Things always go south. Or north [aer]

A wholesome shiver went through Shizuka’s body. Her sense of security was strong enough to not have her jump up or anything, despite being startled like this. She hadn’t heard anyone coming, despite not being all too fixated on the events transpiring in front of her, but still, someone had managed it. And that person knew full well, approaching her like this, choosing words like that. Even though she had not felt someone coming, the white haired Shinigami could now feel someone’s eyes on her. She’d been had, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was way more exciting than always being a step ahead of people, after all.

“Waiting for something interesting to happen. And, I kind of thing something just did.”

Shizuka replied after a slight pause, no doubt used to collect herself sufficiently, although she did not have all that much wit back just yet. Still, she did not turn around, but answered just like this, for she had recognized the other person right now. How could any member of the 11th not recognize the kenpachi, after all?

“I did not want to intrude on them, so I just let them be until they finish…whatever they are doing there. But since you talk about learn, do you want to teach me some things, oh fearless leader?”

That statement made Shizuka snicker for a moment.

“You tell me. I did not come here to sit and wait either.”

Relaxing a little, she placed her hands on the wood she was sitting on and leaned back a little. Only then did she lay eyes on her fearless leader, although she did look a little different. A new haircut? No. Maybe it was the blindfold she had draped over her eyes, that looked new. She gave that a slightly befuddled look, but did not suddenly jump up or get otherwise shocked. Her first impulse was not injury, after all, but training. Some of the members did that from time to time, in order to steel their other senses. Thus, she remained relaxed. For now at least. That changed a bit, when her zanpakuto became the topic. She did not really like to talk about it with officials, because that often lead to odd looks. Then again, that wasn’t quite possible now was it?

“Well, it is melee, from a range perspective.”

She begun like that, then pushed herself forward again, so she could shift herself sideways, towards the captain, placing her knee on the wood as well. And just to see how the captain would react, she raised a hand and moved it left, right, up, down in slow, yet random movements. That way, she could gauge this woman’s ability to see without seeing. Yet, she still had to continue, didn’t she?

“But yeah, I know what you are getting at. I am melee, but Seika here, she is not exactly the most useful weapon in a fight. It can hit and it can hurt like hell, but it, well, it can’t wound anyone. It heals instead. And I know what you are going to say, but no, I did not really fit into the fourth. All that kidou healing is gentle and makes people feel better. No one would rather be healed by someone who amplifies pain, when they can have soothing stuff instead.”

An ‘Oh’. That was bad. Shizuka had heard a lot of people saying ‘Oh’ upon hearing about her abilities. Then they went silent, thought, tried to wrap their heads around how to categorize something that does not really fit into anything. For the first time in the conversation, Shizuka looked down a little, with a mix of slight anxiousness and fear. After all, she did not want to be without a division again, to be left off because she hardly fit in. That carefree façade was lacking a little, and she just hoped the other to literally not see that. She spent a few seemingly endless moments in that state, while her superior thought about things some more.


Then came salvation. Shizu, being a person who’d rather act small than big, simply sighed upon hearing that. She sighed in relief and allowed some of the tenseness she had accumulated in those few moments to fade again. After all, that was not only a ‘you can stay’, but something that could actually make her feel even more useful. For someone with a reputation of being a brute, the Kenpachi sure did have some wisdom, too. She had only seen her healing to be more in line with the division’s philosophy than that of other’s but to assist in toughen people was going a step further too. She subconsciously leaned a bit more towards the blindfolded woman, but that only got her slightly confused, when the latter held her arm out like that.


It took a few moments, but she realized what was going on. A challenge. A test maybe? Someone else might have been disheartened by that, especially one that considered herself in a somewhat unsafe position, but that wasn’t her. Especially not in that moment, as the other had somehow managed to incite her desire to prove herself. Because while it might still be a challenge or test, it was also an opportunity.


Shizuka wasted little time and for jumped up pretty much immediately, drawing her sword. She knew that she should say something now, especially to someone who currently could not see, but she also knew what not to say. Not to ask crap like ‘are you sure’ or something other ridiculous stuff. No, this case was clear cut, so she prepared herself.

“Let’s find that out, I will try my best. Kiyomeru.”

Of course, she went all out right away. She had just said that, after all. Putting all the strength she could muster into one thrust, that was the way of the 11th division. The only question was, if it was enough.

Hm, no effect, huh? Granted, she had expected that, but still, it was a bit weird to go all out on someone and not even scratch them. Well, given that it was not exactly a do or die situation, she was not sure that she had really given all she potentially could, as adrenalin played a role as well, but still, it was an exertion. She quickly lowered her blade again, less in resignation but more because it was no longer needed. Or so she thought, at least.

She had simply nodded on that first statement, which to her sounded a bit like a weak consolation, but what followed really caught her of guard. It actually forced her step back, not to speak of the sudden blush coming up in her face. After all, she had just feared to being kicked out for being too weak, such a sudden promotion came straight out of nowhere to her.

It took her a few moments to collect herself, to remember that she had been complimented for her strength. So she could not exactly stammer on or anything.

“Thank you!”

Shizuka did not exactly exclaim that loudly – she did her name justice at times, but she said it decidedly. While she did not exactly understand why this happened, it did make her happy. And thus she could not help herself but be a bit more enthusiastic, to gain confidence from this. Despite her setbacks in the past, she had never been someone to think that she did not deserve praise, if anything; she usually got irked more by people not giving her what she felt was just. So when that chance arose, she took it.

But that did not mean the surprises ended there. No, it went on, in a direction she would not have dreamed of. A chance to test her shikai on the great Kenpachi. A chance to hear her scream. That thought, as unhealthy or deviant as it might have been, incited her, and made her heart beat faster. She forgot about the crowd around her to an extent.

Sure, she still had the decency to make sure she would not cut her superior’s clothes in spots that the gathered males would prefer, but other than that, she did not care about them. Instead, she focused, and prepared another thrust, this time aimed at one of the more sensitive points of the body, that people usually did not know of.

"Here we go!"

She struck one of the tender points on the other woman’s lower neck, going strong once more, as she had not been ordered to do anything else.

This was disappointing. Well, sure, this was the Kenpachi they were talking about. Of course she would not go and scream like a little schoolgirl. Yet, at the same time, Shizuka wanted to draw at least some reaction, and not just forcing her captain down. That could not possibly give her any satisfaction. This was someone lowering her guard to the point where it became strenuous, just to be capable of being wounded, after all, so there was no feeling of achievement, like after winning against a strong opponent.


The sword went in easily, striking the sensitive point and beyond. In fact, she had not expected this little resistance, so it went in much further than intended, the flames burning skin and body tissues away, snapping things only to force them to grow back together again, even better than before. She had only intended this to be a quick stab; to showcase this ability, but her Taicho grabbed the blade, yanking it out but not fully, the tip still being inside.


Shizuka had no clue why, but she knew enough about anatomy to notice something being wrong. That woman in front of her showed signs of asphyxiation, but why? Had she stuck some clogged up blood vessels, remnants of an injury that had not healed well. She did not know, but this was bad. Whatever was wrong had to be out of the flame’s range, or at least she thought it was. And she couldn’t really get the blade out of there either, due to her superior’s strong grip on it.


Becoming frantic rather quickly, when she felt the pressure rising, she clearly displayed something very reasonable, a certain amount of fear.

“Let….go….”

She uttered that, yanking on her own blade as the pressure kept rising, weighing on her like the heaviest air ever. It took tremendous effort to overcome both of these things, and once she did, her momentum did not even manage to carry her back all that much. That was in part due to post she dozed into with her back, but also due to the pressure, which literally pressed her right onto the wood. It was exhausting; it made it hard to breathe at all. She was barely able to speak, but all of this seemed so out of control, so much unlike someone who could just will herself not to be wounded. Thus, she cried out towards the other woman, before that pressure crushed her into the ground or something.

“Taichou! Please…..stop….this is ….too much!”

It finally, finally stopped. The captain truly was a fearsome person, and Shizuka was not wise-cracking, thinking that. No, this was true respect she had for that woman so many leagues above herself. The kind of respect that transcended professionalism and only came from being almost killed by something akin to a supernatural sneeze. This had been more than just a little exhilarating, and she took a few moments to recuperate, even after the pressure had been lifted.

“Well, it was exciting at least. Yeah….we can agree on that one.”

She kept on panting while saying that, not really feeling much in terms of need to get up. Especially not when the Kenpachi commented on what happened, not mentioning the whole loss of control, but focused on the shikai – which obviously caused Shizuka’s mood to drop. That really was a pretty sore topic to the white haired girl, and she really did not like talking about it much. Then again, she kind of liked the captain, and truly did not want to disappoint. Thus, she got up back into a sitting position at least, yet looked down while she continued.

“I know just how much a liability this shikai is. So far, I can only win if I force the other to give up due to pain, but that is not really helpful. Still, my ability is pretty pathetic in this regard, that’s why I seek your guidance or at least some tips as to how I could to it. No, that’s not right actually. My shikai is not a liability, it is a challenge. I need to learn how to inflict wounds that even I cannot heal, and the only place where one can exceed limits like this is here!”