu though when he was in his adult form. Kimiko had faced off against her own zanpakuto enough times that her entire body at this point should have been nothing more than one giant scar. Still though when she watched Hanako back off while holding her hand out like Haunzu was some house dog she had to fight off the instinct to laugh.

Kimiko knew that to Haunzu it was almost like offering your hand if he let you live. The black wolf of the stealth force was a zanpakuto that could hunt down the majority of Soul Society without Kimiko ever really needing to step in. In fact she had to question her choices so often now. Was she really bettering the war, the worlds, Soul Society included by being a Captain. Perhaps she should have just let her father lead the Shihoin, if she had stayed a seated officer perhaps she could have stopped a lot of the problems by being on the front lines more often.

“Alright Haunzu that’s enough.”

Kimiko spoke out loud without need just so Hanako would be included in what was going on. Haunzu immediately turned from the vicious wolf to a happy dog once again straightened up and pranced over to Kimiko. Despite what Kimiko had just told Hanako about him here he was acting like a pet. Perhaps he was doing it just to poke fun at Kimiko. So many of Haunzu had a joyousness about them that teasing her was something they’d do constantly. Either way though Kimiko never had a problem with any of her wolves soft fur.

“Hanako remember this well, even if something appears harmless you have no clue if it’s meant to look that way or not. When you’re on assignment, never ever let down your guard.”

[Hanako Nozawa]

Hanako's head tilted a little, her expression changed to one of bewilderment at the revelation that Haunzu was, in fact, Shihoin-taichou's zanpakutō. It was a novel idea, and her hand again swept absentmindedly to her own sword hanging from her waist. Would she one day learn to manifest its spirit into the world like the captain had done? She'd have to speak to it first, of course, so maybe she was getting a little ahead of herself. Her mind wandered for a few seconds more of what sort of spirit would one day emerge from the quiet weapon, before being called back to the moment by the captain's words.

"Oh, uh... Yes, ma'am." Hanako nodded. Truly, she was learning a lot already that basically amounted to that same lesson: do not lower your guard. Keep aware of your surroundings. Keep your eye on the enemy. Don't assume anything might be less dangerous just because it's cute. She couldn't say she much agreed with that last part, but if Shihoin-taichou thought it was important enough to teach, then she should probably keep it in mind for the future.

Still, she did kind of want to play with Haunzu again.

"Huh..." As scatter-brained as ever, or perhaps focusing a little too much on the other woman and her pup, Hanako's expression turned quizzical as she eyed the both of them for a second or two more. Now that they were less active, so to say, she had taken notice of something interesting that gave credence to the captain's words. "Now that you mention it, you two do feel very... similar."

[Kimiko Shihoin]

“A Shinigami and Zanpakuto should always feel similar, we are part of one another, only together are we truly whole. Remember always that your Zanpakuto is a part of you. Don’t think of them as a separate entity or someone that doesn’t care.” Kimiko had learned very early on after awakening her zanpakuto that treating them with respect and care was always the best choice. Although she had made Haunzu do things in the past that many of them didn’t like, she knew that they all loved her and she loved them. Hopefully when Hanako awakens her zanpakuto she’ll find that as well.

“One last piece of advice before I leave. Always prepare multiple ways to handle battle. You’re going to come across those that can’t be killed with a blade or kido. Practice and learn many disciplines so that you’re never unable to accomplish your mission.” Kimiko possessed one such entity that couldn’t be killed in multiple ways thus she would always warn her subordinates about the possibility. Hanako had done better than some even if she didn’t show a lot of what she could do so far.

That didn’t matter as Kimiko could review the files once again if she needed to see just what Hanako was good at during the academy. Kimiko smiled and started to pet Haunzu. “I’ll see you soon, so you’re aware Division Two trains everyday on multiple aspects so be ready. I welcome you Nozawa to Division Two. Get some rest before your life as the eyes and ears of the Seireitei begins.”

[Hanako Nozawa]

Hanako nodded along slowly, taking in what the captain was telling her as best she could. It was similar to how her instructors had chosen to describe the zanpakutō before: a reflection of themselves that is to be understood. Quite honestly, she'd never understood what that was supposed to mean, but she was beginning to get an inkling of an understanding now. If what Shihoin-taichou was saying was the case, then shinigami and zanpakutō were two halves of the whole, rather than like reflections in a mirror. That... helped a few pieces to fall neatly into place, now that she thought of it that way.

Of course, the buxom captain wasn't done there. She continued to explain, and her student continued to listen as before. Prepare multiple means to fight, huh? That contradicted what her instructors had been saying, where she should find her niche and excel at it. That had been the entire point of the advanced course she was placed in, after all, wasn't it? To help nurture skill into being a specialty. That had been something she'd struggled with for much of her time in the academy, even up to now.

"If... That makes sense, actually." Her expression couldn't decide on what it wanted to convey, switching between a frown and confusion and finally bubbly realization. "Officially, we're taught so many shinigami arts, but it's almost seemed like an unwritten rule for students to find a niche and specialize in it. I'll keep that in mind." A wide smile stretched across her face, and only grew brighter at the welcome into the Nibantai. It was an abject impossibility to control her excitement in the moment, and a sharp squeal escaped Hanako as she bounced not so subtly in place. "Yes, ma'am!"

[Kitai Yoru]

Hanako Nozawa: 27 paragraphs, one 20% bonus towards a thread with Kimiko
Kimiko Shihoin: 21 paragraphs, one 20% bonus towards a thread with Hanako