One More Time... [Private]

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku couldn't help but smile as Kaminari burst out into her overjoyed exuberance. He let her charge him and hug before she seemed to come back to reality. From there she seemed to finally come up with questions as she seemed to chase down some of the logic chains. He let her speak until she ran out of words...for the moment anyway.
“Generally, the Thirteenth Division keeps other Divisions apprised of recruits that may be of particular note to them or may generally be good fits. In addition, in some cases other Divisions may request updates on certain promising pupils. In this case, I actually did the latter; you expressed interest in the Eighth Division, and in the end I thought that it may indeed be a good fit for you. Once it was obvious that you were on track to graduate, I got a message about it. I signed off on the transfer a few days ago since by then I was confidant you'd make good on your claim.”

One More Time... [Private] - Page 2 8klWaOIn_o

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:02 am

Ego Boost. Folding the certificate twice and sliding it into her haori as Captain Arishima explained himself, Kaminari took note of one thing. She inhaled deeply, excitement raising in her eyes again. "I was... requested?" she said, plopping her hands on the side of her face before continuing her previous excited hop. "I was requested by my Captain! Requested!" she stopped her hop and put up the victorious/peace sign, "And of course I made good on my claim! Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to. The year was exhausting and boring at times, so it was like uuugh. However, I made it through and now I'm here and I can finally start my own mission! First step, become Lieutenant."

Kaminari smiled mischievously as she turned back to him, arms crossed confidently. "Didn't have to use my shikai once in the Academy. It is, however, a requirement of being a Lieutenant. I also heard about the competition coming up. You're gonna have some people fightin' for that position, but you might as well tell them to go on home, cause that spot is mine! As you've learned, I'm not one to go back on my word." Kaminari winked at him and then put her hands together in a praying manner and her demeanor changed to a desperation.

"So please give me some hints! I wasn't expecting so much competition! Shikai is supposed to be rare, but from what I can tell you have quite a few shi-... shikai-ers? Yeah, that. You have a few shikai-ers already signing up. So unfair! Why when I want to join does everyone suddenly have it?! Not fair, not fair, not fair! I worked so hard... twice! I don't wanna lose now... So hints!? I need them, please! Maybe? Please? Pretty please? With all the possible sugar on top?"

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku raised en eyebrow as Kaminari made her first mission in the Division public knowledge; this girl certainly didn't aim low now did she? Granted, he also partly wondered how much foresight she actually had as well, but then again who was he to throw stones in that department? Kaminari continued to boast, explaining how she hadn't had to use her shikai once during the Academy which came as no shock to Genpaku. Honestly, he would have been surprised if there had been a situation that had called for it. He raised an eyebrow when she said that everyone else who was looking for the position might as well go home since she was taking it.
“Quite confident in that, aren-” he started to say when her entire demeanor changed.

“Nope,” was Genpaku's simple response to Kaminari's plead for hints. This shouldn't have been a surprise; he'd had several others already try to request or bribe answers out of him on this one. He did however pull out a blank form and hand it over to Kaminari.
“You want to take a shot at this position, you will get to play on the same level playing ground as everyone else. Though I don't imagine it will be much of a hint to tell you that the requirement of Shikai may not be relevant to this particular challenge; this isn't going to be a simple brawl for the position. We're not the Eleventh Division,” he continued; there was no disparaging tone in his statement about the Eleventh Division however. It was more of a simple statement that things weren't going to be handled in that way.

“You'll need to fill that form out and pass it back to me. The test is going to start in a few hours in the central courtyard of the Division. If you'd like tips, I'd say get yourself something to eat and maybe take a look around the Division to get settled in.”

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:53 pm

Kaminari looked at the form she had just received and then to her Captain. "Defeated." she said with an exasperated sigh, "Nothing wrong in trying, ya know. I didn't think I'd actually get anything out of ya. Everyone says the Capt.'s are real hard-headed when it comes to this stuff. Apparently, Blake didn't have a Lieutenant for a real long time cause her test was too hard."

Kaminari skimmed through the paper and then smiled. "Alright, Captain Arishima. Thanks for everything and I'll see you in the winners circle soon." she said, smirking confidently, but that faded when her stomach growled. Her smirk dropped and she blushed a little, scratching at her cheek. "Well, after I get something to eat." she turned and ran off, "See you in a few hours! Later!"

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku watched Kaminari wander off, figuring he'd get the form back soon. That said, he'd already figured out that he was likely going to allow Kaminari into the test anyway; there were many who, on paper, lacked several of the qualifications that Kaminari already had. That said, what Genpaku planned to test for wasn't something you could easily be put on paper. Words didn't really convey it, even with the correct words. In the meantime, there wasn't much left to get setup. He'd already gone through with all the required forms and requested the people he'd need around in case things got out of hand. So, best time to get food then it seemed. He wandered off to wrestle up something for himself.

Eventually yes, Genpaku got the form and added it to the pile. He bid her best of luck, and sent her on her way reminding her to meet at the central plaza in two hours.

An hour later, a message went out for everyone to clear the Eighth Division grounds with the exception of the central Division Grounds Training Yard.

And so the time ran out, and the hopefuls assembled in the main yard.

There was certainly an air of excitement as the crowd amassed; both those who were hopeful and interested in trying for the position and all those who were interested to see this all go down. News had gotten out that Genpaku was changing how he was picking his Lieutenant, and many were interested to see how things were going to shake out. It likely there were people from everyone other Division present. As the set time for things to begin arrived, so did the Captain of the Division. Genpaku simply appeared in an open space in the yard, looking around at the assembled crowd. This...this was more people than Genpaku had expected to turn up. He seemed to take that in for a few moments before giving an almost rueful smile. He turned and walked away towards where the rest of the Division would be as the crowd quieted. By the time he turned back around, he had everyone attention. He gave a small frown, made a few hand gestures, and cast some kind of Kidou. When he spoke next, it was no trouble for everyone assembled to hear the young Captain.

“Well, greetings one and all. This...is certainly more people than I expected to turn up. None the less, welcome to the Eighth Division grounds. Let's cut to the chase; we're here for a test. One I will use to help determine who next will hold the position of Vice-Captain of this Division.

There are some, doubtless present now, who may frown at that choice. Some will cite that I should be following the traditions of the Gotei before and move our Third Seat up to the position. Or that I should take anyone else who meets the requirements. I'll be frank; I do not care about that. I care little if everyone here has attained their Shikai, and in fact I can assure you there are many poised to take this test that have not acquired that ability. If I was looking for strength alone, I'm sure this would be easier. Alas, I am not.

This Division is tasked with protecting the World of the Living. Strength does indeed matter, but strength can be gained. One can strive and to attain power. I'm looking for qualities in my Vice-Captain that are harder to learn. Qualities that can help the Division as a whole and the World of the Living a great deal more than simple power. That is what this test is here for. I don't care what kind of fighter you are, I care what kind of leader you are. Which brings us to the test.” He gave everyone a moment to soak in what he'd already said.

“Every hopeful this day has been assigned a number that will be passed out. Tied to this number is your squad; members of the Division who were selected and quietly informed of the test ahead of time. For the duration of this exercise you are the leader of this squad. It will be your task to leader the squad through the objective of the test. Do so as you believe is fit. You will be judged based on how and what you do. In the last half an hour, after the Division was swept to make sure no one was left inside that wasn't supposed to be there, false-hollows were released into the Division grounds. The set-up for this exercise is rather simple; the goal of the squads is to clear the Division Grounds. This is simulating a hollow infestation on the real world. Use your best judgment once inside.”

Genpaku let the explanation hang in the air for several moments before he gave a nod.
“We will begin passing out number immediately. Everyone still committed to taking this test, step forward.”
With that, Genpaku dismissed the kidou, waited for everyone to assemble and the squads to be sorted. Once it was done, the gate into the Division was opened and the test began.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:44 am

Kaminari thought she'd be the first to arrive in the training grounds, but she was wrong. Eating took a bit longer than she thought and a few others arrived before her because of it. She took part in a few casual conversations until she noticed the yard filling up more and more. "Are all of these guys taking the test?" she asked herself until she noticed a Captain haori and realized some were just watching, "Oh great... Like we weren't under enough pressure already."

With so many arriving, Kaminari found herself silent as the weight of her situation began pushing down on her. She was surrounded by people who had been here for much longer than she had, by people who likely were better than her and more experienced. She wanted the position, badly, but did she deserve it? Looking around at those in the arena, she began to mentally separate test-takers from the audience. In doing so, she noticed an audience member she knew. "He's here too? Great..." she sighed and continued her scan of the area.

A lot of members from other Divisions showed up to the event. Among them were the Captain Commander and his Lieutenant, the Captain of the Second, the Captain of the Third and his Lieutenant, the Captain of the Fourth, Midori Hayashi, some reporter girl, and three rather tough looking members of the Eleventh: the Captain, the Lieutenant, and the Third Seat. All in all, it was a rather intimidating audience for those taking the test. Luckily, Kaminari didn't actually recognize a lot of them, only the cloaks and badges on their shoulders.

Right as the clock struck, Captain Arishima showed himself, appearing suddenly among the rest in the training grounds. There was a brief moment where Kaminari wanted to flail-wave at him, but the thought of embarrassing herself right here held her back. Instead, like the rest, her attention fixated on him and he began to explain what was going on here. Kaminari took his speech in, allowing her mind to wrap around the information she was given. Could she actually do this? She didn't know. Her confidence faded as insecurity set in.

She stood motionless for some time, thinking to herself as numbers began being passed out. She didn't come out of her thoughts until she was being handed her own. Once she got it, she looked around for her group and found them quickly. First reactions weren't as friendly as she thought, which held her insecurities tightly in place. She was the short weak-looking new girl that knew only what she learned in the Academy. Their reactions were expected and understandable, but still hurtful. It didn't help that she wondered who saw it happen...

Kaminari had gotten this far, so a few mean stares and some eye rolling wasn't going to hold her back for too long. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and turned back to the group. "Like it or not, I'm your commanding officer on this mission and you will follow my orders. Get to your positions and wait for things to start." she said, her friendly and cheerful demeanor having vanished as she took on a different role in her own mind. It was time to prove herself, not only to these punks, but to her new Captain... and herself.

The mission had begun and Kaminari's squad was following her on high alert. They could hear some sounds of fighting off in the distance, but nothing was too close. As they made their way down another path, a mock-hollow moved into their view and howled at them. Having set up plans before this, the squad moved into action. Kaminari rushed down the middle, intentionally taking the brunt of the attacks. She had a squad member on each side of her, following a few feet back. As the hollow attacked her, they moved in and sliced through its mask. "Nicely done. Let's keep moving." she nodded and they all continued on.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

The contest began and the various teams filtered into the Eighth Division grounds in search of the mock-hollows that had been released inside. Genpaku, for his part, slipped out of the crown and vanished.

There had been a command center of sorts set up, connected through kidou and spiritual-technology that allowed Genpaku and others to watch the events unfold for each team. Mainly, several members of the Fourth Division were stationed in here for easy understanding and information in case anyone got harmed over the course of the test. It also let Genpaku watch how the events on the field unfolded. He watched as several of the mock-hollows were engaged and handled with varying degrees of efficiency. More importantly though, Genpaku watched how the candidates interacted with the people assigned to them. Several candidates were knocked off the list because of actions they took. However, things were about to change up.

The contest had been underway for about fifteen minutes when the first twist to the rules appeared. Genpaku had guessed, mostly correctly, that the candidates would assume that the number of mock-hollow take downs mattered, and would move to intercept as many as possible despite the fact that no such ruling was announced. With that thought in mind Gepaku had assumed it would take roughly to this point for people to encounter the 'injured survivors' that had taken up positions within the Division. These people posed a dilemma for the candidates and their perceived objective; if they did really believe the number of mock-hollow kills mattered, then taking care of these injured survivors represented a slowing down of their attempts. How would they react?

Additionally, near most of these survivors were smaller stealthy mock-hollows that would jump out after the injured survivor was met. Genpaku watched as various groups approached these survivors, grabbing up a large cloak while he waited. Soon the next complication would have to come into play.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:08 pm

If Kaminari were to say that she thought the number of hollow didn't matter, it'd be a lie. She wanted to come across at least five. That would be a good number, right? But no. Instead, she had found the one and seemed to avoid any chance to fight another. Becoming more frustrated, she found herself picking up her pace. Whether she was being judged on leadership skills or not, she had to show skill in something and she doubted that one encounter would have done it.

Lost in thought and not hearing one of her squad-mates call her name, she was suddenly grabbed by the haori and stopped in her tracks. "Kaminari, look." the teammate said and pointed down a pathway to see what seemed to be an unconscious or "dead" body. "Oh, that's so not a test at all, nope." Kaminari said, causing a few of her members to chuckle. "Reina, Kenji... You two approach, cautiously. Hanataro, Botan... come up the rear and I'll keep my distance. Check for vitals. If they're alive... Reina and Kenji will carry while Hanataro and Botan will lead the way. I'll take up the rear after that."

And what was ordered was done. Reina and Kenji began adhering to medical procedure in order to get the wounded back to safety. Hanataro and Botan were watching carefully for incoming hollow, but were unable to see the menace lurking above them. Kaminari noticed it from the distance she was standing. "Botan, above you!" she warned as the hollow went to charge them. Botan was lucky enough to get out of the way and Kaminari quickly came charging in as Reina and Kenji used their bodies to protect their downed comrade. Hanataro quickly went on the counter attack as well, landing a decisive blow.

Unfortunately, that attack cost him his balance and he stumbled forward, dropping his sword. The hollow went to strike at him, bringing down a large robotic claw, but it only met the ground as Kaminari ran through, grabbing Hanataro at the same time. The two slid to a stop about ten feet away from the hollow. "You alright?" Kaminari asked. "I'm fine, thank you." "Sorry, but I couldn't grab your sword..." "We'll figure it out." "Reina, Kenji... get that woman to safety. Botan, back them up. Hanataro and I will be right behind you. However, don't rush and don't go too far... rather you not get caught out..."

Once Reina, Kenji, and Botan were out of the way, Kaminari felt a bit more clarity. "Back me up." she said and Hanataro nodded, "I'ma get your sword." Kaminari vanished from sight and appeared behind the hollow. It seemed to know where she was going, so her movement had to be quick. She grabbed onto Hanataro's sword and shunpo'd again, but couldn't get far as another claw came slamming down toward her. "Uh'oh." she mumbled, but a blast of kido sent the hollow reeling backward. "Nice!" Kaminari shouted before hurrying to her comrade's side, "Here ya go. You ready for the rest of this? I'll go high."

The two of them got ready, Kaminari only using her fists throughout this entire competition. When the hollow went on the attack again, it's mock-howl piercing both of their ears, Kaminari had a hard time keeping her eyes open. Luckily, she still had time to dodge the incoming tail swipe. Unluckily, Hanataro did not. He was struck and sent flying into a wall. Kaminari landed on top of one of the walls, looking down to the hollow as it attempted to bite Hanataro. With the adrenaline pumping, Kaminari was able to pull of a precise shunpo and reappeared with her index and middle finger pointed under the hollows jaw. "Byakurai." she said before Hanataro could be bitten and a burst of blue lightning shot up into the sky, causing the death of their second mock-hollow.

"Let's get back to our friends. You okay?" Kaminari asked and Hanataro nodded, beginning to go on some rant about how he's more durable than he looks and can take a hit. Kaminari just shook her head and pulled him along. "Let's go, let's go!" she said and began running through the Seireitei after the rest of her group. They weren't that far away from them, which was good. If they had gotten caught out by something, they'd need their whole team.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

It seemed things were progressing well, all things considered. Many of the groups had moved forward through the Division, discovering the 'injured' survivors on schedule. If any present had a remarkable sense of geography and placement, and if they had a bird's eye perspective, they'd see that roughly all of these survivors were left in a close area. If you also could see the layout of the Division grounds after they'd been adjusted for this contest, you'd see that it was set to funnel people into this area. That was because this was, in some ways, where the test truly began. Genpaku gave a nod. “Hand me the mask, and get people ready to move as they need too.”

He was handed a fierce looking mask, something you might see on a Hollow really. Which was the point. He donned the over sized cloak and placed the mark over his face. From here on, he was going to play the villain and get a firsthand look at those looking to become his Vice-Captain. It wasn't far from the command center to where the participants were, but nowhere was truly far for Genpaku where his Division was concerned. It took him two steps to get to where he needed to be, and another to rise high above the grounds. Genpaku took a moment, mask slightly raised, to take in the view of the Seireitei stretching out. He loved views like this, and he'd have to remember it for later. Now though, it was time to focus.

What happened next one could feel anywhere in the Division, and into the surrounding Divisions to some degree. Genpaku unleashed his reiatsu. It washed out, crashing down on the area like a sudden storm. Part of the reason why the Division had been swept out of people was that weaker members would have been in very real danger of passing out or worse from the amount of Reiatsu crushing down on the area. To complete the dramatic entrance, Genpaku plummeted from the sky, and landed in the middle of a courtyard roughly central to where all the 'injured' survivors had been.

Genpaku rose in his disguise, looking over the area around him. There was one team already present, and they stared at the arrival and the sudden power with an appropriate level of shock. Maybe some of them recognized the energy, maybe they didn't. It didn't matter in all honesty. A moment later, a message rang out over the Divison grounds.

“Warning; high energy level detected. Possible Arrancar Intrusion.”

Genpaku had specifically opted to not include the rest of such a message, advising retreat. He wanted to see how the team leaders opted to react to the new threat without prompting. The first one reacted poorly, all things considered. He drew his blade, charging forward with a panic response. He gave no advice or instruction to his squad, didn't even bother to tell them to flee or follow. He had just ensured he'd lost his chance at the Vice-Captaincy. Still, he could be made a useful example Genpaku supposed; if nothing else, he would make an excellent example of how 'dangerous' this new threat was.

To most others, the movement probably evaded their senses. One moment the cloak figure was standing their amid the small crater where it had landed, one of the contestants rushed forward, and the next the cloaked figure was behind the man. That man fell like a cut flower, eyes absent consciousness. Perhaps more terrifying though, he was absent reiatsu. It was as though his power had simply been ripped from him. The truth was he would be fine; Genpaku had modified a deadly maneuver, Senka, into a less potent unarmed variant. This wasn't to say that the man would be feeling well after all was said and down to be sure. But his power would return after a while. The man hit the ground, and Genpaku turned to view everyone else who arrived in time to witness. How would the rest of them react?

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Thu Oct 18, 2018 4:19 pm

Kaminari's group was able to meet up pretty quickly and ready to go. No one noticed the funneling being done and they were just a few feet away from the final turn when the reiatsu fell upon them like heavy gravity, pushing most of her team to their knees and immediately forcing Kaminari into a cold sweat. Her skill with energy, translating to her skill with kido, allowed her to sense exactly where it was coming from and she looked up to see some cloaked figure standing there. A moment later, it descended and the alarm sounded.

"An... Arrancar?" she muttered as her mind raced, "Part of the test? Would he do that? Or is this real? That alarm... Would they sound it for a test?" This felt unheard of and panic began to set in. Hearing the grunt of one of her members snapped her out of those thoughts and she turned to them. "Get out of here. I... need to see what's coming. Your mission is to get that injured person to safety, nothing more." Kaminari then turned around that final corner, just in time to see a man fall from an attack. "You fool... rushing it alone." she said ironically, seeing that no other groups were here besides his and hers. She'd stay alone too.

"GET OUT OF HERE." she shouted toward the unconscious one's group. While she was not their leader, their panic and the unease of this reiatsu sent them into survival mode. They left and now it was just the three of them: K.O., herself, and this Arrancar that she was struggling to decide whether it was real or not. Kaminari stared at the hollow, trying more to control her breath and hide fact that his power was pressing down on her. She reached for her zanpakuto, but a glance toward the unconscious one told her otherwise. She didn't know his condition and his healing may be the only thing currently saving his life...

However, she was barely able to stand and breathing under this pressure felt like drowning. If she held back and if she could not defeat this monster, it's likely that they'd just die anyway. Besides, the nearby Captains that were watching this competition weren't running in. This was part of the test. Even more, after standing there for a few more seconds, she realized why this reiatsu felt a little familiar. Putting her hand on her zanpakuto, she put on a confident air and smirked. "Well now, I've hugged this reiatsu before." she said, staring him down, "I know I can't defeat you, so I won't even try it... However..."

Kaminari stepped in a little closer and pulled her zanpakuto from its sheath. The air finally calmed down, the reiatsu dissipated and finally she could breathe again, the sweat dripping down her face being the only reminder of the previous pressure on her. "I can try to stall you." The feeling for her opponent would not be a pleasant one. He will be off balance, have trouble with what normally comes naturally to him, and things like his coordination and will reaction times will be off. It's like suddenly having heavy weights attached to your ankles and wrists while also having been punched in the stomach after not eating for two days. The feeling sucked, but Kaminari was luckily unaffected by it.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku watched as the group whose leader he had taken out stood stunned both by the power he was displaying and the events that just unfolded, and he gave a deep mental sigh. All things said this was actually rather disheartening for him, though hopefully this would help drive home a more important point in the coming weeks, months, and years. He'd have to change up how the Division's training was handled as well, if this was the response. He was vaguely surprised to see Kaminari turn up around one of the corners, but figured he probably shouldn't have been. Thus far, she'd proven to be far more capable than her demeanor would lead people to believe.

She took in the situation, and Genpaku recognized the moment Kaminari keyed into what was going on. The moment she brought her fear under control. He gave a small frown behind his mask; everything about what her records said from the Academy said she had the knowledge. As she had said herself, what she lacked was experience. Many of those assembled did. Delays like this could, and would, get people killed. There wasn't much to do about that though; the only way to gain more experience was to do. Kaminari took control of the situation, sending the others off from both her own squad and the remaining one. Genpaku's frown deepened behind his mask. Kaminari spoke then towards him, resting a hand on her zanpaku-tou. He'd have to give her credit; as a general rule, Genpaku didn't release much reiatsu because of his constant training with control. For her to recognize this, despite it also being different from his resting reiatsu, spoke to great skill.

Then the situation changed as she drew her Zanpaku-tou. Genpaku felt the effect, and for a moment it was staggering. He didn't know the particulars, but it wasn't hard to figure out that this had to be related to her Zanpaku-tou. Its shape was different from normal, but she'd made no call of a name. That meant that either she was towards the final stages of her learning her Bankai, or the Zanpaku-tou naturally released or was in a state of constant release. Either way, he could tell the difference in the air and in his feeling. Most other Shinigami would likely have been thrown off more than Genpaku, who had the advantage of having trained through intense discomfort in the past. It wasn't that he was used to this specific feeling so much as he was used to discomfort in general. He took a single centering breath, and pushed the discomfort from his mind. That discomfort didn't go away, so much as it became less important.

His focus centered on Kaminari after that, who stood behind as all the others fled. Given what her Zanpaku-tou seemed to do, it was an understandable strategy, though not necessarily a smart one. Besides, Genpaku had seen most of what he felt he needed. She'd had her Zanpaku-tou fully drawn for a few moments, likely had just been settling into a stance when Genpaku moved. He laid the flat of his hand across her knuckles, not as a strike but as a motion to stop. He closed the distance between them slower than he was used to, but faster than most could follow all the same; his reputation as one of the fastest captain's in the Gotei was thought to be just stories by many, who saw his young age and assumed they could judge based on that.
“That's enough of that; permission for the release of Shikai was not among the things approval was given for,” he said from behind the mask, but the tone didn't go with that. Honestly, he'd expected someone to go about doing this and had, in fact, made arrangements for that already. He just didn't make that information known.

“We're going to have to have a discussion about that,” he said, referring to the Zanpaku-tou. “As well as a few other things. You had the right idea though; good job.”

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 am

Kaminari tried her best to follow his movements once he came toward her. She thought she kept up with them enough, but wasn't expecting the hand on her zanpakuto. Her heart rushed through forty beats in that moment, the fear welling up until she heard the words he spoke. Still tense, she shifted her eyes upward to the freaky mask he was wearing, sweat soaking her face. "To... be honest," she forced out, swallowing nervously as she started to regain her composure, "Captain, I don't have a choice. My skill is more with zanjutsu and the power of my zanpakuto automatically releases the moment is is drawn. Holding myself back in such of fight would only have gotten more people killed, especially since I've trained to use kido with my left hand as I fight with my right." Kaminari explained as adequately as possible, finally feeling relaxed.

"Understood." she said with a nod, assuming he would have questions about her zanpakuto's power now that he's felt it first hand. Hearing the good job, Kaminari had to roll a twenty on her will save and she fucking did. Instead of reacting the more funny way, she sheathed her zanpakuto, straightened her back, and nodded. "Thanks, Captain. And thank you for letting me participate."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku reached up, lifting the mask up to sit on his head since it wasn't really needed anymore. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't bring up the question or thoughts of his mind just yet. He did have a couple ideas and/or opinions on it, but he'd address that later.
“You've more than earned the right of challenge with your strength, but you're welcome. Go meet up with your squad and return to the staging area. I've a few more people to check in on since they didn't make it this far.”

Genpaku waited until she and the rest of her squads had moved off far enough before picking up the unconscious squad member. He vanished from sight, taking him to a Fourth Division member to sleep off the effects before he returned to the field and unleashed his power once more. The rest of the groups reacted about how he had expected and feared, leaving him with much to think on. Once all of the participants had been approached and he'd seen what he needed, he directed everyone back towards the central courtyard. He took a few minutes after resealing his power to comb through the Division grounds and make sure no one had passed out inside or suffered any other serious injuries, as well as to make sure all of the mock hollows had shut down properly. Then he reappeared in the central courtyard himself. He addressed then the participants and crowd at large.
“Thank you all for coming out today, and for those that participated I appreciate your drive and interest in the position. You've all given me a lot to think about,” he called out, though the last bit almost seemed to carry something more akin to a threat than anything.
“My decision will be announced later. For now, all Division members are free to return to their duties or off time. Please remember to check the shift schedule, the next round of World of the Living patrols are due to depart in the next two hours. Dismissed!”

It was later in the evening when Kaminari would be contacted by one of the other Division members, asking her to return to Captain's office.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:19 pm

Kaminari nodded and said nothing more. She returned to her squad as ordered and made sure they were all okay. The rest of the day, Kaminari felt odd even opening her mouth. She was of the mind that she had lost her chance to become Lieutenant when she broke the rules and that devastated her. Even when her Captain spoke to everyone again, she kept silent and sat off to the side.

After a while, Kaminari got over what she assumed was a major loss in her Shinigami career and headed to the cafeteria. As she began stuffing her face with a doughnut, she was approached with orders to go see the Captain. She picked up her doughnut and rushed off. It didn't take her long to get there since she was still chewing her second-to-last bite by the time she knocked.

"I'm here, Captain!" she said cheerfully, raising her hand at the door, like she was being called on for a question in grade school, and having no idea that she still had doughnut crumbs on her face as she stuffed in the final bite, "May I enter thy dwelling?" Someone should learn not to speak with their mouth full...

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku had been in his office almost since the trial had ended, looking over what information had been drawn together and what he'd seen himself. He'd considered everything he had thus far, and weighed what he'd considered against how others would react to it. At the end of the day though, the opinions of others only counted for so much to Genpaku. He had to trust his own judgment over that of others. So, he put out the call.

Kaminari knocked on the door, and Genpaku opened the door to find her in the middle of finishing off a doughnut. He couldn't help but smirk slightly at that.
“Only if you promise not to get those crumbs all over the floor; they're impossible to get out of the mats,” he said as he turned and headed back towards his desk. It was still covered in papers and such, but it seemed to have been mostly cleared off. He gave a motion for her to take a seat across from him as he shrugged out of his Haori, setting it across the back of the chair as he sat down.
“I wanted to take some time and talk with you about a couple things. I hope you don't mind,” he said, giving her a chance to speak up if she did. If not, he continued.
“From what I've heard about you from the Academy, you've not been quiet about your desire to join the Eighth Division since you arrived. You said as much when we talked about Divisions a year ago. You said that you wished to kill Hollows, that you wished to protect the World of the Living. Why is that? Why are those important to you?”

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:13 pm

Kaminari looked to her hands and then to her not-so-busty chest before wiping her face off and jumping a few times to get the crumbs off. From what she could tell there weren't any left, so she entered and sat where she had been given permission. Since she had taken her shoes off at the door, she wore only her socks and brought her feet up to the chair so her knees were at her chest. She fit onto the chair like you'd expect a cat to, pretty darn easily.

"Um... Sure, okay." she said worriedly, retracting in the chair as if she were preparing for a scolding. Instead, what came was questions that riled up memories she didn't often visit. She looked away from him, saddened and for a short moment, fearful. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's hard to explain and I know we don't actually kill hollows, we exercise them. I just want to get rid of them. They're a menace, dangerous... and they hurt people."

There was a moment of silence from Kaminari, but it could be seen through her eyes that she had more to say. "I guess that's not answering your question though... I don't..." she hesitated once more, "I don't want people to go through what I did. Witnessing the carnage of hollow running free through the streets is not something you easily forget. Sometimes... I still have the nightmares... flashbacks. The only way to get them to stop is to stop them."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku could certainly sympathize with the feeling's Kaminari was saying, and perhaps more importantly with the ones she didn't want to give breath too. He could probably understand better than more anyone else in Soul Society.
“You're not wrong,” he said simply, though there was more to the words than what he said. He wasn't going to press her about what was obviously a traumatic event or events from her past.
“So what is it about the position of Lieutenant that made you want to strive for it?” he asked. There were lots of reasons why people sought out the seated ranks of various Divisions. Some did it for recognition, some for the bonuses or status it offered, some did it simply because it meant they'd have greater opponents to face. All of these were valid reasons at the end of the day, it was more a curiosity that brought Genpaku to ask that question.

There was little question that Kaminari could be a Vice-Captain. Even if her skills weren't particularly advanced she possessed one of the single most powerful Zanpaku-tous Genpaku had ever heard about. He wouldn't be surprised if he got inquiries both from the First and Twelfth Divisions about it in the near future. Kaminari did appear to be rather skilled on top of that. Given time and training, it wouldn't surprise Genpaku to see her rise to the ranks of Captain even in the absence of a Bankai. If she did attain Bankai, well, who knew what she'd be capable of. Before any of that though, Genpaku wanted to know why she sought out the position and get a better idea of what kind of person she was.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:12 pm

"Why do I want to be a Lieutenant? Because then they'll have to take me seriously! It won't be 'get out of my way, midget' or 'you're just a little girl, you can't fight.' Nope. Instead, they'll say something stupid like that and I can be like 'I'm the Lieutenant of the Eighth Division you moron, care to die? I'll pull out my sword and whack 'em!" Kaminari said in a very animated way. She pointed at herself with her thumb first, then put both hands on her hips and pretended she was talking to someone shorter than her. After that, she pointed at an invisible Lieutenants badge and pulled up her sheathed zanpakuto to hit herself in the head. She may have gotten a little excited about that.

After her more honest and excited answer, she took a moment to regain her composure and curled back into the chair. "I could do the Eight Division's job from any position, but why not become Lieutenant? I mean... You've, unfortunately, lost your Lieutenant and need someone. You're kind of the only actual... I don't know... friend? that I can speak of. I know we're not really friends, but I've talked to you more now than I did anyone in the entire year at the Academy. People don't like me and I don't like them, so there."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Unsurprisingly, Kaminari's antics managed to pull laughter out of Genpaku by the time she was done; what did you expect when you literally pulled a sheathed sword off your belt and started bonking yourself on the head. After things calmed down, she continued with actually answering his question, though really both answers revealed things about the young woman sitting in his office. Kaminari craved recognition. It wasn't surprising that people would still look down on her though; despite the fact that power didn't have as much to do with physical size here in the afterlife, people still had that as a thought. Anyone that didn't look physically imposing seemed to be predisposed to being looked down upon. She had the strength and skill to prove these people wrong, the acquisition of a position like Vice Captain was more of a statement made physical for her.

Also, she was lonely. Given what she said at the end though, that wasn't exactly surprising either.
“Why do you think people don't like you?” he asked. He could think of reasons why she might think that, but he was more interested in why she thought people didn't like her. Other than her seeming to be quite stubborn, she generally seemed to be an outgoing and likable person.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:47 pm

Achievement Gained: A Captain's Laughter - Make your Captain laugh.

"It's not that hard to figure out once I realized the tensions between the Toryoseiku and the Shojin were deeper than I thought." Kaminari said, figuring the hint would get across. She was from the Shojin. People around here didn't easily like her and it was because she was the Shojin brat.

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd be allowed into the Gotei because of where I'm from. I'm sure the only reason I got into the Academy and therefore here, is because of whatever word you put forth from the beginning to get me enrolled, which I am thankful for, by the way. I'ma do my best to not let you down."

"Besides that though? Well, people outside of this area usually do like me. I had lots of friends! It's also how I got training from Kanna. She did like me."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

“It is true that tensions between the Toryouseiku and the Shojin have ran deeper in recent years. That said, I don't doubt you would have made it into and through the Academy even without my help. I think it would have just taken longer,” he said. Generally, he had a good opinion of Captain Senju and how she conducted not just her Division but the Academy. Given the time to prove her intentions were pure, Genpaku was sure Kaminari would have made it into the Academy. Given even more time, she'd have filtered her way into his Division if indeed her aim was to protect the World of the Living.
“As for the here and now, in this Division; generally speaking, where you came from before will end up not mattering as much. Give it time, and people will come to judge you by your actions and temperament rather than who you were before you came here. Honestly, that's tends to be true of many of the Divisions given time. Unfortunately, before anyone has a chance to get to know anyone else all they have to make opinions on is what they already know.”

Genpaku shuffled some papers around on his desk, seeming to take a few moments to think before looking back to Kaminari.
“What are you willing to tell me about your Zanpaku-tou?” he asked. Generally speaking he had an idea of what her Zanpaku-tou did, or at least what the result of whatever it did was.

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:06 am

What more was there to say? His words made sense and he understood the Gotei and its members more than she did. She nodded in reply and casually shrugged, a dorky smile on her face. The question that came next had the smile fall. She tilted her head and thought on it. "I find it funny that you say 'willing' in that sentence." Kaminari replied, "Do I actually have a choice in that matter? I didn't think I would. Isn't it required? Wait no. It's a requirement for the Lieutenant position, but I don't think the books said details had to be released..."

Kaminari took in a deep breath and brought her zanpakuto into her lap. "Well, I call her Hana and she's a bitch, I can tell you that much. All she does is pick on me and make fun of me for being short. She loves pushing her boobs in my face and bragging about how hers are bigger than mine. Oh, she also thinks I need to be more feminine and wear makeup and grow my hair and wear pink and other bright colors. Ugh... She's a pain!" She gripped her zanpakuto, yelling at it.

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

“Of course you have a choice; I'm not ordering you to tell me about your Zanpaku-tou, but I do believe that knowing what your Zanpaku-tou can do would help me help you,” he said. However, Kaminari launched into a slowly growing tirade culminating in yelling at her Zanpaku-tou. Genpaku, for his part, simply sat there a few moments before he shook his head and chuckled.
“I see,” was all he really had to say about her description though. He understood how sometimes Zanpaku-tou spirits could be tough on their wielder, but it seemed like Kaminari had already found a way to work with it.
“I had more meant that I was curious about what you Zanpaku-tou can actually do. I got a feel of it during the contest; it seems to limit or prevent the use of spiritual power within an area. Additionally, it seems to have some negative effect on people's natural abilities as well as make people feel sick. And yet, you used no release phrase when you drew your Zanpaku-tou; there are only a few reasons that is generally the case. I also am unsure what kind of range you Zanpaku-tou's ability affects; it is obvious it covers an area, since you never struck me to limit my power.”

Subject: Re: One More Time... [Private] Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:21 am

"Oh." she said, pursing her lips and staring at him while letting a few thoughts roll around her head. She then smiled and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She felt a little sillly and that showed in the nervous chuckle she let out. "Yeah, of course you don't care about her attitude. That was dumb of me. Sorry, Captain. Um..." She looked away for a moment and took in a deep breath. "Impressed. Most before you freaked out about my power and they definitely didn't get that much of it on like thirty seconds of exposure to it. I guess that's what separates Captains from the rest of us, hm?"

"You're mostly right, kind of. She likes describing it as bringing everyone down to my level. As you so eloquently figured out, she does prevent the usage of spiritual power and lowers physical ability to a degree, but it's honestly not as simple as that..." Kaminari's expression softened, looking almost sad as she looked down to her zanpakuto. There was a moment of silence before she spoke up again, laying Hana (her zanpakuto) down and crossing her arms. "She doesn't exactly discriminate or care about friend or foe. For example, if you were in battle and needing healed, but I had to use my zanpakuto in order to even the playing field, which would definitely be the case if you needed my help... You couldn't be healed. You'd have to wait and hope I win the fight and can seal her... Spiritually, in my zanpakuto, people are pretty much human. While it can be great and helpful... it can get people killed... friends killed."

Posts : 139 Join date : 2018-08-17

Genpaku waved off her apology about going on about her Zanpaku-tou's personality. At one point or another everyone had to gripe about theirs. As for her comment calling him impressive, he didn't have much of a reaction to it other than a small shrug and a word of thanks for the compliment. Mostly, he didn't view it as particularly impressive; given time, you learned to assess a combat situation by shear exposure. You learned to make the best guess on the fly and move accordingly. Given the time and experience, she'd get to that same point he was sure.

She started in, explaining to some degree how her Zanpaku-tou worked. Once she was done, Genpaku leaned back in his chair slightly and let out a small whistle.
“Even with a drawback like that, that has to be one of the most powerful Zanpaku-tous I've heard of. Dangerous, but undeniably powerful.”
He seemed to consider what he'd been told, letting the room settle into silence; not an uncomfortable silence or anything, it was just obvious that he was thinking for a few moments.
“And since the Zanpaku-tou releases upon unsheathing, you look to focus on other combat methods and use her as a last resort,” Genpaku mused, taking in information and things she'd said and going through the logic; it was said almost in the phrase of a question, but a rhetorical one.

He gave a small nod and leaned forward again, fishing into his desk for something. He brought it out and placed it on the desk between them; a wooden badge with the Division's symbol emblazoned on it.
“Of course I'm going to have to see how well you actually perform in the field, but it seems you've got will to work for it.”

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