[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World V

[Kuroimaken]

"If you can provide a substitute both administratively and leadership-wise, I don't see why not. Just keep in mind your training trip might end up being cut short, Acting Captain." Ugh, that reminded him of another particular headache... With Central gone, it might be up to him to find someone to finally replace Zheng Li Lin as Captain of MedLog. "These are trying times, and with my recent ruckus with the Royal Guard, we may end up facing retribution sooner rather than later."

[King539]

Sēji furrows his eyebrows slightly. "Would putting Lucita in charge temporarily work fine?

[Hawkflight]

"Well, you're quite young, so you might not understand this just yet. But you've joined a very complicated family, my dear." Katsurou sighs. "You'll soon find my grandson has a hard time expressing his affection at first. But that isn't his fault, or yours... it's the fault of the environment he grew up in. You'll have to give him time. Try not to resent him for it, okay?"

Suguri tilted her head. She didn't understand, but she just assumed that he was right. "Oh ... okay," she said.

[Kuroimaken]

Suguri tilted her head. She didn't understand, but she just assumed that he was right. "Oh ... okay," she said.

"Fair enough." Katsurou said with a sad smile.

"Who wants a piggyback ride back to the house?"

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Various Locations]

[Soul Society]
Ikeda's Spirits

Jehoel is in the store for close to thirty minutes, speaking with the proprietor about a large number of different tastes. As far as Masaru can tell, every single one of the bottles Jehoel is purchasing is meant as a gift. Finally, the two come to an agreement, and Jehoel arranges more than forty bottles into a pair of stacked crates. Two more bottles slide into his belt, for whatever reason. Delicately lifting the two crates, Jehoel heads for the door.

"I may require some assistance with navigation, Captain. My vision is obstructed."

Cemetery

The next trip is substantially longer, taking Masaru and Jehoel deep into the Soul Society. In time, however, the two come to the oldest and largest cemetery of the Seireitei. Simple stone graves hundreds or in some cases thousands of years old form a colossal field stretching out nearly to the horizon from the entrance. Jehoel immediately heads for the back of the Cemetery, eventually coming to stand in front of a ancient grave stone that has long since had any markings worn away. Jehoel sets the crates on the ground, and withdraws one of the bottles. He looks at it and the gravestone, before turning back to Masaru.

"Is it more common practice to leave the bottle sealed, or to pour it out?"

Masaru practiced a standing meditation pose that helped him center his emotions and sharpen his spiritual senses. Seeing a Captain standing, still as a statue, outside of a liquor store was certainly odd, but none had the courage to bother him.

When Jehoel emerges, Masaru sighs at the request and begins walking.

"Please follow my energy and listen for verbal directions, that should be the easiest method. I will ensure as best as I can we encounter no obstacles."

Whe he does do to the best of his ability.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Masaru is frowning slightly when asked the question, but it's a thoughtful frown. He seems confused as to what's going on.

"Hm? Oh. It varies. If you lack specific direction, I would say tailor it to the personality of the person. Reserved individuals would be better honored by leaving the sealed bottle in place. Someone with an even temperament who could still display notable emotion, perhaps pour it out, or pour some out and then reseal the bottle and leave it. For those with a more...expressive...temperament, pour out one to two drink's worth, then consume the rest."

He shrugs, somewhat helplessly.

"I haven't actually done this myself much, so I'm not an expert."

[Dorizzit]

[Soul Society]
Cemetery

Jehoel nods when Masaru mentions not having done the process much.

"Respect for the dead means something quite different here from the Mortal World. And Hueco Mundo, of course."

Jehoel begins carrying out the process repeatedly, leading Masaru around the graveyard seemingly at random. None of the grave markers have any legible writing remaining, at least in the area naming the individual memorialized. Assuming Masaru is attentive, he'll notice that very few of the bottles are left completely sealed.

"How does the Soul Society prefer to venerate their dead, Captain? I will admit that it is something of a gap in my knowledge."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society; Shinoreijutsuin

[The training]

"Yes." Ryouma raises a hand. "How much time do they have to attempt this task, and should I simply keep them from binding me, or am I allowed to hit them back?"

"Oh, I doubt any of them can last more than an hour", the instructor remarks. "As for your second notion, remember that some of these prospective students are mere children. Just you moving around poses a significant threat of injury to them. I'd say trying to hit them on purpose would be... excessive. Anything else?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Right. Keep to shoving only, then. I must say I find it strange you decided to supply actual physical equipment rather than have them try to bind me with Bakudou." Ryouma replies.

[Hawkflight]

"Fair enough." Katsurou said with a sad smile.

"Who wants a piggyback ride back to the house?"

Suguri grinned and raised her hand. "Me!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sorry for the additional delay. I had a personal crisis, then I got sick.

[Kuroimaken]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Happens to the best of us, don't worry about it.

"Up you go!" Katsurou chuckled as, with amazing spryness for an old man, he practically flipped Suguri up onto his shoulders, holding on to her hands.

She could feel that he still had a very strong back for someone his apparent age. But it was still a fairly comfortable seat.

"Have you ever been to school, Suguri-chan?"

[Hawkflight]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Happens to the best of us, don't worry about it.

"Up you go!" Katsurou chuckled as, with amazing spryness for an old man, he practically flipped Suguri up onto his shoulders, holding on to her hands.

She could feel that he still had a very strong back for someone his apparent age. But it was still a fairly comfortable seat.

"Have you ever been to school, Suguri-chan?"

Suguri giggled as she was lifted onto the old man's back.

"Hmmm ... I don't really remember," she said. "But I think so?"

[Kuroimaken]

[Hishikawa Estate]

"Well, the Hishikawa children go to a different kind of school. I think you'll like it. There's lots of running around and doing all sorts of acrobatics. Like rolling and backflipping."

_______________________

[The Hospital]

"If you believe she can handle it. We have no major upcoming operations at the moment, aside perhaps from the Las Noches relief effort. It would be quite the test." Koutarou groaned as he sat up more properly. For once in a long while he thanked his Zanpakutou for providing him with armor. "How long exactly do you think you'll be away?"

[Hawkflight]

[Hishikawa Estate]

"Well, the Hishikawa children go to a different kind of school. I think you'll like it. There's lots of running around and doing all sorts of acrobatics. Like rolling and backflipping."

"That sounds like fun," Suguri agreed.

[Kuroimaken]

"That sounds like fun," Suguri agreed.

"Wait till you get to dagger-throwing lessons. Those are usually a favorite." Katsurou grinned.

What the hell kinda school was this?

[Hawkflight]

"What's a dagger?"

[King539]

[The Hospital]

"If you believe she can handle it. We have no major upcoming operations at the moment, aside perhaps from the Las Noches relief effort. It would be quite the test." Koutarou groaned as he sat up more properly. For once in a long while he thanked his Zanpakutou for providing him with armor. "How long exactly do you think you'll be away?"

Sēji pauses and thinks for a moment. "Two weeks, if possible. If necessary, I would be willing to return before then."
"If that's it then..." Sēji stands up and begins to head for the door.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Cemetary]

[Soul Society]
Cemetery

Jehoel nods when Masaru mentions not having done the process much.

"Respect for the dead means something quite different here from the Mortal World. And Hueco Mundo, of course."

Jehoel begins carrying out the process repeatedly, leading Masaru around the graveyard seemingly at random. None of the grave markers have any legible writing remaining, at least in the area naming the individual memorialized. Assuming Masaru is attentive, he'll notice that very few of the bottles are left completely sealed.

"How does the Soul Society prefer to venerate their dead, Captain? I will admit that it is something of a gap in my knowledge."

Masaru is quiet while Jehoel goes through his process. He notes the places, but doesn't ask question. He seems slightly more relaxed, but still quite wary.

"It depends, Yurius. For all that the high-and-mighty nobility and the noble, ancient culture of the Gotei present Soul Society as a monolithic culture, this is a melting pot of the entire world. Not everyone brings through memories of their old lives, their old cultures, their old traditions. Even in the Gotei itself, traditions vary. Each Division approaches the death of a comrade differently; sometimes, people within a Division approach it differently.

Just as the Mortals have no one way to do things, neither do we Pluses and Shinigami."

He shrugs.

"So my advice would be much like that of pouring out drinks; to tailor it to what you knew of the individual."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Shinoreijutsuin]

"Right. Keep to shoving only, then. I must say I find it strange you decided to supply actual physical equipment rather than have them try to bind me with Bakudou." Ryouma replies.

"Bakudou? I find it strange you thought I would make them do that. These are new recruits, they haven't had a single class on Kido. Physical bindings work much better for them." The instructor looks around. "Still more questions?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Nope. I'm ready to get started." Ryouma offered with a predatory grin.

Geez, easy on the kids, big guy.

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holdings)

"I had planned to send rain to their crops."

A deed quite well within the abilities of the noble houses of the seireitei, for sure... Unfortunately, this particular wording fell into severe disuse due to the Kotetsu family itself, who used it as an euphemism for attacking their enemies with their horrific storms of acid and lightning.

"But the last move saw that plan become superfluous, those dens of rebels we had discovered were shattered by the event, and we can scarcely afford to deal with the remaining territory in such a fashion, it takes time to recover the land after all."

Although the twisted remains of Kotetsu victims are a famously effective fertilizer.

"So, what is your proposed plan, miss Kobayashi? I am listening."

Momoka's reaction to the claim of sending rain is markedly subdued. A bit of a twitch in her folded hands, but no more than that. Then... she smiles.

"Offer her to me as a gift. She is a leader to the rebellion, and the people of the rebellion were builders, miners, and farmers first. They will be quite useful to the rebuilding of my house. And Seireitei has need of every noble house to rebuild, and hopefully reform its government. But more importantly, she is an old friend, and I have confidence that I could convince her to surrender to a judgement that would work to everyone's benefit." Huh? Is Kazuma missing something here? Momoka is talking like she's a noble.

If Hasunaga had noticed Nocturne before this, he sure hadn't made any moves to acknowledge it.

For a moment, the old teacher thought he'd misheard Chouko. He had no idea how Shinigami got their swords, so he thought she said "swordsmith". But Engineering didn't seem the right fit for someone who made swords.

"You must be pretty famous too. I don't think I ever met a Shinigami with mechanical augmentations before." Seriously, kid looks straight out of a cyberpunk movie.

"Yeah? No doubt. I'm like, Da Vinci or Tesla or some****." There's the ego. It was looking like it was lost for a while.

"Ain't anythin' I can't build. I made Nocturne here, his bros, Kotetsu an' me designed the Engineering HQ and built the division outta nothin'. We're gonna bring Seireitei into the future, that's for damn sure. So if there's a name you shouldn't forget, it's Takenaka Chouko." She smirks a little, and moves to leave. "Talk at you later, gramps."

[Draken]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holdings)

"Hmm. I was not aware that the Hishikawa family had suffered significant damages, I should send them a gift. I also did not know you had married into the family either, for that matter. That is a significant faux pas."

Not for him, that is, conducting a wedding and not inviting important noble houses would be a faux pas.

But of course, that is sarcasm. Azuma knows she is not married to Setsurou yet.

"Unless you pretend to also set yourself up as a lost heir along with your friend. An entertaining notion if you are a young girl enamored with romance and fairy tales, but a plot that becomes increasingly questionable from my perspective, Kobayashi."

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holding)

"It is no plot. Know you the tragedy of the Tsuyoi clan?" Her smile quirks a little.

"A rhetorical question- of course you do. But allow me to refresh your memory on the details. Tsuyoi Atsumori was a grand fool, the likes that other nobles use as an example of their lifestyles of decadence gone wrong. He was a gambler, an adulterer, and a foul-tempered fiend. He spent his family's fortune in several times his weight in liquor, living out his days in a drunken, belligerent stupor. He did have a wife, Kaede, and the rumors were true- he beat her and emotionally abused her. As well as his daughter, Junko. Her mother tried ever so hard to protect her, but she was weak and sickly, and one winter she did not survive through. And in a masterstroke of incomprehensible foolishness, he cast his only legitimate offspring, the heir to the Tsuyoi clan's legacy, into the Rukon with nothing but a tattered kimono to her name, not expecting her to survive. Very few knew her face, as the cruel patriarch did not allow her out of the holdings. So she was truly alone, and many expected that she perished, but it was never confirmed. And how could it have been? Atsumori perished not long after, before he could sire another heir." She is a bit somber at this, but then she gives a small, knowing smile.

"By your own words, there is a story in the tapestry of Soul Society's history of a lost heir to a noble house. Would it be so beyond the pale that this child survived, despite the odds?"

[Draken]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holding)

Azuma frowns, but there is no lightning arcing anywhere so it is probably still fine.

"There will be tests before I commit to such a plan, your lineages will have to be examined. Spells known only to a select few will be cast. And if you are proven to be of noble blood..."

Azuma taps his fingers on the table while considering.

"... Fine then."

Azuma rises from his seat.

"Come with me."

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holding)

Momoka rises, still the image of calm. "Of course. I did not expect you to take such a fabulous tale without skepticism."

She follows along, perhaps inserting new questions about her bearing into Azuma's mind. She did have a certain air about her at times that commanded a certain respect. But it could be her skill as an actor. On the other hand, if Noble superiority in Kido was to be believed, she was one of the greatest practitioners in the Seireitei. On the other hand, the Noble's kido superiority was never truly proven. And so on. "I am prepared to accept the burden of proof in this matter."

[Draken]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holding)

"Of course you are, houses kinder than ours have not taken kindly to bold claims demanded to be taken at face value."

Along the way, a servant gives Azuma a box. Before he and Momoka take an elevator down to the manor's dungeon where Kishi is held.

It is not a particularly fancy place. Underground, wooden floor, wooden walls, two masked, large and hunched over guards by the entrance, and Kishi in one of the closer cells, empty otherwise. She has light deathstone bindings and simple clothing.

Her cell opens at Azuma's silent command.

"Come."

With only those words to her, Azuma returns to the elevator, the trip goes further down.

If Kishi is unhelpful, one of the guards will help her.

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holdings - Underground)

Kishi spits. "I'm not some mongrel you can call with a word, Kotetsu. So sh-" She looks up, and stutters quiet.

"...hello, imouto-chan."

She's dumbfounded. Then, starts up, dashing after Azuma angrily, though Momoka holds her off with a hand. She's confused. "The hell, Yuki? I... I thought you were dead! And you look like you've been hanging around the mob! Don't tell me this bastard has you captive, too?"

Momoka shakes her head as she follows. "I'm here to negotiate your freedom. I'm part of the Seireitei now. And... I'll explain things, just... trust me. Please."

Kishi furrows her brow and follows, giving Azuma an ugly look but... nodding to 'Yuki' nonetheless.

[Draken]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holdings - Underground)

"Would you rather be?"

It is noteworthy that roughly three hundred years ago, Azuma Kotetsu went blind due to a variety of reasons that can generally be reduced to "damage to the eyes", ever since then he has employed a piece of artifice that looks somewhere between a metal blindfold and a glowing halo in order to see. An improvement, really, because it gives him a 360° sight radius. One can but wonder how long the man needed to adjust.

The point is, he can shoot the nastiest glares at people who are staring at his back. Like Kishi, currently. Many find it very disturbing when the lights of his visual device focus on them while he is facing an unrelated direction.

The elevator dings. The room ahead is a... Well, bluntly speaking, it is the lowest floor of the Kotetsu dungeon, so it looks like a medieval torture chamber, but shinier and more modern. Cleaner, better lighting. Bloodstains washed off properly, gives a very "evil hospital" feel to it all.

Azuma heads to a nearby table and opens his box. Taking out a pair of syringes from it and laying them on the table. And then a pair of blindfolds and three ear mufflers, one of the last two he holds onto.

"Blood samples. Then you put these on."

[Dorizzit]

[Soul Society]
Cemetery

Jehoel listens through Masaru's explanation.

"Unsurprising, I suppose."

Setting the crates on the ground, Jehoel lifts the first, now empty, between his hands and incinerates it with a tightly-controlled Cero. Lifting the second crate up, he continues their trip.

"You are, I take it, unimpressed with the existing social hierarchy of the realm?"

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Kotetsu Holdings - Underground)

"Would you rather be?"

It is noteworthy that roughly three hundred years ago, Azuma Kotetsu went blind due to a variety of reasons that can generally be reduced to "damage to the eyes", ever since then he has employed a piece of artifice that looks somewhere between a metal blindfold and a glowing halo in order to see. An improvement, really, because it gives him a 360° sight radius. One can but wonder how long the man needed to adjust.

The point is, he can shoot the nastiest glares at people who are staring at his back. Like Kishi, currently. Many find it very disturbing when the lights of his visual device focus on them while he is facing an unrelated direction.

The elevator dings. The room ahead is a... Well, bluntly speaking, it is the lowest floor of the Kotetsu dungeon, so it looks like a medieval torture chamber, but shinier and more modern. Cleaner, better lighting. Bloodstains washed off properly, gives a very "evil hospital" feel to it all.

Azuma heads to a nearby table and opens his box. Taking out a pair of syringes from it and laying them on the table. And then a pair of blindfolds and three ear mufflers, one of the last two he holds onto.

"Blood samples. Then you put these on."

Kishi sneers. "Number one, I'm still bound-" That is not polite. "And number two, I'm not putting that **** on."

Momoka closes her eyes for a moment. "Gwynned, if Kotetsu-san wished harm upon you, it would not be so convoluted as this." She pauses. "And what then would be the purpose of the protection for himself? There is clearly some manner of ritual or device that would do sensory damage if we were to forgo protection."

Kishi grumbles for a moment, thinking this over. "...fine. But I'm still bound."

"If you allow her free, she will not cause trouble. Will you?" Momoka looks to Azuma, then Kishi. Kishi grumbles in english then nods. Back to Azuma. "Acceptable?"

[Draken]

Kishi sneers. "Number one, I'm still bound-" That is not polite. "And number two, I'm not putting that **** on."

Momoka closes her eyes for a moment. "Gwynned, if Kotetsu-san wished harm upon you, it would not be so convoluted as this." She pauses. "And what then would be the purpose of the protection for himself? There is clearly some manner of ritual or device that would do sensory damage if we were to forgo protection."

Kishi grumbles for a moment, thinking this over. "...fine. But I'm still bound."

"If you allow her free, she will not cause trouble. Will you?" Momoka looks to Azuma, then Kishi. Kishi grumbles in english then nods. Back to Azuma. "Acceptable?"

Azuma scoffs, and a spark of lightning courses over his bald head.

But he waves once, and the guard undoes Kishi's bindings.

"As I told you earlier, spells will be cast. Secret even to myself and the rest of the nobility. That is what the blindfolds and the mufflers are for, we are not to hear their chants nor see their gestures."

And Azuma is blind, so he doesn't need a blindfold, he just needs to take off his visor.