Not another Zaraki [OPEN]

[Kirstie Maldonado]

With the day starting anew, everyone was busy at work rebuilding the broken down buildings. If they weren't dealing with the construction, they were clearing up rubble and removing broken bits of debris. Occasionally, one of the dead would be found under a pile, and some of the squad members would need consoling for the fallen comrades. It was a difficult task, one they'd been doing for ages, but still had a long way to go before the place would look respectable again.

Everyone was helping, except one captain.  Kirstie was laying out on a rock beside the barracks to her squad.  She had no interest in picking up debris, and no skills when it came to building.  It wasn't that she didn't understand the necessity, and it wasn't that she didn't understand that as a captain of the Gotei, she was expected to be a beacon of responsibility for her squad... in fact, it would seem she couldn't even come up with a reason as to why she didn't want to go.  It sounded childish, and even outright impertinent to her, but she just couldn't bring herself to go.  At first, she thought she was just being lazy, but she had taken that time to get all her paperwork done.  Productivity wasn't an issue.

She'd thought about it, coming up with many excuses and reasons as to why she wasn't helping, only to find they held no merit.  As the sun climbed higher into the sky, she began to believe it was simply a fear of finding the one body she dreaded.  The proof her captain was truly dead, and hadn't just been knocked unconscious and then ran off after waking up.  Zaraki's body would be the ultimate confirmation of his death, and she assumed that would destroy her.  But even word of his body being found would do the same.  It was the most idiotic excuse to her, but she didn't know what else to think.  

She was sure that at this point, she'd be noticed as missing, and someone would probably be sent to drag her into the task, but she didn't care.  The Captain Commander could come by, and she defiantly thought to herself that she would still refuse to help, knowing that was a lie, and she was just being stubborn.  She thought about going to train, hone her skills more, and make some use out of her time, but relaxing in the sun and lazying around had her current attention, and in some way, she felt like she really understood why Zaraki had done this instead of his duties.

[Lhin Demizu]

Moving along Lhin had finished her preliminary meetings in the morning and was enjoying the crystal clear day that had begun to unfold in front of her. Quite like her long departed mother Lhin after setting out the orders for the groups to salvage for the day she found herself wandering close to the eleventh divisional area. Many there knew her and her prowess with the blade as it had been known during the Civil War. Her eyes drifting beyond the piles of rubble and beyond all the constant reminders of death. She swore that she caught a brief glimpse of a white coat out on a rock overlooking the area.

A slight smirk caused her lips to purse into the slight curve as she could assume that the captain of the division was there resting or overseeing the people of her division. Slowly Lhin made her way toward the other female and then coughed lightly as she had not made any noise upon the approach to the other woman.

“I think that you have the right idea there Captain Maldanado. Today is too good of a day to spend it working to terribly hard. So I take it that you are up here overseeing the work of those in the division below you?”

Speaking up as she smiled at the fellow captain Lhin had her arms crossed and yet seemed at ease and without any sort of anger in her voice. It was more a show of respect toward the other reluctant captain. Out of many around here the both of them had been pressed into service during the ar. A lot like Lhin she had been promoted straight up the ladder after the death or disappearance of those above her on the ladder. Moving toward her fellow captain Lhin sat down onto the ground beside her. It was obvious that despite the ranks they all carried that Lhin saw everyone as her comrade and a friend by her demeanor.

[Kurosawa Ryou]

Sadness… the emotion that tore into him over the passing of Mistress Xiao, and the lost opportunity it had represented. A treaty such as the one she signed was only a treaty in name if there was no one around strong enough to enforce it. The former Captain Commander, in combination with his deceased beloved Hallibel could have done it. Ryou was quite sure that he and his wife could have replaced Hallibel in that combination, through power if not the sheer force of will of an Espada. That left him with the only opinion open to him, which was for the Mad King of Hecudo Mundo to trust the new and freshly blooded Captain Commander as he saw her. The young woman may have been strong, a prodigy likes himself even, but the battle experience that came with age was something that she lacked. As was a desire for peace that came on the same level of a person who had lived through peace as long as her mother had.

This didn’t mean Kurosawa didn’t respect Lhin… it was simply that with his responsibilities as ‘The Last Espada’ a self-made title which he shared with his wife… he wasn’t taking any chances. Darkness opened up like a door way near the two woman, but only Lhin could feel its presence. As could other certain people around Soul Society who knew what to look for, and knew that the normal response to such a potential ‘invasion’ was unneeded. It was Ryou’s way of making sure his gateway wasn’t kept secret between those in Soul Society he had pledged his life too. Of course whenever walked out of his little hiding spot the male found himself surprised by the presence of another… lovely female. Over the past decades Sun-Sung had started to wear away at his shyness in her own way, and sometimes Ryou couldn’t help, but be a playful cad as he walked into the light. ”Greeting’sss Mistress Lhin, I do hope you are having a fine evening, talking to thisss… and tell me what isss your name my dear. Quite the beautiful thing aren’t you?” Years of knowing how to compliment and satisfy Hallibel and all her Fraccion had helped him out with that greeting hopefully.

Despite the fact that he had said them while walking up to Maldonado and getting uncomfortably close while looking at her in the most curious manner. Staring at her up from a face that was half way covered by a mask, whose facade by this time would only be known to a very few people. Ryou did a lot of things to honor and remember Hallibel and this was one of them. Every now and then he would get really close to examine her and then pull back before poking her a few times, "Curioussss... jusssst curiousss about how young you guyssss are drafting them thessse day. Jussst like sssweet children."

[Sieglinde Lange]

Stepping out of the garganta right behind kurosawa-kun, it was the easiest way to keep an eye on him, he had covered himself in a reitsu negating cloak with hood and all, it covered up everything save for his face. Intricate white clothing covered his body from top till toe, with shapes that recembled a style of a quincy yet had its own fragrance in its design.

As the gate closed behind him he immidietly scanned his surroundings, taking note of several strong souls in close range. (within 50 meters) The feelings of kurosawa-kun where as obvious to him as they had ever been. The past few years had changed kurosawa as well as himself for better or worse. And yet he managed to somehow lift his spirits despite the horrible situations they had been in. The way he spoke to these shinigami was no different than any human or arrancar that he liked. The path he walked now was all thanks to Kurosawa. Sieg tensed as his arm slid under his cloak and slid around his sword... He always expected the worst scenario to take place that way he could never be caught off guard. Supposedly anyway, he had a hard time trusting shinigami even after all these years. It was probably because of how long he had spent in the prision prior to being released, even if it was ages ago.

He did not trust these new shinigami anymore than the previous ones, even if he knew that their intetions had been good, there was always doubt in them. He followed a few feet behind kurosawa just in case, trying to blend in the background in the best of his ability. Which proved fruitless due to his different costume. There was perhaps a moment in which he doubted kurosawa and he was inclined to tell him that they should at least stay on their guard but he was sure kurosawa knew this as it is. That and he expected kurosawa to tell him to chill out or something along those lines.

A rather stern glance was given none the less, but no words spilled from his lips, most people would also think sieg was a woman due to his physique and hair color among other things, kurosawa was among few who knew the young looking boys real identity... which is how he liked to keep it. 

[Kirstie Maldonado]

She turned her face, almost expressionless as she noticed Lhin. "Captain Demizu. I did not hear you approach." She said, sounding rather laid back and lazy. "I suppose you could say I'm overseeing..." She looked back to where she had been staring, realizing she hadn't even been looking in the same direction as the rest of her squad, "The pile of rubble here." It was then that she heard something approaching, and turned again, to see who or what it was.

She was taken aback when she spotted a Shinigami, though he carried himself, and even gave the impression of, being an Arrancar. It perplexed her, and slightly amused her. Unlike many who knew about the treaty previously between the Espada and the Shinigami, Kirstie didn't like them, and any weirdo that developed themself as one may as well be considered one, so she kept her eyes on him. As he hissed slightly, she watched him get closer, noticing how close he was getting to her. "That hiss of yours. I can solve that problem for you, should you decide to keep yourself so close to me." She said, her red eyes meeting his own, showing both amusement, but the respect she could command at her size and power. Though young, her eyes matched those of many Kenpachi before her, a bloodlust that had sent many a person running in the opposite direction.

"I might be young, but the my abilities are hard earned." She said, scooting back on her boulder to keep some distance from him, keeping her eyes on him. Her eyes shifted momentarily from the man in front of her, to the being hidden away. No sense of power from him, but she knew he wasn't a weak being either. So many non-Shinigami, so many opportunities to kill someone, should she be given a reason to. "How interesting. Quite a few people visiting us today. Friends of yours, Commander?" She asked, flaring out her cloak lazily, but allowing both her swords to be seen, should she want to take off a head with a nukitsuke.

[Lhin Demizu]

Letting out a light chuckle at the surprise from her fellow captain’s voice as she took notice of her movements and motion toward the pile of rubble. It was obvious that her people where working on it which was a good thing. Noticing that the woman had been looking away from the rubble meant that despite any actions to the contrary she knew that her fellow had been lackadaisical in her attention. Though for her it was perfectly fine as all of the reconstruction and recovery efforts took a lot out of everyone. Closing her eyes she let out a deep breath as if she was clearing her mind.

“It is fine to relax especially with all the hard work we have already done. And how we all have been thrust into these positions. I mean compared to those that came before us we are but children swinging our swords wildly into the breeze.”

Her words where soft and yet still stern as if she was speaking with a sibling more than an equal in rank in the new Gotei. Quickly though Lhin raised her head as she felt the garganta open up near herself and Kirstie. Yet there was no howl of the usual hollow attack that such a disturbance would cause which could only mean to her that someone her mother had trusted with her life had arrived. It was not like she disliked the man it was just that he creeped her the hell out when he was around her. Yet she knew that in her short time being alive that he had saved her life at least on one occasion for certain during the war so she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Yet her gaze then went beyond Kurosawa and saw another figure that followed him cloaked in a rather large cloak. To her knowledge from her mother’s journal that there where only a few beings that would be walking around with Kurosawa and since this figure was not feminine in appearance she could only assume who it was.

“You can say they are some of the deepest allies the shinigami had during my mother’s reign. I have never really met them before today. And well we may be young Mr. Kurosawa but that is because we have had to be. I mean very little survived the war over here. What you see with all of these rubble piles and bodies being carried around is our constant. Every day pulling more out of the rubble and moving the rubble aside to find more. IT is a never ending cycle.”

Once more as her words spoke out she looked over at Sieg. Raising a hand she waved at the former Vadenreich. Lhin had not been able to head to the human world as she wanted to to speak with the descendants that now ran the large Quincy Order that protected the human world during the Shinigami civil war.

“But I believe some introductions are in order. Kenpachi Maldanado please feel free to say hello to the former Fukotaicho of the Omnikitsudou and Nibantai, Kurosawa Ryou. A man who willingly dove into Heuco Mundo to strike up the accord that has kept the world in balance while the Central Forty Six tried to kill all of us. As he and those my mother trusted have maintained the balance by keeping the hollows in check within their endless desert. As for the gentlemen behind Ryou I cannot say. My mother did not leave a lot of information about the quincy other than the garb of a specific one in order to distinguish them from the masses and well this person matches her descriptions.”

Speaking up as she watched the pair her own left hand resting on the twin hilt’s at her side. She was while courteous was still wary. As many a time in the past they had been infiltrated and cells destroyed in such manners.

[Sieglinde Lange]

With a graceful steps he followed kurosawa, when kurosawa took intrest in the 11th division captain the boy could not help but roll his eyes, a small frown soon escaped his lips followed by a painful reminder to kurosawa`s head when he slapped the man around the head with his free hand as his left hand still clinged to the handle of his sword underneathe his robe, it was both prudent, rude, and annoying of him when he talked to others like that, he felt anger boil within him since kurosawa looked at other females (shinigami none the less) while he was standing right here...

Not only because he liked him, but also because he was married... it was complicated to say the least. He knew off course that this was just another habit, but he could not help himself. .... Please stop that. He said with a feminine tone. He then turned to face the 11th division captain. I would advise against it... unless you wish to start another war... He responded to her remark regarding kurosawa. His expression remained mostly indifferent it was mostly around the time that he frowned, that his expression changed slightly to a more recentful one. He saw the captain commander wave in his direction, but did not really react to that. It was curious most curious how this captain commander acted...

As to the captain commander`s remark he turned slightly to face her as if trying to gauge her strength, it was inferior to Xiao`s strength but greater than his own which spoke volumes. A frown which sounded somthing like a "tsh" left his lips after her words, she knew more about him than what he liked to I know people who would like my head on a platter, so i apologise if i appear to keep secrets it is for my well being i assure you... As i expect you to keep anything you know of me for yourself, only my clients know my name... Kurosawa-k... -san is a special case

The 11th division captain reminded him of his fight with the former 11th division captain back when he was still in the vandereich, the fight had been his toughest fight to date even now 500 years later. It was a pity that he was thought dead, he would have liked a rematch one more time. Yet here was another Kenpachi, was she stronger than the last one? he did not know. Since not all strengths where measured in Reitsu alone. A clever mind could fool a powerful opponent... Such as the fight with Aizen sosuke and Yamamoto genryysai... it was said that Aizen admitted that if he where to be hit by the brunt force of Yamamoto`s attacks he would have surely perished... So the man had an ace up his sleeve, big suprise. 

[Kurosawa Ryou]

”Sssolve the problem for me? Now jussst what do you mean by that?” Ryou grinned at the young Tiacho as he feigned curiosity. He was not going to lie, there was a part of him that wished this shinigami had been of his own generation. It was that part of him which usually ended up saying the things in his head, but he thought about him, at least when it came to a little bit of playful womanizing here and there. Nothing that he really meant, just harmless fun that showed he had grown in confidence over the years as well, ”You are right that you are young, becaussse if you were not, then you would have added to likesss of Mistresss Soi-Fon-sama, Mistresss Rukia, and even dear Xiao-sssama. When it comesss to being a sight that was easssy on thessse eyesss back in the day. Sssadly though… I guesss…” His words were interrupted by a conk on the head from Seig, who Ryou didn’t need to look to over his shoulder at to see the other male’s displeasure, but did so anyway. Regarding the Quincy with an affectionate smile, he simply nodded his head and adjusted his collar and top hat before stepping away from Kirstie to stand slightly in front of Seig,

”Unfortunately I can’t allow you the chance to solve the ‘problem’ of my hissss. Becaussse it isss no problem, and I do believe that my beloved wife and Queen of Hecudo Mundo wouldn’t be fond of itsss removal. So I sssuggest you back down my dear, becaussse royalsss don’t normally ssspeak with antsss.” Just as he finished talking, for only a single moment he gave the new Captain a full blast taste of the reaitsu which continued to give chills to those who crossed his path. Even Lhin would recognize it from when she first had met him, though his appearance then had been in his Bankai form... and the feeling would have been worse. The level of playfulness in Kurosawa voice was also evident, but the goading way in which he said it was very dark. Rukia didn’t have a habit of comparing him to Tiacho who like himself tended to always support an evil Cheshire like grin across his face. Ryou’s only outward showing that he acknowledged her potential skill was the way that he kept his hand tapping on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. Finally the woman he had come to see spoke up, and brought his attention to her, well… almost. Ryou took a moment to slip an affectionate arm around Sieg’s shoulder and gently whispered to him in an apologetic and affectionate tone, ”Sssorry about that… forgive me my dear?” He gently took one of the Quincy’s hands and kissed the back of it while he waited for an answer. Stepping away from the male and giving him space again once he had it, unless Sieg did something to keep the proximity. Ryou really didn’t like to make his wife, nor Sieg upset…. Despite his playful nature.

Listening to his… well Ryou preferred to call him friend, but officially Sieg could be considered many things. All the way from concubine to adviser, the shinigami tended to use the former because in his mind it was as close to official as Sun-Sung being called his wife. They were all silly titles that he had to use in front of others, to help them denote who these people he cared about were. The man could only face palm at the Quincy’s words, ”No no… I know you like to be ssshy, but remember thatsss my job. Not yoursss sssilly, and bessside you don’t have to tell them your name. You have many titlesss you can give, but I will introduce you properly then if you don’t feel led too.” If Lhin knew anything of Ryou, then his playful nature would be instantly recognized as he introduced the Quincy who stood at his side without ever giving the others name away in a very showman like manner, ”Here they are the cream of the crop in Hecudo Mundo, bessside my wife of courssse, First Commander to me and my dear Queen Sun-Sung, my top advisssor, and alssso beloved Concubine. What more do you need to know about thisss sssweet person than that than that.”

As Ryou had said that last sentence he slipped up behind Sieg and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling his cheek against Sieg’s. Whispering to him questioningly, ”Did I sssay all that right? I know you don’t like people knowing you’re… male… or isss that cat out of the bag?” A small kiss on the cheek was the last thing that Ryou provided after he got his answer along with one more affectionate squeeze. Then the male grew a bit more serious as he turned his attention back to Lhin, ”It wasss about that treaty which I wanted to talk to you about Lhin. If dessspite your age you have to be the survivorsss you claimed, then why don’t you call for your alliesss to help you. I know I may be a little premature sssaying thisss, but I really hope that when my firssst wife Hallibel made that treaty with Xiao that it didn’t die with her.” Despite the fact it was never official… Ryou always considered that Hallibel had been his first wife… because she had claimed him first. ”You need help rebuilding then why not let me and thossse with me and my Queen help. Frankly with Hallibel, Appaci, and Mila and other good Espada gone… it hasss not been asss easssy to control the tide asss we promisssed. That isss why I am here today, becaussse… I am worried that the piece of paper you mother, and my beloved mate died to protect isss becoming jussst that… a piece of paper.”