Kido? Or Kidon't?

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

She was going through her rehabilitation, slowly recovering, and now that she was out of her wheelchair, her broken legs recovered, she still hadn't walked in nearly a week and a half. With so little physical activity, she was feeling sluggish, foreign with her legs as she made her way to the Kido Division barracks for a simple purpose. She had connections with the place which allowed her to learn a good number of her techniques, with the exception of Squad 4 which allowed her to do minor Kaido studies. However, she didn't excel in those areas. Step by step, the one armed Shinigami looked at the bright vibrant world around her, took a light breath, and felt as if the world was a better place, it was the oyster for her to explore, it was the island that hid her adventures and treasure. "W-Well, here I come world."

Kido was an art that was not restricted to any Shinigami, but it just happened to be that not many were able to effectively utilize and study the art like she had. Considered an expert, she was the most proficient with the skill among all the Vice Captains. Why, she even know the dangerous Hado#91 that could wipe away an army in a single moment. As one of the newest of the vice captains, she wondered if people would recognize her immediately. Her badge she wore on her right arm was what signified her as the Vice Captain of the financial division as her left arm was gone, the sleeve fluttering uselessly in the breeze. However, there was oddly no problem with that for Senshi. It was a learning lesson, that she didn't have to fight everyone. Sometimes...it was smarter to live to fight another day. Well...more like always the smarter idea.

Walking into the general library, she pulled out the high end Bakudo book volume she studied before. One could say that she would fit incredibly well in this squadron, especially seeing she understood much of the mechanics of Kido functions. However, she was here simply as a scholar, not an enforcer. She wasn't cleared to go back to duty, they'd give her a month to recover and cope with this loss, as she was still going back for healings occasionally. The wounds she had received would normally kill any Shinigami, and it was only by sheer miracles that she was able to hold on any longer than she had. Spending thirty minutes or so sitting there, her reading glasses on her face, the redhead blinked those cerulean eyes before shutting the volume neatly. If she couldn't go back to duty, she'd work and assist instead in other ways. 

Approaching a senior officer of the squad, the woman bowed her head low before standing as straight as she could, and she was short...very short as the man towered a good foot over her. "Konichiwa." The man returned his own bow, and he spoke to the Vice Captain with respect. "Hai Fukutaicho?" Senshi took a moment to think about how to word it before just deciding to be blunt and get to the point. "I-I'd like to see if there's any members of your division that could use training in the spiritual arts. I'm quite efficient and I have been relieved of duty for the time being." He put his hand on his chin, stroking his mustache for just a moment before nodding. He head off to get one of the Shinigami that needed ahem...the most...hmm...improvement as well as knowledge. "Oh...and please have them meet me outside in the training yard. Indoors is no place for Kido to be taught." Another "Hai" and the man was off.

Senshi herself went outside to see a good number of training dummies, many of which were practiced on and replaced daily. The squad members were practicing and or talking or going about their business. Odayakama Senshi took liberty to stand by the doorway leading to this location for her student for the day. She really hasn't taught people before, and she wondered if she'd be any good at it. "Oh dear...I can just imagine the criticism I'm going to get!" She spoke to herself as her eyes turned into white anime dishplates with nervous tears dripping as she imagined the student rejecting her for having one arm, for being so short, for the way she looked, or some other reasons. She reverently blushed to herself at those thoughts, in fact, so much so that she wasn't quite aware of the world around her for a good moment or two. 

[Ranth]

OOC: Training for 50% CTP and 50% SP

twenty seven... twenty eight... twenty nine... thi- "Oi Ranth, front and Centre. Now!" A shirtless, sweaty Ranth craned his neck from his place on the dojo floor where he'd been in the middle of doing his morning exercise routine as Artorius Sidonis, the 5th seat of the Kido Corps burst into the room. Ranth hesitated only a moment before rising from his push up position and snapping a salute. "What do you need si- I mean, uh, what do you need?" Artorius had been trying to encourage Ranth to treat him less formally and it was... still a work in progress to put it nicely.

"It's your lucky day my unseated friend. You'll never guess in a million years who just showed up at our door", he grinned expectantly whilst Ranth waited for him to elaborate, but as the silence stretched Artorius let out an exasperated sigh. "Guess!", he exclaimed impatiently.
"But you said I'd never guess... in a million years", Ranth replied, bemused by the contradiction that had formed. "Yes, well, it's a figure of speech. Forget it, we'll just add it to the list of things I have to teach you", Artorius chuckled in defeat as his grin returned. "The Vice Captain of the 8th squad is waiting outside for you as we speak. She's offered to give you specialised Kido training".

At this, Ranth's jaw dropped which served to make Artorius's grin even bigger. "She's here for me!?", Ranth asked, frankly stunned by the notion. "Well, not specifically... but when she asked if we had anyone who would be interested, I volunteered you", Artorius admitted sheepishly before slapping Ranth on the shoulder. "In any case, she's waiting so you need to wash up and get out there ASAP!" Jolted into action, Ranth just nodded, grabbed his shirt and towel and dashed into the adjoining change room where he ran a cold shower to rinse of the sweat and changed into his typical garb of white and gold and within 5 minutes he was dashing out the door and towards the training area, which was Artorius had told him he would find his unexpected instructor waiting.

He didn't have to go far before he spotted the Vice Captain leaning against the doorway to the outdoor training area. He never would have recognised her as such if it wasn't for the distinctive Vice Captain badge that was pinned to the sleeve of her left arm... which he realised came to an abrupt end at the elbow. However, his adhesion to protocol outweighed any shock at seeing someone with a missing limb and as he came up to her he slowed and saluted sharply despite the fact that he was a full foot taller than her and she looked as though she could have been his younger sister. To Ranth none of that mattered because of the badge on her arm gave her more than enough authority to earn his respect no matter what she looked like.

Although speaking of her appearance, he found the combination of her vivid red hair and pale blue eyes very striking, especially when taking her fair complexion into account. Thankfully- from Ranth's perspective- her rather diminutive stature gave something vaguely innocent to her overall demeanour and it put Ranth at ease. If she'd been closer to his height with a massive bust then he'd have been unable to look her in the eye, he'd have been incapable of stringing together a coherent sentence and he'd have been as red as a tomato.

"Good morning sir, my name is Ranth Amanite, unseated officer of the Kido Corps. Thank you very much for your gracious offer of extra training". From anyone else, this regimental and incredibly formal introduction might have seemed sarcastic, but Ranth delivered it with such deadpan sincerity that it was painfully obvious that there was nothing else on his mind other than gratitude for this opportunity and respect for his superior officer. Although in hindsight, should he have referred to her as M'am he wondered whilst remaining stiffly and resolutely at attention.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

As the redheaded vice captain was waiting for her charge, she found him eventually coming out to greet her, observing her, and then greeted her in a painfully formal way, and yet it was familiar because there was a time where she greeted everyone the same way. In fact...many times she still did to people that were her superiors. He was a foot taller than her and he had hair of fair snow, his skin matching that fairness. Smiling shyly, she bowed her head before slowly raising herself back to full height. Her robes were perhaps a size or two too big, making it look like her arms were hidden for the most part, but that wasn’t much of an issue for her. She’s worn this ever since her first day out of the academy.

“K-Konichiwa! My name is Odayakama Senshi, Fukutaicho of the 8th Division.” Stating her name, ranking, and what squad she was from, she returned his little greeting with a shy look as she somewhat shrank seemingly, looking smaller in her shyness. “I am here to train you in Kido today a-and...umm.” She looked up to him before she took a moment to think about how things should be. “Let’s start off by telling me what Kido you know. Our regimen will revolve around getting your spiritual reserves and power stronger but also teaching you new techniques.” Hopefully that sounded appealing for she had quite a few kido in her arsenal. Plenty of experience to share too.

Turning her back to him, she motioned her back for him to follow. She’d stop by another corner of the barracks filled with training dummies. It was away from other members of the squadron as to not interrupt. It was pretty trivial to get the fifth seat to prepare this for her personal training of the squad. “So...I want to let you know now that training new Kido itself is a great way to improve reserves of reiatsu and with mastery helps yield to strength. However, sometimes perfection of the basics allows one to reach a new level entirely.” Mentally chanting an incantation at practiced ease, perhaps he might sense the energy gathering on her fingertips, perhaps not.

Her right hand channeled reiatsu, before she thrusted her fingertips outward, aiming straight at a simple puppet. It was a Byakurai, but it was so powerful despite being a thin line of energy, it blasted through the training partners with ease, but that wasn’t all. Proceeding to blast a hole neatly through six dummies, it blasted forward, piercing the wall of the edge barracks. The energy ended there, smoke moving from Senshi’s hand. “When one has mastered a technique and knows how to effectively use it, then they are truly fearsome.” She showed him what she was capable of with her Kido, and this was one of the most basic ones. She was shy, but her power showed that she had some merit to her skill. Vice Captains weren’t chosen for nothing...despite herself feeling as if she needed to work harder for the rank.

“I know that I told you should perfect what you know, but for now, I’ll be teaching you a few new tricks. As for why is because like I said, it will help your reserves and strength naturally. Perfection takes time, and it will NOT happen in a day. You'll spend your own time perfecting usage I'm sure. So, I’ll ask you a question. If you were in a battle...would you rather kill all the enemies in your path? Or would you rather bind them and leave them unable to fight against you.” Those cerulean eyes looked serious, judging not only what she’d be teaching him, but his intention for learning Kido. She was a master of Bakudo personally, but she could teach what she knew of the offensive arts either way.

This was a lot to take for him most likely. She showed him an extent of power that was achieved by few, and had given him perhaps a goal for him to reach. Yet, she wanted him to know that she was here to help him reach that level. She didn’t want another Shinigami...training alone for the goal of strength in isolation like she had. The crippling loneliness after her comrades were slaughtered like flies. It took her long to realize that she was worth something, that she didn’t have to be alone, that even someone like her could contribute to the Soul Society. She wasn’t panicking so much anymore, she wasn’t shy. She was composed now when getting to practical training. Hopefully, she was doing a good job teaching.

[Ranth]

Ranth nodded politely as introductions were made. His new instructor's name was quite a mouthful to be honest, but he wouldn't dare shorten the name of a superior officer to a nickname and so Miss Odayakama she would be. He didn't notice her nerves for much the same reason that people don't notice thing's they aren't looking for or don't expect to see. In Ranth's mind, a vice captain was strong and confident and so it didn't even occur to him that they might also possess insecurities just like anyone else. Lowering his salute as Miss Odayakama pointed out over the field towards one of the training dummies, Ranth stood behind and a little to the side so he had a clear view as she cast a spell he recognised, but with potency he'd never seen before- not even from the Academy instructors.

"Wow, I... wow", was all he could say as he surveyed the path the technique had taken through the training dummies, which were still smouldering where they'd been pierced straight through. He'd been eager for training before, but just seeing the potential of what he could achieve brought a certain thrill to the prospect of learning and mastering kido. Miss Odayakama clearly had a methodical nature that matched Ranth's own. It seemed both the most efficient and most logical approach to getting the most out of any technique and it also stood to reason that like exercising nay other muscle, practising with Kido would improve his reserves, control and general mastery of all Kido on top of any specific technique he was focusing on.

His awe was soon replaced with embarrassment however, as the conversation turned to the question of Ranth's arsenal and he blushed, eyes turning down to look at his feet. "Well, uh, I um... don't really know any that well. The Academy didn't really... focus... on Kido as much as other things. I took extra classes when I could, but it was hard to fit them in between exams and other assessments", he admitted guiltily. With the Kido corps being in such a slump, it stood to reason that Kido wasn't pushed as much as the other disciplines, or perhaps that was exactly why, the Kido corps was so understaffed. In any case, Ranth genuinely enjoyed practising the art but he'd been forced to focus time on the things that were mandatory for graduation rather than the things he found most interesting.

Then there was the last question, which made Ranth feel like he was back at the academy under exam conditions. "I... don't have any enemies and I've never had to fight for my life", he said softly. "I never want to have to kill anyone and I want the power to protect myself and those who cannot protect themselves, but I'd never forgive myself if I failed to do that because I refused to acquire a power that can inflict harm", he exhaled deeply as he remembered something his mother had once told him when he'd been forced to learn other languages and he'd asked why he needed to bother when most people all spoke english.

"I suppose... I'd rather have the power to kill and not need it, than to need it and not have it... so I suppose, the answer is that I want to be able to do both", he concluded reluctantly, even the thought of killing another person making him uncomfortable. But before miss Odayakama could speak again, a question rose unexpectedly to his lips. "Um, if it's okay, that is... if you don't mind my asking... which type of power did you choose when you were in my position... and... did you end up changing your mind?"

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

As her student seemed to be awed at the power of one of her most basic Kido, she looked down to her hand and blew away the smoke as if she had just fired a gun. In a sense, she had fired a powerful bullet, and she had done so with refined practice. Though...she wondered if she could have possibly pieced the wall also. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter. She got the point across that practicing and training was going to be a major step needed to become skilled in Kido. Her shyness was slowly going away, at least while she was teaching him what she thought was essential for anyone that called themselves a practitioner of the fighting style. Smiling with that adorable shyness at her dumbfounded onlooker, she decided to as him a question.

“Like what you see?” Well, of course he did. He was part of the Kido Division. Though...now came for a bit of a shock to Senshi. The member of the Kido Division didn’t know any Kido? This was the most shocking news that she has ever had in her life. Even she, who was a member of the financial division had left the academy knowing the Byakurai. “I...see. Then we will have far more to do then I thought. I assume though you have aptitude...or at least comprehension. Otherwise, I don’t see why they would put you in this squadron.” She didn’t mean to sound so blunt, but it was the truth he needed to hear.

She listened to his answer about what he’d use his power for, and she nodded. It was an acceptable answer, though it didn’t help her a ton on what she’d be specializing him in. Well, she supposed then that she’d have to teach him everything. There wasn’t exactly a problem with that, but it was just the matter of what she’d be starting with. Perhaps she ought to show him the Kido that she knew, or at least some of the really staple techniques and start from there. While in her thought, she came out of it when he asked her the same question. What did she want her power for and what type of power did she choose? She looked into his eyes with hers for that moment, coming up with the answer simply enough.

“Well...when I started out, I wanted to protect people, do my best to be self sufficient. Thing is, I was always too hesitant to do anything. I didn’t have the heart to hurt people, and because of that, lives were always lost and I suffered greatly. I eventually came to the conclusion that sometimes violence would have to be the solution and that sometimes peace or at least that sort of fighting is impossible. I mastered both ends of the spectrum.” Not so long later, she came up with some ideas. “I suppose...I know what I’ll be teaching you, or at least showing you some ideas of what I’ll be teaching you.”

Slowly stepping back, she decided to share her thoughts. “Without any experience, Hado is a bit of a dangerous start as you might be able to hurt yourself, even if accidentally. I will be teaching you Bakudo to start, but surely you’d want to know what Bakudo you’d like to learn. How about...I show you the techniques, but also have you experience them firsthand so you know how it’s done, how it feels, and know it’s limitations? It won’t harm you unlike a Hado, and it was the first branch of Kido I mastered.” It was a fair question, a reasonable thought. She’d wait to see if he’d agree or not, and if he did, she’d walk forward, then tap his shoulder. This was how she was going to start out their little exercise.

"Man, shaped by Divine hands, revert to the form before limbs, clutch at your own throat and be afraid." She slowly and clearly said the incantation out loud for the male in front of her, and within that moment, an incredible force would immediately lock his arms behind his back. It was tighter than a straitjacket and in terms of getting his arms free? If he were to try and force his arms apart, it was as if they were not only tied, but a great weight was forcing them together, as if a giant was pushing his arms back down together and he were an ant. “Kai.” The binding would release itself, and he would be able to move his arms again. Though, she’d leave it up to his senses to determine how the Kido was just performed, how it functioned, and what his hypothesis was. After all, he was a member of the Kido Division. Or...perhaps he’d like to just move on to the next Bakudo.

[Ranth]

Ranth winced as miss Odayakama thought out loud regarding whether Ranth really belonged in the Kido Corps given the sorry state of his so called arsenal. Thinking back on it now, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd been noticed by the Kido Corps. Granted, he'd shown the most enthusiasm for the subject and he aced all of the theoretical aspects of the techniques they studied and whislt he wasn't top of the class for the few Kido courses they had done, he'd always been the one who improved the most from start to finish and when taking the extra courses into account that he'd completed afterward, he probably had graduated as the most proficient practitioner in his class in an unofficial capacity, because by then the classes were over and the grades were already finalised.

Ranth was startled to find that his instructors doubt, even if it wasn't malicious, stung Ranth in a way he hadn't felt for a long time. He wasn't a proud person and he didn't feel as though he had many things he could actually feel proud or passionate about, but now he realised that Kido was one of those things and he swallowed hard and forced himself to speak in his defense. "I-in my second year at the academy, I uh... accidentally bound another student without using an incantation. It didn't happen again after that though.". He didn't relish the memory, for he'd been acting in self defense at the time but he did feel a small twinge of satisfaction at the part that had left his tormentor bound for several hours before the technique had worn off.

He was relieved when the topic of conversation turned away from himself and miss Odayakama spoke about herself and, in a way, shed a little light on what she'd been through during her time as a fully fledged Shinigami. To him, it sounded like an echo of his own thoughts to a large extent, except without the bitter life lessons that had shaped her and, he thought as he glanced at her missing arm, left her scarred. He perked up as she said she knew what she was going to teach him first and he stood a little straighter as she reached up "I'm ready, miss Odayakama", he said with a nod and with that she in turn reached up and touched his shoulder before beginning to speak an incantation that he recognised after the first few words had passed her lips.

Whilst he couldn't reliably use any of the many spells from the various schools of Kido, Ranth could confidently claim to know their names, functions and incantations by wrote. This particular spell was Bakudo #1, Sai and it worked by- before he could finish that thought, his arms were locked unceremoniously behind his back and it felt like a great weight was bearing down on him, making it difficult to breathe properly. Try as he might, he couldn't so much as wriggle his fingers as an all encompassing force locked them in place. He could see how someone could panic upon having their freedom of movement restricted in such a way- it almost felt claustrophobic and he was relieved when the spell ended and he could move his arms once again.

Realising that miss Odayakama was watching him expectantly, Ranth stopped massaging his arm and straightened his back. "That was Bakudo #1, Sai. Generally, the practitioner points their index and middle fingers at the intended target, causing the target's arms to lock behind their back. The spell is generally meant for a single target, but with sufficient skill it can be used on large groups of people as well", he recited word for word from the textbook he'd spent hours upon hours studying within the Academy. "It's... unpleasant having your freedom taken away like that, but I can see now how it's excellent for preventing a fight", he said thoughtfully. Or for rendering someone incapable of defending themselves, he thought bitterly as he remembered the bullying that had taken place within the Academy.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Senshi listened to the fellow about performing a Kido without the incantation, and that was one of the reasons why he was considered. She looked at him as if looking for more reason, then when there was nothing she internally scratched her head. ‘Are standards being lowered at the academy? I didn’t even join the Kido Division or the development squad, and by the time I left the academy, I had around five or six Kido mastered give or take.” It then made her think about the Kuroi invasion that had occured. That could be partially a good reason why. Many Shinigami both experienced and inexperienced alike were slaughtered, why in fact at the gate she was guarding, over a hundred died in a mere instant. She could only imagine the large number of casualties that took place afterwards. So, that would certainly explain the rush to get more troops and faster.

However...that was lazy. Yes, that was quite reprehensible, as Senshi would prefer going through hardship for a longer time and waiting for competent trained soldiers rather than new soldiers that didn’t know what the hell they were doing. Yet, she had a smile on her face the whole time as she simply prepared to move on teaching. She’d make sure that this Shinigami here would at least be able to defend himself, protect himself and others, be able to perform his duty efficiently. In the past, she’s seen plenty of Shinigami die, some just because the enemy was too strong, but also because many were unprepared. Being a Shinigami was a dangerous job, as could be seen by Senshi as an example. She faced a Sternritter and she wasn’t prepared for such an opponent. She was lucky enough to be living now with just a missing arm as a permanent flesh wound.

She went on to perform Sai on the Shinigami before her, and he looked like he was going to keel over and die. However, it was a good reason for her to release the Kido. “It is requiring physical contact with a target. Yes, everything else about what you said is true and accurate. So, it seems like to me you’re more of a booksmart Shinigami than practical.” She was just stating her observation, and based on what he said, she assumed that she was right. Seeing that the man didn’t really say anything about desire to learn this Kido, she assumed she didn’t want to have this technique in his arsenal, or at least he wanted to see what other options were available before he made some choices. “Well then...let’s move on then shall we?” Focusing her energy, she recited an incantation that should be familiar, for it was the next binding Bakudo, skipping Bakudo number three as it was used more for sensing a surrounding, plus she had never used it herself.

“Fall dawn of man. Crawl before the terror of your own hubris and be bound by harsh indignation. Bakudo no Yon, Hainawa.” Taking liberty to use again the fellow in front of her as example, the golden rope shot out at fast speed, attempting to wrap around the man’s whole body, and if it hit, the effect of the incantation caused him to be wrapped by even more rope, keeping his upper body up to the waist bound as if he were in a straitjacket of the finest quality. It was a Bakudo she used commonly to back up Sai, making it even harder to escape, extremely useful when wanting to prevent an enemy from moving effectively. On top of this...this Kido was also incredibly tight, though she lessened it as to make sure he wouldn’t feel like he was suffocating, just feel discomfort.

“Another Bakudo, and one that has saved my life on more than one occasion. One thing I find important is that sometimes, people have to view Kido in abstract ways, to use them in ways that they might not have originally been made for. Innovation is the most dangerous weapon wielded by a fighter and the same goes for Kido users.” Her cerulean eyes scanned the rope, allowing him to comprehend this before she swung her fingertips. “Kai.” Setting the unseated officer free, she wanted to know what he was looking for. There was just so many possibilities with Kido, it might be hard to narrow down. Though if he wanted to see what else she could teach him at his level, she had a few more choices. Ranth seemed troubled, Senshi noticed that, and she was wondering if it had something to do with her statement about...possibly being incompetent? Just to give him a little heads up, she made it clear. "You may not be so skilled at Kido now...but don't be discouraged for I will teach you what I know and prepare you. Is that understood? I'm here to support you." 

[Ranth]

Ranth inclined his head in a gesture of acknowledgement and defeat at miss Odayakama's assessment of where his 'strength' in Kido lay. Of course, it was a stretch to refer to something like knowledge of kido as a strength when any level of expertise in that same technique would be infinitely more beneficial in almost any practical example one could think of. "I couldn't say if standards have changed ma'am, when I came to the academy I had no training or knowledge about anything to do with being a Shinigami. I had six years to catch up to my peers and in that time I couldn't master any of the kido techniques that were touched on in class. In order to graduate I had to take a particular set of intensive courses and Kido was the least featured among them", he explained honesty, although it was obvious that he was embarrassed to admit what he felt was a severe failure on his part.

When the next binding came, he one again recognised the incantation before the technique itself came to life. He didn't resist, not that there would have been any point even if he had. The glowing bonds of light entangled him and constricted to the point that he once again felt like he'd been robbed of all control of his arms as they were tied snugly to his sides. But he wasn't in pain and with a deep breath, he calmed the instinctive panic that being bound brought with it and focused on the technique. The pressure of its physical form, the faint warmth that emanated from within it and as his concentration sank deeper he closed his eyes and felt something click into place deep in the back of his mind as he seemed to connect with the very reiatsu of the technique itself and for a moment, vague shapes began to gather in the corner of his awareness.

His instructor's command that released the binding chased away the figments of his imagination and whatever trance he'd fallen into was broken as the glowing ropes faded away and he found that he could move again. But although the trance was gone, something had been left behind and although it took him a moment, Ranth soon realised what that something was. It was understanding. Somehow, he understood the technique that had just been used on a level that mere academic knowledge couldn't compare to and he realised that he'd been staring blankly at miss Odayakama for quite some time now and she might have been becoming concerned. As if right on cue, the vice captain spoke to reassure him. Her smile, her tender tone and just her inherent... goodness did a lot to reassure him.

Swallowing heavily and dragged his eyes to meet the vice captain's concerned gaze, took a deep breath to bolster himself for what he was about to try and do. "Thankyou, miss Odayakama. I know I'm not qualified to be in the Corps. But... There's just something about Kido. It's as if... as if it calls to me somehow. It fascinates me and I want to understand it. All of it. But more than that. I... I want to master it". As he said this, he remembered the feeling he'd had earlier and reached out in a way he couldn't describe. It wasn't physical, because he didn't move a muscle, but it was the only way he could describe the sensation as he drew upon the energy that welled deep within himself and began coaxing it back up towards the surface. As he did this, the sense of understanding that he'd felt before returned and feeling emboldened, he began to speak.

“Fall dawn of man. Crawl before the terror of your own hubris and be bound by harsh indignation. Bakudo no Yon, Hainawa”. With every syllable that left his lips, he felt the energy he was drawing up became more easy to handle. It was as though the words were calling to it... encouraging it. Then as the final syllable was uttered he raised his hand, palm up and a pale golden thread rose up from his palm. It was thinner than the one his instructor had demonstrated, much thinner in fact, but as he watched the thread with a mixture of fascination and awe a broad smile spread across his face as the thread began to twist and turn in the air like a sentient ribbon and he quickly realised that it moved where he wanted it to as he made it dance and twirl around above his head, all the while remaining connected to him through his palm. Then, without warning the thread blinked out of existence and he felt a wave of fatigue wash over him as he swayed slightly on his feet and he looked back at miss Odsyakama. "Wow", was all he could think to say, his eyes still wide with wonder at what he'd just done.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

For all intents and purposes, she listened to him speak about not knowing if the academy standards have changed, and frankly, she wouldn’t know either. It’s been a long, long time since she herself has been in the academy, and during her induction, it was generally peaceful as compared to nowadays. He worked for six years in order to graduate, a short span for a Shinigami among all things. She nodded, acknowledging the words he spoke before she moved on with the training, binding him with her next Bakudo spell, one incredibly useful in some ways, though she found there were many other Kido with far greater benefits to learning them. So, she looked to her student, to see if he perhaps may be interested in learning it, and the discomfort on his face showed her that he certainly was having a time experiencing it.

He just sort of looked blank for a while and Senshi tilted her head in confusion but his response was appreciated. She was getting worried for a second there. “Like I said, there’s no need to worry. Rely on me to help you meet and exceed those standards.” His interest and fascination in Kido was heartwarming, to see a man that had such drive and interest in the art. Though what came next surprised her a good bit. He recited the incantation word per word before firing off the Kido, making it dance over his head as if he were displaying an elegant dance to his observer. However...as beautiful as it was, it had to come to an end eventually, and so it had. He wobbled, but was able to catch himself. Senshi wasn’t surprised.

“I’m impressed that you were able to cast it on the first attempt. That isn’t something you see every day, and because of this, I’m starting to think that maybe you have more aptitude than I originally thought.” She took liberty to look him in the eye before she had one last trial for him, that is after he’s gotten the Byakurai up to an acceptable level. “I’m going to teach you a Hado. The Byakurai, a staple amongst many Shinigami. Afterwards, I’ll be taking you to the wilderness to train with me there in private.” That was her offer to him, and since she was more than sure he already knew the incantation, she just decided to give a hint of how to cast it, to avoid him hurting himself of course.

Stepping back, she was going to show him step by step to casting the Byakurai, first holding her middle and index finger out from her right hand. “The first step to casting this Hado is to gather your Reiatsu on a singular point of your fingertip and then begin to focus it. Through this method, you will be able to see reiatsu begin to gather like this. It will be a constant flow the longer you hold it, but this is why the Byakurai is fired immediately.” Leaving it as a constant flow...was one of the fundamentals to it’s cousin technique, the Raikohou, but that wasn’t quite important right now. Gathering her reiatsu, it clearly gathered as a blue spark on her finger, before she channeled it in a more condensed point, seemingly making lightning appear on her fingertips. Kido was a step by step learning process, and hopefully the demonstration was helping.

Then, she fired, a weaker version this time, striking one of the earlier dummies right in the head, blasting a hole straight through it. “See what I did there Amanite-San? The next step is to simply shoot the reiatsu, pushing it out for a singular burst. However, one thing to learn is that when releasing a constant flow of reiatsu like that, it’s tiring, but it improves reserves. By gathering larger amounts on your finger, like a fosit, it also improves the condensation and power of the overall Byakurai. As you saw earlier, my earlier Byakurai was able to shoot through the dummies and even cut into the wall. However, I think that if I were to give that Byakurai my all, I could pierce through the wall as well. Try your best and show me what you can do.”

As for the matter of going into the woods, surely the unseated officer knew that Hollows were prone to be in those areas, hiding, feeding off of each other and Shinigami alike. Typically they were hollows that craved the spiritual essence of Shinigami considering the fact they typically developed a craving and or just a general taste for the reapers. In other words, it was a dangerous place, and it was the main reason why she was trying to teach him something to defend himself. They were going to be training the one thing that Senshi would never be able to give him as a teacher, experience. On top of that, they could purify a few of the beings. It was generally a win win situation. 

[Ranth]

Ranth stood visibly straighter, almost as though he was standing at attention following miss Odayakama's honest acknowledgement of his potential. It was nice to be acknowledged at all, but coming from a Vice Captain it was even better and he felt an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. Pride. He didn't know what he'd done to earn such a devoted teacher, but he was glad to have her in his corner. He wasn't anything special, he knew that and he felt that everyone who knew him probably knew that as well, but miss Odayakama's faith in him lit a flame inside him. It was little more than a candle in the dark, but it was there and in time, perhaps it could grow into something more.

Shoving down his feeling of accomplishment, Ranth refocused and redoubled his attention as miss Odayakama announced that they would be moving in to something a little different. She was going to instruct him on using Byakurai. Unlike the previous two techniques that she'd shown him already which were classed as Bakudo due to their nonlethal properties, Hado was quite literally the opposite. Possessing destructive force that in the most extreme cases could obliterate virtually anything it came into contact with, it stood to reason that the consequences of misusing these techniques were far more dire than anything from its Bakudo or Kaido cousins and it was something Ranth intended to take very seriously.

He was so focused on her explanation that for a moment, it went straight over his head that she'd mentioned taking him into the wilderness for more practical training. Ranth had never been to the wilderness of course, but he'd heard plenty of stories about what happened there. Namely, it was a place where Hollows were known to dwell and whilst they were rarely strong enough or numerous enough to pose any great threat to the Soul Society itself, it wasn't completely unheard of for unwary Shinigami to fall victim to one, or for them to strike out at the Rukongai. In other words, it was a dangerous place that Ranth would never have even considered venturing into alone, but with miss Odayakama... "Oh, um, okay... if you're sure it'll be okay", he said with an unmistakable nervous edge to his voice.

Following the demonstration of the Byakurai, Ranth didn't feel the same kind of connection that he had with the Hainawa and he wondered if it was something to do with the fact that he'd been in contact with it and that had somehow allowed him to connect with it. But be that as it may, he knew the incantation for the spell even though miss Odayakama hadn't used it and thanks to her detailed demonstration, he knew the theory behind the method and so there was nothing left to do except give it his best shot.

Taking a deep breath, Ranth assumed the same posture that miss Odayakama had when she'd cast the technique and ran through the steps in his mind. Standing side on to the target, he reached out with his right hand and extended his index and middle finger towards the same dummy that now bore a smoking hole where its head had been only minutes earlier. Next, he reached within himself once again and drew upon his reiatsu and began to speak the incantation. Again, he felt the words draw the reiatsu and begin to give it shape. As he finished the incantation, he pushed the energy along the length of his arm and willed it to take form at the tip of his outstretched fingers like his instructor had done and was gratified to see a small blue orb flicker to life.

It was smaller and paler than the one that miss Odayakama had created, but Ranth didn't have time to dwell on that as he remembered that he had to release the energy straight away and not to hold onto it for too long. For a moment he flailed internally as he tried to work out how to 'fire' the technique. In the end, he simply willed it to happen with all his might and was rewarded for his effort as the blue energy shot forth towards the damaged dummy. Even to Ranth, he could see that the attack was slower and smaller than the one that the Vice Caotain had achieved, but he was still more than satisfied to see- and hear- the Byakurai hit the dummy with a loud bang and leave a faint discolouring upon the surface of the center of its chest.

Exhaling deeply, Ranth bent double and placed his hands on his knees as fatigue washed over him and he was surprised to see that beads of sweat dripped him his forehead onto the dirt at his feet as he panted. "I... did it...", he grinned between pants. "I might... need a.... minute", he panted as he forced himself to straighten and placed his hands on his head so that he could breathe more easily. He felt as though he'd just sprinted half a mile and yet... having actually sprinted hundreds of half miles during his time at the Academy, what he felt now wasn't quite the same. It was somehow more... internalised, but beyond that he couldn't immediately find a better analogy for the fatigue as it washed over him.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

She had never received praise from anyone at least initially, even within life she felt her life was filled with negative vibes. She would feel glad to know she was making someone else happy at the least. The only person she could think of other than Kaen was July as he chose her to be his vice captain and then perhaps Himitsu for he wanted to help her blossom. It made her feel alive, happier, and perhaps she would even feel enlightened by the experience. Yet, she knew personally by her standards, she had to grow more. She was a plant that was just starting to bud from the dirt. Would she ever reach a point where she felt she would be satisfactory with her strength? Maybe...that was the only answer she had for herself. The redheaded Shinigami though had to continue teaching, and so she had with her demonstration of a basic Kido, the Byakurai. Most every Shinigami and their mother could cast this spell, and so she eagerly awaited Ranth’s skill in it. Of course she didn't expect him to master it on the first try. Those cerulean orbs staring at the birth of a Kido user...it was beautiful.

It was good that he acknowledged that he was alright with going to the wilderness. With her with him, there was virtually nothing to fear. Hado and Bakudo were indeed vastly different and she could see that through Ranth. He seemed to contemplate how to cast the spell, go about things in a sense. However, he did it, albeit weak, he did it nonetheless. He fell to his knees in the next moment, exhausted, panting, sweating, and smiling. She smiled at him and offered him her good hand, to help him stand. “That was a good start Ranth.” She dropped the last name and suffix moving to first name. She was his teacher...it should he alright. Giving a slight giggle, she slowly turned, motioning for him to follow her. “You've earned break time. Join me for some tea and Dango.” She was remaining optimistic for the time being, but there was one undeniable truth she had to acknowledge.

He was not prepared. If he was getting tired from just those two Kido, he was going to need a lot of practice even when she wasn’t around to be considered strong enough. However, her job as a teacher was to do what she could for him now. Heading away from the barracks, she looked to the general seireitei as her source of confection. Entering a medium sized establishment, essentially the majority of customers were Shinigami, and or some of the higher class individuals that ate for luxury more than necessity. Then again, Dango was more of a luxury food to begin with. Directing him to a table, she’d head to the counter, pay the cost for their basic order, then came down down to join Ranth. With a light sigh, she rubbed her forehead with her free hand.

“So...i-is there anything you’d like to talk about while we wait?” She wasn’t exactly the most social wall flower in the Seireitei, that was more of her own captain’s sort of shindig. Looking at the white haired male for a bit, she wondered what he thought of her. She was a bit prone to judgemental gazes, albeit less than she was say a hundred years ago. People changed and Senshi certainly has. With a bit of a half grin, she looked to her sword, that odd purple scabbard of hers. Her partner was remaining quite quiet ever since he came back. Probably he himself was still recuperating from his wounds. She treasured him...and would make sure to be a bit more careful in taking care of the spirit. He’s done quite a bit for her after all. It smelt nice, like honey and bread, well, something similar.

Whenever he was done presenting his subjects, she decided to ask something of her own before she’d respond. “Y-You know...I’ve never really taught anyone before. A-Am I doing an okay job at the least?” She avoided eye contact, a pink blush spreading across those white cheeks before she sorely began to rub at her left arm, well what was left of it. However, she quickly stopped as it wasn’t a comfortable sight to see. She raised one eye at him, trying to see into his soul with her own gaze, however, she’d quickly look back down, or at the table, or just generally away from him. She was a shy type...and maybe he didn’t see that. That was alright. Senshi saw Ranth as a bit of those eccentric types, the kinds that thought of a stereotypical military from a movie and was overly respectful.

A lot of seated officers were either overly stoic, or overly relaxed. Then there was of course July who was...well...July. There was no accurate way to describe him as he could change moods depending on how interested he was in a subject. Senshi though liked to believe she could be serious, but yet not overly so. She could see some of herself in this unseated officer, though not overly so. Yes, she remembered those youthful days when she was fresh. She was inexperienced and in many ways she still was. She remembered Kenji Fujitora, the dumb boy that gave her a kido book for her birthday. Then she remembered the day he died, and frankly she didn’t want to think too deeply about back then. There was a lot of good mixed in with the bad, but that was life. For now, despite losing her arm, life was good. Hopefully life would only get better and better.

[Ranth]

As Ranth stood there, hands on his knees and hair hanging down over his face as ragged breaths caused his shoulders to heave, he was transported back to his earliest memories of training at the Academy. The utter exhaustion that came from exercising muscles he hadn't known he even had until he'd been introduced to them through brutal repetition of drills and exercises day after day with barely enough pause for food, hydration and sleep. This exhaustion that he felt now was exactly the same in many ways and yet... fundamentally different at the same time. Physically, he had nothing to complain about. His limbs weren't stiff, his body didn't ache and there was no pain. What he felt now was more akin to having skipped a meal and his body was crying out for sustenance. He supposed that made sense when what he'd done was tantamount to taking the stored energy that would have been used to fuel his body and expelling it as a Kido technique instead.

As soon as he realised this correlation, he found that understanding the method behind his fatigue made it easier to push aside. His body was simply freaking out because of the sudden and unexpeceted energy loss and had gone into something akin to panic mode by sending signals to his brain to indicate that he was starving. It was an overreaction and much like he'd been shown that the point where his body began to say 'this is the limit', the truth was that the true limit lay somewhere beyond and this was the perfect time to stand up and seek that limit out. Although... tea and Dango sounded good to he grinned as he followed after his teacher like some kind of puppy dog.

Thankfully, it wasn't far from the training grounds to where they could procure the promised good and drink and before he knew it they had taken a seat and miss Odayakama had swapped money with the vendor before Ranth could so much as protest. Making a mental note to find a way to repay her for- at the very least- the cost of this meal on top of the time she'd already dedicated to training for his sake he was caught by surprise both at being addressed by his first name and by the unexpectedly blunt question regarding any queries Ranth might have had. "Oh, well uh...", he stammered as he he wrestled with the fear of seeming like he wasn't interested in learning more about his new mentor versus the fear of asking something that might have been too personal or invasive.

"Well actually miss Odayakama... there was one thing... although it might be too personal and I don't want to overstep", he said nervously and twiddled his thumbs unconsciously as he psyched himself up for what came next. I've never seen anyone with... hair that colour. Are you... um, possibly... from the nobility?" This almost certainly wasn't the question that his instructor was expecting, but the truth was that Ranth had been more curious about the woman's bright red hair than he was about her missing arm. In his entire life, he simply hadn't seen anyone with hair even remotely similar to it. On the other hand, during his time working within the Brotherhood he'd seen all manner of injuries and was invariably desensitised to it without even being aware of the fact.

It was as he finished asking his question that a waiter brought over a small platter of Dango and two steaming cups of tea along with a medium sized teapot for them to refill their cups if they so wished. Now that he thought of it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten one of these delicious skewered treats and he found his mouth watering involuntarily just looking at them. But all thoughts of the tasty treats were banished immediately upon hearing miss Odayakama's expression of doubt about her quality of teaching and Ranth's eyes snapped up to meet hers, aghast at the idea that maybe she was feeling doubt because he hadn't properly been expressing his gratitude.

"N-not at all miss Odayakama!", he exclaimed in panic with more volume than he perhaps realised or intended and several of the nearest tables paused in their conversations to look in the direction of the noise. "You've been the greatest teacher I could have hoped for outside of the academy", he continued earnestly. "You're kind, patient and thorough and it's my privilege to be taught by someone with such dedication without even asking for something in return. I'm in your debt Miss Odayakama and someday I'll make you proud!". His words came out in a rush, driven not by thought but rather by passion and once he was done he became aware of their 'audience' as most of the room burst into laughter and applause at the earnest nature of what they'd witnessed.

Ranth, for his part, went bright red and sank down in his chair and buried his head in his arms as he realised that the whole room's attention was on him. This might have seemed like mere embarrassment, but in truth Ranth was on the verge of a panic attack as he'd inadvertently triggered one of his greatest fears- public speaking. It was perhaps his single greatest flaw and one of the reasons why he hadn't graduated higher in his class from the Academy. The pressure of having a large amount of attention upon him caused him to lock up and in severe cases, basically cease to be able to function until the panic passed of its own accord. In the past, a handful of people had been capable of easing him out of this state, such as Inara who was now a member of the 11th, or Eric who he was fairly certain had joined the 13th. But neither of them were there to help him now and he felt helpless as the panic overwhelmed him.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

The mention of her red hair...and asking if she was from nobility? She almost burst into chuckles at that, in fact, that carried on for a bit before she answered the cold truth. “Well, I ended up arriving from Rukon District 80.” The worst possible district...so that immediately tossed out the idea that she was nobility of any kind. Though, before he was going to ask many other questions, she decided to answer the first question. “I was born with this hair. Though...I wasn’t born in the Soul Society. I was actually born in the human world.” How odd it was, for her to refer to the world she was born in as if it were a completely different dimension. It made her almost feel sad, foreign, but after so long here, this practically was her home now wasn’t it? Their food arrived. Thank goodness she wasn't some boisterous redhead with a fiery personality. She'd be dead already if she was like that. 

Ah, yes, steaming hot dango and hot cups of green tea were the best after hard work. Though, when she asked him how he thought of her as a teacher, her eyes widened when he yelled out praise, stopping her doubt from growing further, but yet eyes staring upon him. However, at the end of the laughter, the cheers from the audience, she smiled bright, her eyes closed as she placed one hand on his shoulder. “Well...I’m glad you feel that way Ranth.” With a bit of awkwardness, she grabbed the stick with her right hand, bringing the skewer to her mouth and taking a bite, the Dango being slid off. She chewed and immediately her cheeks turned bright pink from the satisfaction of the sweet honey like taste. The sesame seeds inside really made it great. It was painfully obvious she wasn’t fully used to her right hand yet.

The commotion slowly died down, and in a quieter voice, she called out to him. “The world has enough hatred and greed as it is. Consider the happiness that you have and happiness you will give to others as my payment.” She raised the cup with her right hand, sipping it before then setting it down. With a light sigh, she seemed to be enjoying everything a bit slowly. She learned that she should enjoy every meal, because there was no telling when the next meal would be your last when working as a Shinigami. While most people would like to think optimistic, Senshi learned that it was wiser to be a realist. It helped you be prepared for the calamities of the world. While she was at it, she felt like she ought to let him know something, something that she found was very important.

“You know...Squad 4 really had patched my arm up well, or what they could salvage from it. Keep in mind that they will truly be your greatest friends. They will heal you and take good care of you always. So make sure you treat them well too.” Taking another bite of her Dango...she thought of a good question to ask this fellow. It was one that she would answer in tandem. After all, if he was her student, she ought to know why he was training so hard right? Setting the half eaten stick on the table, she swallowed before bluntly asking him one of the most important questions of his life. It was one that she had to think of for a long time herself before she came up with an answer. Why did people want to become Shinigami? Rather, why did Ranth want to be a Shinigami?

“Pardon me, but I’m curious. Why did you decide to become a Shinigami? Was it because of the luxuries they get? Was it because you wanted to inspire some sort of great change? Or maybe it was something else entirely?” She decided to tell him her reason first. “I wanted to become a Shinigami because I wanted to protect people...and to stop this thing called corruption. It causes hatred and pain to all sorts of people. There’s too much of that for any lifetime, isn’t that right Ranth?” She looked him in the eyes adorably with her chin resting on her single arm, her large sleeves nearly hiding the lower half of her face as those eyes stared at him curiously. It was then he might realize that her outfit seemed rather big, two sizes too large nearly. The lady then slowly lowered it, thinking how funny it was.

“I guess you could also say because I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I fight against nobility corruption and Hollows and all of these other things, and yet I don’t know where I belong yet, you know?” She hoped she wasn’t ranting, but she just had some thoughts on her mind that wouldn’t be good if they sat there too long. She had to learn how to be more open with people and speak her mind. Her stutter was less, and it was at this period that she was considering a lot about her life. While 200 some years wasn’t that long for a Shinigami, she’s lived a few lifetimes by now worth of people. She would live for many longer hopefully. Senshi wanted to know his reason for joining, for fighting, to possibly die for. Maybe it hadn’t occurred to him, and it hadn’t occurred to her back then either. Thing is...people would rely on people like her and him for the rest of eternity so long as humans existed.

There was a lot of ups and downs in this career, and she wanted to make sure that he knew exactly what he was getting into. She didn't lose her arm doing nothing after all. In fact, he would be able to tell she lost it recently for her to be struggling using her other hand like this. This career was all about sacrifice, and sometimes people ended up joining this job for all the wrong reasons. In order for you to be good at this job, you needed to be willing to put everything on the line for the protection of humans, soul society, your comrades, and every moral you stand by. That was her belief as a Shinigami, that was her definition of being. Though...it really didn't matter what she thought, only what she would do. So, as a teacher, she was going to teach by leading and he would follow.

[Ranth]

For several terrifying seconds, it felt as though Ranth's lungs couldn't possibly take in air as an enormous pressure caused his chest to constrict. It was worse even than when he'd been restrained by either of miss Odayakama's earlier kido techniques and with his eyes hidden in his arms and eyes clenched tightly closed, all he could focus on was the terror that was quickly welling up inside him and the more he did, the more powerful the feeling became and the more helpless he felt as the spiral into panic and despair continued inexorably forward. He'd had dozens of these attacks over the years within the Academy of varying intensity, although the last one had been easily 18 months ago. He'd almost forgotten about this part of himself- or at least he'd been able to pretend that was the case. He knew the weakness was there, always waiting for a chance to bubble to the surface.

But suddenly a a voice pierced through the sickly black veil. A voice and the lightest of touches on his shoulder and he clung to both like a drowning man who had been thrown a buoy and then he was rising up from the inky depths and back into himself. Only seconds had passed, but as Ranth felt himself able to draw breath again it felt as though he'd just held his breath for several minutes as the panic subsided like a foul beast retreating into the forest. For now it was gone, but it would return time and time again until he overcame it, or it devoured him.

Dimly, Ranth became aware that his teacher was still speaking to him- possibly oblivious to his little episode- or perhaps merely pretending to be- for which he was immeasurably grateful either way. Blinking away the last of his disorientation, he was able to establish the gist of what was being said and slot back into the conversation that he'd been momentarily absent from. It was the first time he'd heard her even allude to the state of her missing arm and nwo that he thought about it and watched her grasp awkwardly at the dango with her right hand, he realised something shocking. That had been a recent injury and she'd lost her dominant hand.

It was a sobering thought, given that he'd seen a very recent example of her power it was difficult to imagine a circumstance that would lead to her taking such a terrible injury. Then there was the question of why she hadn't sought a replacement- he'd read extensively on the remarkable ability for limbs to be reattached, regrown or even replaced by the best scientific minds of the Soul Society. He was too nervous to ask her such a question directly though, since he was sure she must have a reason that probably should have been obvious to him. Not to mention that she had a fairly intense question of her own for him.

Why had he become a Shinigami? That was indeed quite a miserable story in and of itself- or at least Ranth thought so. He'd always felt that most people signed up for one noble reason or another. To defend the weak, or protect their friends and family or to make their family proud just to name a few that came to mind. But for Ranth... the simple truth was that he'd joined the Shinigami because he felt that he had nothing else. No family, no friends, nothing. He'd been alone and in desperate need for a fresh start and the Academy had been his one and only alternative to spending a lifetime in total, unchanging misery.

So of course, part of him expected his mentor's reasons to adhere to his belief that everyone who had risen to any kind of prominence within the 13 Court Guard Squad had come from a noble, benevolent background. Yet as he listened to what she had to say, he was shocked once again to hear a story that in many ways paralleled his own. In the end, it was all he could do just to stop his draw from dropping as she spoke of having nowhere to belong. Of course, there were noble elements to her reasons for signing up, but the fact that there was anything that he felt he could relate to was something that was both unsettling and a relief at the same time.

"I... wish I could say that I had a noble reason for becoming a Shinigami", he admitted quietly once miss Odayakama had finished speaking. He swallowed heavily at this point, wondering whether it was okay to be honest. He'd only ever told one person about his circumstances in the Rukongai and that had been Inara Serra. Ultimately though, miss Odayakama had shown herself to be open, honest and caring towards Ranth and he felt that it would be disgraceful of him not to respond in kind, so he forged onward... with the truth. "My mother and father were merchants. We weren't rich, but we weren't poor either", he trailed off wistfully, before continuing his story with resignation for what was to come.

I was supposed to grow up and take over the business, but business went bad and it seemed as though everything my father did- every venture he gambled on came to the worst possible outcome. Eventually he... he took his own life and my mother had a mental breakdown. That's when I realised that the girl I'd grown up thinking I would marry was feeding information to her father, who had been using that information to drive my father to bankruptcy". He stopped at this point, feeling his voice about to crack and his eyes sting as he fought back the tears and guilt that came whenever he thought about this. He didn't say it out loud, but it was obvious to anyone what the unspoken implication was. It was my fault.

Feeling as though he could speak again without breaking down, Ranth took a shaky breath and continued. "I had nothing and no one, so I joined the Brotherhood. In exchange for working for them, they fed, clothed and sheltered me and for a while I thought maybe I'd found a place where I could build a future. I thought I was doing good and that maybe someday I'd redeem myself but..." He flinched slightly as he remembered the boy and the shoes. If only I'd never given him the shoes, the thought haunted him in his quietest moments and he felt self loathing stir in his chest as he pushed on with his story.

"I made a mistake and someone innocent paid the ultimate price. I realised then that every time someone relied on me, I failed them in the worst way possible. I failed as a Son, I failed as a mentor... so I carried on as best I could until my mother passed away and I decided to join the Academy. I don't know if I was looking to find something, or just to run away from everything" He felt ashamed just admitting it and he couldn't bring himself to raise his eyes to see how his teacher was reacting to what he'd said so far. Instead, he was surprised to find that he still had more to say.

"When I joined the academy, I was nobody and had nothing. But by the time I graduated... I'd found something. Something I want to protect and someone I want to spire to be like. I can't achieve either of those things the way I am now, which is why I'll do everything I can to change. When I first decided to become a Shinigami, I don't think I had a reason other than to escape the life I'd found myself living. Now that I've made it this far... I think I feel like I want to make something of myself and perhaps... someday... feel like I've redeemed myself for all the mistakes I've made so far.

As these final words left his lips, he exhaled a long shaky breath and gathered all the courage he possessed and raised is head so that he could finally meet his teacher's gaze. He feared what he might see in her eyes. He feared the look of reproach and disgust that he felt he deserved. He feared what she might say to him now that she knew all there was to know. He was deathly afraid, yet he looked anyway and perhaps that was the proudest moment of his life that he could remember.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Of course she noticed his displeasure, but it wasn’t something she should make a scene over. That was why she reacted the way she did. She simply remained casual, trying to smile and make the man feel comfortable. He was embarrassed, his face displayed it, and yet Senshi’s own face was a smile, as if nothing bad was happening. However, she wasn’t aware of his awe, the respect she was secretly gaining, the foundations of a relationship that was slowly growing between a teacher and a student. Yet, there was something that he likely didn’t know, or perhaps didn’t think about. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a new arm, not at all.

She couldn’t get a new arm. Senshi had no money of which to go to replace her lost arm with, and frankly, losing an arm was a very humbling experience. It was something that she never thought about before in her career, even though she really should have. It was sort of odd, in this career where death was around every corner that she was able to avoid long lasting wounds up until now...where her career was really kicking off. However, maybe that was because she was in a job position where the jobs were supposed to be very challenging, and from the fact she was unlucky enough to be in the position of fighting an opponent that was far beyond her league. Though in a sense, she was the luckiest one of all. She was able to survive that encounter and was stronger because of it. Life was starting to turn up.

As she explained her backstory, the man in front of her was doing some thinking about what she was saying, and she probably could understand his shock. Many children at least in the nicer districts admired Shinigami because of their cool look, their authority, their privilege, and also because of the benefits they could bring to their families. However, those in the Rukon outer districts likely held some disdain, mostly for the draft so many years ago that Senshi was partially inducted under. She was drafted, but she was considering going mostly for the benefit of being able to eat. That was one of the main reasons as it was hard otherwise to get by. Did she regret being a Shinigami? Well, she once did, but she was better now. She was liking her new job managing endless piles of paper at some god forsaken desk in the middle of the captain’s off-...She really needed to think more positive thoughts.

Inner peace, inner peace. Taking another sip of the tea, she listened to his story, from the beginning and immediately tilted her head. So he was born in the Soul Society? Oh boy, if only she could tell him everything. How she was born in the human world and actually...remembered how she lived and died. It was incredibly rare, an anomaly for a human to remember their life and death before transitioning to the spiritual world. Yet, as she listened on, his life was filled with more hardships than hers by far. At the end, she looked at him with eyes filled with sadness, like a puppy that had been kicked by it’s new owner. “T-That’s so sad.” She wiped the tears from her eye with her arm before sniffling. “M-My parents and I...never really got to bond either...though they died when I was young.” If he remembered, she said she was born in the human world.

However, she picked up some things about Ranth in particular. She looked at him and thought about his brotherhood that he mentioned. It sounded like a gang of sorts...and it seemed he had done some things he wasn’t proud of. A memory of being tempted to use Hado#91 in an area filled with people crossed her mind once. However, she didn’t say anything about it. She saw that look in his eyes of uncertainty, and she immediately felt her heart reach out for the fellow...because she knew everything he felt. Then she wondered; was this how Himitsu felt when he cried for her? She slowly leaned in, then hugged him in a one armed embrace as she called out to him personally. It was a whisper, but one that would hopefully stick in his mind. “Allow me to make your dream come true.” Thus...she went back to her seat, finishing up her food quickly before it went cold.

They had something else to do now. Not so long after, or at least whenever Ranth finished his meal, she stood and walked along with him, out from the gigantic walls, out from the civilized portions of the inner walls, from the peaceful districts, and even from some of the plain villages of the mid districts. However, instead of going to the farthest areas of the Rukon, she made a cut to the left and into the woods. This was where their next lesson would take place. “Now Ranth, I want you to stick by my side. There are dangers here...and I’m responsible for you. Also...keep your eyes peeled, because this isn’t something you get to see every day. I’m going to get you a Hollow to train on.” He was likely confused on what she meant, but the next moment, that next moment was what would allow her to act.

With her right hand, she drew that five foot long blade slowly, flicking it out as she happened to be accustomed to holding her blade with this hand, shooting Kido with her left. With half of a defense, her fighting style was compromised, but even she could do this. Suddenly, the world would seem to shake unnaturally as she made sure he could feel it. That gradual build up of reiatsu as she looked into his eyes. “Extend above the heavens and fly...Shonin Joka.” That blade glowed a crimson red before a swirl of wind enveloped them both. The blade shrank down, compressing, though now it was the size of a normal katana in all right, it seemed to look...perfectly normal. The wind died down, the red flare was gone, and she slowly turned, listening. The howl took place, a singular howl as she nodded.

“Split.” Suddenly, that blade split in the middle, extending like long blooming flower petals, six of them in fact, extending once more to five feet, but aggravated, like they were looking for some action. They danced around, slapped around. Hers was a physical type, but she’d say in terms of raw power alone, there was no Shikai amongst vice captains that could match it in a physical battle. “Don’t be afraid of what comes next. I’ve drawn a hollow in, but I want you to try facing it. I will protect you from it if things get out of hand. Consider this experience served on a silver platter.” She knew this Hollow was weak, for no sensible hollow rushed in upon a Shikai release except for perhaps the mindless and desperate kind. It was coming, and it revealed itself soon enough.

It was a large caterpillar like being, it’s mask a slim insectoid appearance with several openings on it’s face. However, only two eyes looked out and Senshi looked at the beast with a raised eye. It howled and flailed around upon sensing Senshi, but it looked to Ranth with a greater interest. It went to the ground, stabbing through with it’s many legs and raising dust. “This is what Shinigami face through their careers, and there are many of them...and many stronger ones as well.” However, she knew in a physical fight, she’d never be able to beat the thing. That was why her partner as well as her Kido were there. Hopefully Ranth would realize this. “So...observe it carefully.” The beast was hesitant to approach Senshi due to her blade, but now Ranth was being urged to proceed ahead.

Senshi stepped back a few steps, mentally chanting a statement in her head, ready to step in at any time to save Ranth. However, she wanted to know if he could take care of himself. There was no greater teacher than experience, and so, she was looking forward to progressing to the next stage. She had faith that he would be able to handle himself. His dreams for the future were what pushed him forward, the will to protect, so then she’d let him show his resolve. In the case he wasn’t strong enough, she’d save his fragile body, and culture him to become the hero he really wanted to be. He was Ranth, unseated officer. However, she had hope she just MIGHT make a new Vice Captain someday. Who knows...maybe the next captain even. That brought a smile to her face. A wild beast like this wasn't going to keep this man down, she could see it now. 'I have faith in you.'

SPOILER: Click to show

Image Of Hollow:
tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.w9AcfwC5aRMfKLPkRTOd3QHaFj&pid=15.1&P=0&w=233&h=176

Some Classic Bleach Music:
Ranth's Sad Story:


Shikai Show:


What I Imagine Will Be Ranth's Fight: