Kaito Minami's Story

Test inconclusive. Try again tomorrow.

Sleep deprived, Kaito fell back into his seat; glaring at the data in a fit of defeat, his hand limply striking a match in order to light the cigarette that dangled from his lower lip. Whether it was the obvious lack of a good night's rest or the added stress and anxiety from having nothing to show for his research efforts yet again, he wasn't exactly feeling his usual energetic self when undertaking his own little science experiments. Insomnia's a killer, and not the good kind apparently. He tended to take extremities like that as a minor setback on his work, however (at least until he could find some drug potent enough to suppress the need to sleep).

'Without killing myself, at least.' And with thoughts of rest on his mind, Kaito briefly contemplated taking one of his usual power-naps, but dismissed the idea when a familiar set of footsteps managed to make their way into his appointed office.

“How's progress?”

The man let out a humble sigh. “Nill.” He answered, turning to his head to face the girl still standing in the doorway. “Lieutenant.” He added. Somewhat surprised to see Chiho taking time out of her busy schedule to check up on the subordinates, which meant either one of two things: the captain was MIA – deliberately no doubt, or more work.

“Orders from up top.” And there it was. “We're due a trip to the human world, and it just so happens the captain commander's asked us thirteen squads to take part in a team-building exercise. I figured you might want some fresh air for a change, so I thought I'd ask you to come along.”

It didn't take long for Kaito to jump at the opportunity. There never were many chances to see the human world, and if there were he usually was considered an exception rather than the rule when it came to doing field work. “I'm in.”

“Good, everyone'll meet at the Shining Star. Don't be late.” And with that the lieutenant left as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Kaito to prepare for the coming excursion with newfound vigor. As if his insomnia had mysteriously vanished...

It didn't take him long to arrive at the place mentioned. And after a slight pause at what to expect on the inside, Kaito entered the bar. Taking some time to assess the members that were already present.

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Experience had told him that some human adages held true, and speaking of the devil was one of them. No sooner had he thought of Junko then was she upon him in her awkward commanding way, trying to socialise with the commoners whilst maintaining her attitude. After a month and a half it was almost endearing, and he had no complaints as he was dragged to a better spot deeper into the bar, sat next to the queen herself. A rare privilege.

A happy smile warmed his features and he looked at her with affection, ignoring the off-handed comments and resisting teasing her stiff and uppity nature. His smile only widened as Ryuu placed herself in front of him, and he nodded to her question as he turned to face his friend and rival. "We were just about to discuss our selection for the human world mission and wait for familiar faces," He nodded around the bar and joined his hands underneath his chin, leaning on the table as if to get comfortable. "But you all gathered so fast, we didn't even have time to settle."

The giant waved his hand to Iehira and Kaito whom were away from the group, just as Joel joined the table. "Before we get into it, allow me to collect the clown and the hermit." He sighed as he looked again at Iehira and pushed himself away from the table. "It seems as if some of us haven't learned how to skirt troubles border yet." He half-complained.

Before the clown could start an argument or worse, a fight, with his behaviour, Yasei leaned down and scooped him up by the waist, flopping him over his shoulder with one arm. He kept a firm grip on the wily shinigami as he gave an apologetic shrug and shake of the head to the table he had disturbed, moving over to Kaito and waving him over to follow to the table. Once there the giant dropped Iehira roughly into the chair beside Joel and took his own seat. With a deep breath, Yasei intended to start the gathering again.

"Glad to see some of you haven't changed, although I'd hoped for some more awareness, Iehira." He half-joked half-scolded, shifting his chair into a more comfortable position. "So it looks like we've all been picked for this human world mission, but I guess we'll find more out more about that when it starts, for now..." His expression softened and he smiled kindly at those in front of him.

"Welcome to the first post-probation family meeting! what have we all been up to while I was locked away in the Maggot's Nest?" He announced enthusiastically, stretching and wiping at the blood that stained his cheek. "It's been a long and sleepless month and a bit for me, but I want to hear all about what I've missed." He finished, finally going back to Ryuu's question. Yasei would seem a bit off to those who were particularly close to the giant, his demeanour was subdued and he lacked energy, above all, he looked truly and unbearably, tired.

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"Sometimes the only person you can trust is yourself."

Dialogue Color ❈ #517083
Thought Color ❈ #314049
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As people began filtering in, Junko couldn't help but scoff to herself. What a motley crew this was, ignorant and loud, or irrational, or just foolish. This group would surely be . . . Trying for her. Thankfully, Joel was on the team and although he was a quiet type, well maybe that was why, but regardless Junko appreciated the boy more than most her current company. Soon enough after everyone's opening comments were shared and Yasei had gathered the strays to the table, Junko cleared her throat, her steely eyes prodding and searching over her companions. Her arms were folded tight over her chest, enough so to pull at the fabric of her coat. Posture was perfect, upright like a board as she listened to Yasei's second-round discussion.

"Welcome to the first post-probation family meeting! what have we all been up to while I was locked away in the Maggot's Nest?" The giant spoke, wiping his cheek and smiling like a dope. "It's been a long and sleepless month and a bit for me, but I want to hear all about what I've missed." After his mention of the human world mission Junko had been preparing her speech of how she should rise to be team leader, as it was the only logical choice. However this newly introduced small talk had thrown a wrench in it and now she'd have to wait until the discussion filtered back around. She huffed softly and then spoke with her uptight authority.

"I have been training hard and cleaning up the barracks even harder. I have been doing exactly as my captain bids me so that I could better myself. Now I am in top form, knowing that I could surely stand up to any challenge." She snorted softly at herself, feeling her own pride welling inside of her and why not? She had put in the work, hell, she had put in the work since she first chose to become a soul reaper. She had always worked and worked harder than anyone else around her, until it hurt to breathe. Why shouldn't she boast a bit about her talents? Why shouldn't the others know who they are messing with!

However, she'd keep what she knew about her Zanpakuto to herself. The name and personality of her partner, which would serve her well in the human world. After all she had been selected by her squad for this mission and she'd die before letting them all down. So, she remained seated, her eyes watching everyone at her table. The only two she knew would be trouble were Ryuu and Yasei. Though thankfully another sensible shinigami had been chosen, Joel. With him there it wouldn't be quite as bad. She sighed internally, something in the back of her head told her this was going to be a long journey.

For not the first time, Hira felt the familiar strong arm of Yasei throwing himself over the large man's shoulder. Balance was a fundamental aspect of Hakuda and fighting so Hira was able to take a couple drinks from his bitter soda during the giant's trip to deposit him next to Joel. As his mouth was full at the time, Hira silently held out the far from empty gourd as an offer to his table neighbor with a questioning look on his face. However just like a father can command order at the family table - Yasei's voice drew Hira's attention and a reflexive placing down of the gourd. A look of confused indignation formed on his face at the statement of his awareness - after all he hadn't been in the wrong was his conviction before drifting into thought about what the giant could be talking about. Hira's ever expressive face shifted towards a thoughtful expression before the blank stare of a mental absentee as a rather tall woman started talking. However something of a snort or cough from the lady brought his attention slightly back into the moment - seeing as the woman looked health Hira just mentally wrote off the noise as his face lit up.

" Yasei, I got a cabinet full of the best new drinks I've had every day since we got in trouble - shoulda told me you were getting out. I'da brought something better than the bitter soda I brought with me to work today. Oooh also I helped design last months purple cat plushie and the fluffy pink fox plushie that's coming out later this month." From his medical supply bag Hira pulled out two keychain size plush dolls: one of a purple cat possessing a happy smile and a bell on its chest; the other being a curled up fluffy pink fox with a ball on its neck with a sleepy yet content expression. Hira slipped a finger into the back of each while talking.

" Squad 12 helped by letting us make something that can expand to a pillow when you put some energy in it," Hira demonstrated while talking and sure enough the fluffy key chains become fluffy pillow sized plushes. "Additionally, the fox's orb if you stare into it will have wandering clouds or swirling stars depending on if its night or day - shrinking them back just requires you twist their nose." Concluding his demonstration with shrinking the plush dolls back to keychain size before tossing them on the table with a 'how you like that' type of expression. Hira had spouted out his whole pitch in one solid breath without a single pause - and completed the unending word stream with a question.

" So is it true that they made you squash bugs in a giant nest this whole time without kido or zanpakuto? Did they look like ants, cockroaches, or spiders - and were they like normal sized bugs in a massive nests or are we talking like a bug big enough to ride on like a trusty steed?" Against all common sense, Hira hadn't payed attention to discussions on what the Maggots Nest was and thus remained oblivious to the places true nature. In that regard, his curiosity could be akin to a human child asking about what santa is like during his visits - and much like the truth of Santa, would find the reality of the situation far more banal.

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Ryuu Shosuke

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And that's when he wished he stayed in his comfortable little observatory bubble. Kaito wasn't good with people, not really. Or maybe people weren't good with him, an iffy guess either way. And Yasei's circle of friends? Well, Kaito never did know them that well. Sans the giant and the clown with a doctorate (from his time in the fourth squad, admittedly, but still). Everyone else was strictly from second hand. Rumours tend to travel fast, and whether they were true or complete fabrications from someone else's biased mind; there usually was some truth to them. And Kaito could feel his own anxiety seeping outward as he approached the table.

“Yo.” He commented in a practised, monotonous tone. His attention focused more on Yasei in an attempt to avoid accidentally staring the wrong person in the eyes. Something about wanting to keep the peace. They'd be doing plenty of fighting after this reunion was done and over with.

When the moment came for everyone to speak their piece, Kaito was intent on keeping his to himself. Bragging rights were for those bothered enough to compensate for their lack of personality, and he was nothing if not content just mentally taking notes what the lot had been up to while he was holed up in his base of operations.

Mostly training business, it seemed. Getting sweet with their respective squads and captains, which was all but familiar to Kaito who didn't even know half the names of his fellow scientists. Strange thing, that.

He had managed to pay enough attention to remember some bits, like, 'soldier princess's a bit uppity about herself' and 'red-hair sure likes jumping into fires, don't she'. He'd also noted the little gizmo Iehira flopped onto the table after his short demonstration. He remembered something about his squad working on a similar tech, captain called it a waste of time as he recalled. And, in hindsight, it probably was if Iehira had the only working prototype.

'Not the brightest specimen, that one.' Kaito mentally scolded the idiotic rant from his ex-squadmate, though not without cracking a subtle smile (the image of Yasei riding a giant bug amused him somewhat).

Then silence fell on the group, and Kaito had the feeling that they were waiting for someone to break the ice. And so it was, with a tiresome sigh and a forced smile that Kaito began to say his piece; a hand nervously rubbing the back of his head. “Can't say I've done much, honestly. Not in the way you all have.” His eyes darted back to Yasei. “Then again nothing quite tops spending the night with large insects, I guess.”

He was joking, obviously. Kaito was fully aware what the Maggot's Nest contained, and they weren't the nicest customers. The fact that his friend had managed to get out of there mostly unscathed was a feat he wouldn't dare to tackle himself. Not even out of sheer curiosity or mere fact checking. Suicidal was an apt description.

Through the storm of laughter and echoes of chatter throughout the place, Joel could barely hear what Yasei said before standing up and leaving the table. He didn't have to wait long before Iehira landed in the seat next to him. Joel waved to him with a slight gesture of his hand in greetings. After Yasei sat down, Kaito followed and Yasei asked about what everyone else was doing, which made Joel remember, that his friend, who had just been in the pen, hadn't even explained his situation at all. Joel didn't ask either. He considered it something that would be better done without a crowd. It sure was strange to him. Joel recognized Yasei as a caring guy, but he wondered if this could be him taking control of the conversation. If he could be avoiding the topic of his imprisonment. It worried the lad for a second, but he decided there was no point in getting flustered over a topic he hadn't planned on bringing up. Keeping things calm was always a good route to go. Besides, he believed it was his friends night, even if it was for a mission. His questions could be asked later.

Joel took off his hood to get a clearer sound from the people around him. He had a dead stare on Junko as she talked. Every word out of her mouth made him feel like he was supposed to give her his undivided attention. While her explanation of her working time had been short, it carried all the power of a speech and was something Joel felt himself respecting to and slightly nodding at. All up to the snort at the end. A grin peeked on the lads face and he chuckled softly and said, "Nice," lowly under his breath. When Ryuu got up from her seat, Joel wondered if she had missed everyone more than anyone. She sure seemed eager to challenge, something Joel had felt since he sat down. It was really too bad he hadn't brought his own zanpakuto.

He then turned to Iehira, who Joel just called Hira. Being a member of the fourth squad, Joel was actually able to see him on more occasion than most in their group. Playing the messenger and picking up items between his squad and the others were also part of his punishment. It seemed he had been working on some kind of key chains. Joel glanced at them and wondered if that was Hira's punishment though the proud expression on his face about them said otherwise. It wasn't until he pulled out the inflatable pillow that he began to question what exactly it was his friend did all day at work. It seemed he was busy collecting items and with no word of his zanpakuto, Joel gave up on expecting anymore from him. He did giggled a little at his mix up of the facilities name for an actual nest of maggots. It was good enough to get him invested in the conversation to see if something else interesting would come off. If he were to laugh like this all night, he wouldn't know what he'd do.

When Ryuu began speaking about her time, Joel realized that maybe she didn't miss everyone, but wanted to test out her Zanpakuto after no having it for a while, though she still could have missed them all. It was weird, because they both made sense to him so he decided to go with both in his head. She still seemed glued to her sword however, but that was normal. It wasn't long until Kaito said something. Joel was surprised when he heard him speak because it seemed like he wasn't even there for a moment. He wondered if he was just being quiet the whole time. Sure wouldn't be a bad thing to have someone who was also quiet in the group. He found himself letting out another brief chuckle when reminded of the mistake Hira made about The Maggots Nest. He considered that to always be a classic memory he could look back on.

It seemed he was the only one left to speak. He brushed his hair forward with his hand and tried to think of something good to say, but found he had nothing to really report. "Still on probation from that one time. Mixed with a little discrepancies here and there I probably won't get off for a while, but they let me come here so that's something." He didn't want to tell them he had been continuously been getting chewed out for not carrying his zanpakuto so he evaded the topic all together. He looked toward Yasei who seemed as though the life was being taken out him. "Hey man," he said turning his head towards Yasei's direction. "You feeling alright?"

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Despite having been the one to bring up the topic, Yasei found himself unable to focus on what was being said. He tried to pay attention to the important sounding bits, but missed whatever joke Iehira had made, although the references by others helped him piece it back together. He smirked with good intention, happy to be amongst his family again. Even if they were more than a handful.

His instincts forced a flare of Reiatsu when Ryuu tried to challenge Junko, his primal side taking over in his tired unattentive state as if the challenge had been directed at him, the action akin to a lion roaring to warn off a challenger. It earned him a few odd looks from the nearby table, although it was barely register-able and he hoped the others would let it slide as his attention returned to quell the gut-reaction.

Bringing himself back into focus he smirked at those who'd played on the oddly named Maggot's Nest. "You know me, terrified of insects, they were huge too these ones. Surprised I made it out with my mental and physical state in tact." He joked, stretching heavily and stifling a yawn. Joel expressed concern after saying his piece, but Yasei waved him off good-naturedly, clapping him on the back gently. "Nothing a night's rest won't fix." He responded, reaching behind himself to grab his Zanpakuto and place it on the table.

"Glad it seems most of us are out of the woods, new and improved, and since it looks like we're back to my turn. It took a month and a half in prison, but I finally got her name." He paused, giving himself time to decide whether he'd completely fill them in. In reality he'd just woken up one morning with a name echoing in his head, and with no access to his Zanpakuto he hadn't even had time to confirm it, not that meditating with his blade had ever gotten him even a glimpse of the inner world. Still, he felt it like a heartbeat in his soul every time the name entered his thoughts, beating in time with his bodies. It had to be it.

He gestured as if a show-girl presenting a prize, sweeping across the weapon. "Allow me to introduce, Jizen-jū (Benevolent Beast), the current Mrs Kuma, and one stubborn sword." He flirted, he could only assume at least some of the others had made similar progress, he doubted that blind luck had given him any edge over any of his fellows. He'd be dissapointed if it had. More than likely they wanted to keep their progress private, Yasei hoped to break the ice, and in the case of the ever competitive Ryuu and Junko, play poke the bear. Serious thought lay beneath the playful tone.

His eyes lit with a new energy as the gauntlet had been thrown. Junko was obviously pushing for a leg up going into this mission, and Ryuu was a blink away from a drawn sword. With Yasei's achievement listed boldly, and with pride, the game began for whom would trade blows. In the case of Junko, it was a matter of whether she'd risk revealing she'd been hiding things, and the pride loss that would follow. Honesty was important to her image, and her image was everything. He had already taken the advantage by being the first to announce and gaining the attention and image boost that followed.

In the case of Ryuu it was more simple, would the bait of his advancement entice her to the battleground, and would he be able to capitalise on her bloodlust to raise his own image of character with a counter. The giant aimed to be captain commander, in his plotting's and machinations did he and Junko share their character, something one would not expect from the muscle-bound brawler. He hoped at least one aspired for a stronger role in this upcoming mission, he looked forward to a long awaited return to old habits, and old battlefields.

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"Sometimes the only person you can trust is yourself."

Dialogue Color ❈ #517083
Thought Color ❈ #314049
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The rest of her "team" spoke, to Junko Yasei and Ryuu seemed to be issuing her a challenge for dominance. Yasei wanted to boar his way into being the leader of the group, more subtly than usual for the giant man, which concerned Junko a lot. Her steely eyes shot to Yasei, he was speaking of his sword. Boasting of his progress, it made her want to tell him of hers. To show off the white sword at her hip, to humiliate the other giant in the room and knock him down a peg so she could overtake the momentum he was building. Like a panther on the hunt Junko was ready for any slip-up, any misstep to where she would take control. Ryuu's readiness to fight issued a challenge that Junko wold happily oblige however, she wouldn't risk showing off her newly developed skills as of yet. Her hand rested on the scabbard of Kami Senchineru, it boosted her confidence and caused a new light of patience and a feeling of superiority toward her comrades to blaze up ten-fold. She knew the potential of her sword was one that could fall the gods themselves, let alone these misfits around her.

It seemed to her this meaningless chatter would go on and on, nothing would get accomplished. She wanted to do something productive. Everyone had spoken, even Joel had spoken up, surely Joel would understand that she was the rightful group leader for this excursion. Junko cleared her throat and spoke up with confidence and charm, well as much charm as a woman like her could have.
"So, do we intend to play catch-up like a bunch of housewives all day when we should be deciding crucial things? I for one think we should have a 'leader' of sorts to keep the tasks at hand up-front and keep an order." She ran a hand through her hair with a knowing smirk. "If no one else would step up, I'll happily volunteer to lead us through the human world mission to success. After all I am the most suited for leadership among us. Everyone has their own strengths, leading just happens to be mine. Besides I know how each of us can work to our top potential! Doesn't that sound agreeable? Who's with me?" She asked enthusiastically, her eyes looking at the faces of her soon to be comrades as she did.

Iehhira had reached out for his soda gourd as the fight for team leader broke out. It didn't take long for a certain realization to take place one that resulted in a flare of spirit energy being used to slice open his gourd with a loud screech as he slid his finger down the side and spilled the rest of the contents on the table. His voice still low but cold when he spoke with a serpentine smile.

"Ladies, you're all pretty - now shut up. Since as leader you'll ultimately end up talking to me a lot as the de facto medical head of the squad - I'd imagine none of you dumb enough to ignore the weight of my concerns." Hira began tapping his still charged finger against the table - slowly but surely creating a mark similar to a scalpel being pushed into the surface. "Given the analytic specialties of Squad 12, I'll have to trouble you to ensure the accuracy of mine." Hira's eyes wandered to Kaito before continuing without waiting for a reply.

" Out of interest in the safety of my patients: in this situation Commander - to the best of my knowledge we shinigami will be in the human world for an unspecified duration. In this period: actions and duties will be performed as usual in the sake of teamwork until release is granted. Given teamwork is the goal: we can assume the teammates must by some standard have an equal contribution into the exercise. In this outline I present the following concerns: standard regulations forbid Squad 4 from entering the Living World as it's an effective active combat zone.However Squad 4 is still present: what battle formations and tactics will be implemented to ensure safety of medics while accounting for the Squads lack of combat preparations is likely to make them a team liability. In addition, as this is a long term expedition: supplies must be considered to account for energy expenditure in the event the healer runs out of energy. Lastly: as every shinigami present has their own amount of Reiryoku - spirit energy but only so much is manifested in usable value at once which is measured as Reiatsu aka spirit pressure; this will inevitably influence the Reiryoku of the area they are located.By how much due to expect this to increase the Reiryoku in the area and what does this in turn mean in regards to Hollows being attracted to high amounts of Reiryoku to feed and the potential collateral to humans dwelling there." Hira folded his hands together as his expression and energy dropped back to normal.

"Given my responsibilities over the protection of the lives of my patients you can understand why I as medic cannot discharge my patients into the care of a leader who can't address at least this level of concern lest they end up wasting the very lives I'm obligated to look after.However, Im not unreasonable: you can consult what relevant experts we have on the table; but i trust as Commander you're up-to-date on our various growths and developments since school or at least can make a good estimate without asking right?" Hira didnt even bother suppressing the mockery in his tone at the end of his verbal assault. After all, in his view the argument over a leader at such a period of time was ridiculous. He could understand people liked trying to look good. but his time with Mamoru had influenced his thinking in prioritizing the risk of the lives involved over something like glory or something equally trivial. He was however rather surprised at how much a situation assessment for battle was to the snap judgements he had to make during emergency treatments. The result created something of a smugly amused expression on his face.

'We're really doing this, heh?'

Kaito might've let out a subtle groan as he felt somewhat let down that, well, so far he was the only one done with formalities. He had other shit to get on with, and whether letting them swim in their own sweat was another cleverly planned out part of this exercise or just a plain lucky bonus didn't exactly subtract from the feeling that they were just delaying for the sake of it.

And then the lot of them had to resort to old habits, prompting Kaito to mentally brace for the worst case scenario and assume something of a defensive stance in case tables went flipping in the process. Not that some of them have a tendency to display patience the likes of spoiled children, anyway. In spite of their competitive nature, none of the louder individuals here struck Kaito as that petty. 'The clown doctor, maybe.' But even he wouldn't snap that easily, right?

Wrong.

There was something about the way Iehira pretended to sound intelligent that had Kaito utter a single grunt in the face of another long-winded speech that, quite frankly, made his head throb. And it was when he noticed the smug, self-satisfied smirk on the medic's face that the taller man realised his “friend” felt like he managed to one up the volunteer leader(s).

“Actually,” Kaito began. Formulating a response that didn't rely on verbal assault. “with the number of shinigami here, I'm expecting less opposition.” He had to give Iehira some credit, he was half right. If they'd all stuck together there'd be enough spiritual pressure to attract a handful of hollows, but, “If we split up, so will the amount of spiritual energy. It's far more likely that we'll have to hunt them down.”

Never mind that, despite the fact that they weren't a threat on their own, an army's worth of shinigami had enough spiritual power to effectively chase away their enemies instead. Not all hollows were simple, mindless beasts.

“As for any collateral damages, I trust the officers leading this expedition will have taken the necessary precautions.” A respectful nod followed, and Kaito returned to his usual introspective self.

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Ryuu Shosuke

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Joel

Joel had decided to follow his gut feeling and leave Yasei without many questions for the time being. He knew his friend had been tired and he'd have better luck without exhaustion in the way of his answers. Nodding he turned to Ryuu as she asked him about his probation. "Well, Lady Hanakonawa is just and her means aren't as harsh as one might think. It's actually my fault. It seems every day I get in trouble for something which adds more time to my punishment." He gave away half the truth, flapping the bottom part of his jacket over his legs under the table. In truth, it had been because Joel never liked carrying his zanpakuto. While on normal occasion he's able to keep people from noticing because of how big his shinigami jacket is on him, when he takes it off they always find out. It wasn't something he was particularly ashamed of. The thought of one day being able to carry it around without any anxiety kept him at ease for the present. However, until that day, the day he could tame his blades hunger, he'd only carry it if he were on a mission. Thinking on it, he both dreaded and awaited the day they would go to the human world, because he'd be forced to carry it at all times there. At that time, he'd see if he could continue to call himself it's master.

Yasei had began talking about his own zanpakuto and told everyone it's name. Joel grinned when hearing it. It made him want to tell about his, but he remembered he was trying to keep attention away from it. Luckily, Junko seemed to grow weary of the conversation, deeming a SMEAC among the group. She seemed to skip all the way to Command and Signal, declaring that she would make the perfect leader for the team. Joel lazily gazed at her as she made her plea for the lead with his eyes darting from one person to the other to catch their responses. Once his eyes and hers caught, he gave her a thumbs up to make her feel as if he were on her side, but honestly he didn't care who called themselves leader. He had his own agenda in mind and wouldn't do anything that would hinder it, so it didn't matter which one of them were giving the orders. He had always just planned on doing what he knew he should do.

Once Iehira began talking Joel began to zone out. He didn't realize he was electing the head of the Gotei Thirteen. He wasn't sure if he was trying to call himself to become leader or just trying to question Junko's leadership, but it went on for far too long. He could see past the mans banter, since there were a few good points he had. Protecting the medic and supplies was probably the number one task their squad should have besides the eradication of shinigami. It would definitely lower casualties and make the job easier. Joel sighed and glanced at Kaito who didn't seem enthusiastic about this planning the group was doing, maybe less than Joel. However, Joel couldn't agree with everything said by him since he thought relying on others even those in positions higher than them was a good way to get killed. However, Joel had nothing to add to the conversation and kept quiet seeing that nothing he said would really matter at this point. Everything said thus far was pretty pointless to him. Joel grinned when Ryuu was basically saying what was on his mind.

"Ryuu's right. We don't need to pick a leader if it's just going to make us bicker. Besides, we're all from different squads with different skills. We'll work together off of our strengths. Should be easier than a squad full of the same type of shinigami who are use to the same daily routine," he said before turning his head to Iehira. "You don't have to worry about formation or anything. I've hear it usually falls apart during a battle anyway. If you're too scared to be left alone, you could always stay close to me. I'll protect you." Joel grinned do to his mix of sarcasm, insult, and truth. It was all fun though with him. He was sure Hira would notice the little bit of teasing. Though, even in his joking tone there was a hint of seriousness for he had always planned to protect him. Him and everyone else at their table.

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Junko reacted exactly as predicted, and he had been prepared to start a back and forth, a smirk spreading across his features. However that mood was immediately soured by a stream from Iehira. Criticism and planning would have been welcome, were it not for the manner he conducted himself, prideful, cocky, smug. An undeserved sense of superiority over his peers rivalling Junko, and over such standard problems. Were the squads incapable of handling such things, especially with seated officers present, then the Gotei 13 would have fell apart millenia ago, and those involved would have long been removed to the Maggot's Nest.

He tensed in annoyance, bringing a hand up to hold his head, the others had already reprimanded or dismissed him, to wade in now would be overkill. He had to bring the conversation back around instead, though Joel and Ryuu had little enthusiasm for a leader, perhaps something else would be more suitable.

"I don't think we need a leader, but we do need a formation, even a loose one. We all almost died, and I won't let that scene repeat." He commented, he brought out a pencil from his pocket and a piece of paper, scribbling on it for a bit before throwing it on the table along with the pencil.

"That's my idea anyway, if it falls apart, then we regroup around whoever needs help closest to us." He added.

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He was aware that the support section mainly praised Junko, and emphasised leadership responsibilities, but he hoped the others picked up on his intent to flatter and placate Junko into accepting the position and rolled with it. In the end it was just a loose formation, but he had a good idea of what the groups specialities were from his individual time with them, and their styles.

Ryuu was a true 11th shinigami, she wanted to fight and win, front-line was her domain to be wild. Kaito was intelligent, a careful planner with strong Hakuda skill, he was effective at choosing when and where to be to provide support and disrupt enemy movement, or to pick up a kill before it turned into a threat. Joel was a lone wolf, letting him run free meant they had a scout, as well as letting him clean up kills wherever he could get them and be there as an extra hand in split-second moments or to replace someone long enough for them to be healed.

Iehira and Junko were more complicated personalities, but with his Hakuda and her Swordsmanship, they could disrupt and kill any strays that snuck by along with Joel, and their Kido would be invaluable in giving time to rotate. The two could provide additional support, heal wounded, and with Junko's barriers the wounded would be protected. Her reputation and unyielding air of superiority would smash through any panic or fear and create additional supporters.

Yasei had had plenty of time to think about what he'd do differently in that forest, and this was a huge part of it. He didn't want to just pass, he had to prove to himself and the seated officers who he was, and who his friends were. They didn't need to just pass, or even excel, they had to win. They had to build a bonfire of co-operation between the squads where there had barely been embers.

One last spark to ignite.

"What do you think? The faster we decide the faster the serious stuff is over." He paused and grinned wolfishly at Ryuu. "Then we can talk about how my lady's going to show yours up." He taunted, a glint of mischief in his eye.

Hira tilted his head as Kaito pointed out that in all probability groups would be split over large distances...he actually hadn't considered that and had expected everyone to be lazily dumped into one location. His own little shock kept him from adequately paying attention as Ryuu chimed in her two cents as well - the voice was recognized but words were unintelligible through the noise created by his own thoughts. He only vaguely even registered Joel's turning to him and saying that his security was assured and could only stare in confusion since he didn't recall mentioning any fear for his own safety. After all, Hira didn't mention that he was afraid of dying - after all that was just part of living. The line of thought only left the medic to ponder where the misunderstanding of increased chance of survival for the squad translated to fear on his part.

It wasn't until Yasei put a piece of paper forward that Iehira found his focus back on the conversation. After all a formation itself was an increase in safety for everyone involved and the fact that Hira couldn't poke a hole in it left him more than satisfied with the result and a stupid grin to match it. Of course, he wasn't shocked that the big man understood what he was getting at given the history of strong communication abilities Yasei demonstrated in school. Unfortunately the medic couldn't keep the shock from his face at Junko conceded the point - she struck him as unreasonable.

"Yeah sure I'm for it. Can we go now, cuz all this official talk is a pain. So in blah blah packing - anyone got requests for drinks alcoholic or otherwise? I've kinda over built up my stock." True to typical Hira form, his expression went from an annoyed grimace to a mischievous smile with the sentence change. It was also at this moment that he noticed the lack of a certain weight on his back.

" Huh - where's Mamoru...coulda sworn I brought it with me." In continuation of the thought, he spun around in his seat to scan the building for his sword.

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Ryuu Shosuke

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Though Yasei agreed that they didn’t need a leader, he seemed to think having a formation of some sort would be beneficial. Joel couldn’t disagree on the matter since going somewhere completely unprepared would just be insane. Once the paper the bear was writing on was laid on the table, Joel leaned over to take a quick peak, quickly reading what was on it before slouching back in his chair. Though his expression didn’t change much he gave a slight nod of approval. He thought the position he was given was best for him. Everyone else seemed content with their positions as well.

While Yasei and Ryuu talked about their zanpakuto’s, Iehira spoke of missing his, to which Joel looked around his chair for. Not finding anything, he gave up and began twiddling his fingers. He began to think about how he would move in the formation. If they were split up, he doubted the trip would be very linier and he wasn’t confident in his ability to step around things at high speeds. He still had a lot to learn about managing a step while putting force into it for maximum speed, but he knew that if he wanted to be a hundred percent useful he’d need to learn how within the next two weeks.

Ryuu snapped him out of his preparations when she asked if anyone wanted a drink and when he looked behind him at the clock over the bar, he realized that they’d been there for twenty minutes, which surprised him not because it seemed much longer than that, but it had to have been a record for how long they sat inside a bar without drinks in front of them. “Well. Sobriety felt good while it lasted” he said, though he only planned on having a few social beers.

Once the drinks arrived, Joel raised his glass to the sky. “I don’t usually drink, but you guys always seem to get me in the mood to. This drink goes out to Yasei for getting out of the dog house and to our group for not only getting to go on our first mission to the human world, but for also being able to share this experience together.” With that, he pulled his glass to his lips and began chugging till it was all gone, jokingly sticking his tongue out in discuss afterwards. He looked around the table and watched his friends talk and joke with smiles on their faces. It was this moment that he wished he could keep forever. Even if he couldn’t keep it, he’d like it to be a guarantee to come again. So he believed it would. He believed that this mission was a restart for them all; that after this they wouldn’t be known as trouble makers or criminals, or even jokes. They’d all get the respect they’d deserve after this and they’d be able to carry on after this with pride. This is something he was sure of.

After bearing witness to the disunity between the 13 court Guard Squads, the Captain Commander has declared that various members of each squad will venture to the human world. This is so that they may all learn to cooperate under different circumstances. The expedition group will be led by Lieutenant Hosoi of the Twelfth division. As for why the Captain Commander chose Hosoi over others is not yet known.


All the members of the expedition have gathered together in front of the Senkaimon to travel to the human world. It had been some time since so many have left for the human world, but it was deemed worthwhile by the Captain Commander. The only lieutenant among the expedition group was Hosoi. There were also other seated members of different squads, however, the rank only went as far up as the fourth seated officer. Many shinigami have already formed groups of four or more while there were still a few that chose to start off as a lone wolf. Of the many groups, our protagonists were found closer towards the front of the crowd due to Junko’s insistence. Shinigami began to feel restless, waiting for the call to open the gates of the Senkaimon.


After ten or fifteen minutes were spent waiting, Lieutenant Hosoi gave the call and the gates were opened. Streams of shinigami rushed through and were immediately dispersed around the city of Igarashi. The group consisting of Yasei, Junko, Joel, Ryuu, Iehira and Kaito were placed in an area close to a university and large shopping complex. They were to wear gigais until it was no longer necessary and to interact with the population to avoid any disruption among the city while dealing with hollows.


Currently, the group is staying in an apartment complex with two other groups from the expedition.