He stood alone in the dimly candle lit room. It was raining and there was a thick overcast, as such the skylight in the symbol of the Gotei crest would offer little natural light.  The scent of the burning candles filled his nose, along that with the pipe which was in his hand behind his back.  Mai often gave him grief for smoking, often telling him to quit the damnable habit and when she caught him standing like this, tried to scare him with the notion that his hair would catch fire. Was nonsense of course, his hair was never that dry. Would he one day see her name on these walls as well?

Within the uppermost floor on the First Division, lay the Council Room.  It was mostly void of furniture, aside from the five chairs marked for their division and the diamond shaped table that sat between them. There were no windows, aside from that in the ceiling and the cold stone walls were covered in names had been engraved upon them. Each name was a fallen comrade who had died erecting this site, the wall that surrounded the city and those whom than become Shinigami, joining the Gotei. He had put many of the names here himself, as only Captains were permitted here without permission otherwise. Each name held a memory for him, some report he read or knowing the person first hand. He was staring at a particular one now. 

Tanaka Chie His fingers traced over the name softly, his eyes far to dry to even attempt at summoning tears. He would have placed her name next to her mother's but sadly with all the lose of life between now and then made it impossible. She was one of a dozen names on a seemingly untouched stone, a fresh stone as he would call it. The one above it, filled after the last Hollow Raid. His eyes flicked over the fresh names and finally found themselves back on Chie's again. He'd done his grieving for his child, but he knew from now on he would continue to come back to this damnable stone whenever he was alone in here. A reminder, as all these stones were meant to be, but this one far more personal. "I will not fail again."

He moved over to his chair, (which sat at the upper most part of the table to his right the Second, left the Third. To the Second's left the Fourth and next to the Third, the Fifth) and stopped before it. It was overly large for his taste, but all the chairs in the room were. Each was exactly the same dimensions, but each were different in how they were engraved. Malik's was engraved in a mostly dead language which they stumbled across when first building the city, unsure as to what the majority of them meant and instead just thinking they were pretty, the artist carved them into the cherry wood which the chair was made out of. Malik could only make out a few symbols himself "Pride, food.. Death." It was the symbol that became that of the Gotei's marking however which stood out most prominent. Right above where his head would be resting on the royal purple cushion. And within it the symbol for one.

He shook his head a bit as he set himself within it's hold, resting his arms upon the chair's. Now he would have to simply wait for the others to arrive. There was a great deal to discuss and they would remain here in the chamber until all the matters had been addressed and settled. He would simply have to wait until each received their summons.

He was truly hoping to get the the second division however he was told a hell butterfly had been set to his division and quickly he was told by the soutaicho him self that there was a council meeting. Great Malik-dono, first you send one of your division members to beat the crap out of him then you send him to a meeting before he could see the good doctor. Letting out a groan of pain he quickly put the shinigami top uniform over his manly chest and then quickly put his jacket over on top of it. He had to make sure he looked professional wouldn't want the lady of the third division drooling over such a divine sight as his chest.   He quickly made his way to the first division trying to dodge all the evil rain drop's. 

After a good few moments he got to the first division, fixing his know wet hair and making sure he wasn't to wet looking, he began walking through the first division. Of course they new why one of the other captains where here. He was just glad Soutaicho-Tanaka was so nice to tell where this meeting was going on. But good god man why does everything have to be up so high for him. He made his way to the council champers making his way in. He noticed he was the first captain to arrive. He was truly glad he wasn't the last one to get there letting out a low breath he smiled and bowed his head to the soutaicho.

"Greetings Soutaicho-Tanaka."

He wasn't to sure what else to say he quickly found his seat and took it, resting his manly arms on the table he looked over at the soutaicho and let out another low breath he wasn't to sure why the meeting was getting called all though this was the first meeting he had been summoned to and well he was a new captain and all he was slightly scared..did he hurt someone to much.

Haru took in a few deep breaths as he gently shake of the rain water from his umbrella. A simple construction, a wooden pole with a sheath of material stretched at its top. And yet it came in handy. Still, the Taicho could not avoid some of the rain splashing him, his hair a bit moist and his Haori somewhat stained with the water. Ehh...well, he was sure he wouldn’t be the only one, since all the other Taicho had to go through the same weather...just their luck to have such an aura over such an event.

A council meeting...it’s been quite a while since the last one was held. A lot has changed since then, but the least being several Taicho. While his father never had any trouble taking him to work from time to time, he was adamant: he could not enter the council chamber. Once he attended to his first one he quickly learned why. In this room five Shinigami had to make decision which could impact the whole community. Not the right place for a bubbly child to be.

It’s been long...to long he would risk to say. He was toying with the idea of perhaps messaging Tanaka-san about the matter. Especially after his latest...interactions with the Rukongai citizens. Something needed to be done... about that and other matters as well. Still, it seemed that the Taicho, even after the hardships he's been through, was as sharp as ever. And thus, the Taicho would assemble.

After going through all the stairs, and closing the door behind himself, he noticed he was one of the first to arrive. Before him was Techimaru Taisho, the men who robbed him of the esteemed title of youngest acting Taicho. But he felt he could deal with the loss. A soft smile on his features, he would bow down deeply before the two Taicho while saying "Techimaru- Taicho, Soutaicho-Tanaka" glancing at the large wall filled with engraved names of those who had fallen. In the past he felt rather...nauseated when looking at it, seeing the names he failed to save...but with time, he learned that it had nothing to do with his skill or that of his men. It was a way to remember all those lives, the sacrifices they made to serve their city. Still, he couldn’t feel a bit somber seeing all the names.

Regardless, he was not there to muse on the past. He quickly made his way to seat on the Soutaichos right. Hehe, to think he was at the right hand of Tanaka-san. His younger self would be ecstatic. The seat of his Division, covered in the red cushion, was one crafted for his father. And honestly, he did not feel the need to change anything. It was crafted from a cherry tree as well, but instead of the ancient markings which the seat of the Tanaka was engraved in, his chair was a depiction of wildlife. A verity of animals found within the great wounds, or only known from tales, surrounded in finely carved plant life, tree's, vines filled with flowers. It was a very finely crafted image. Siting himself down, leaning his head on the Cushion with the number two sewed on it, he would say "I am glad to see you in good health Tanaka-san. A nice change of pace I would say" chuckling slightly. If you think about it, most of the meetings he had with the Soutaicho had the Tanaka injured in some capacity. He would turn to Taisho to say "I hope you are in good spirit as well Taisho-san. The first Council meeting can be quite the event. I would know". He tried to hold up a somewhat casual conversation till the meeting hasn’t already started...cause he was pretty sure later on the tone would shift dramatically.

He was staring at the table when her heard the door's hinges swing, followed by the slamming of the heavy doors. Over the years Malik had often thought of doing something about that, but at the same time it was a good way of alerting those in this room to another's presence, so he kept it the way it was.

He leaned back into the chair and was delighted if not slightly amused to see Taisho to be the first of those summoned to arrive. He looked like he had gone 13 rounds with a very disgruntled Grizzly bear. Well Chio-san gave him quite a workout. Good. That should push this youth even harder to become the beast he'll need to be to keep the real monsters at bay. More so if a little girl pounded him like a chef does to tenderize meat. "Techimaru-Taicho, thank you for coming so quickly." He was about to make gesture to the large man's seat, but he was able to find it by himself, which in itself was a simple task. "Don't feel uneasy to share your opinions on the subject matter that will be brought to our attention today, Techimaru. As a Council Member you speak with not just your voice, but the voices of many. Make sure they're heard." The door gave signal to the next arrival. "And it seems you're the first to arrive by sheer minutes

"Hitoshi-Taicho, welcome and thank you for your haste." He called out to him the moment he came into view, a smile spreading on his features as the younger Taicho responded with his usual bedside banter. "Well, can't get stabbed or burned every week, Harupia. Or at least, I try not to." He sat in silence then, watching as the two younger Captains exchanged pleasantries, his eyes fixed on the corridor which led to the doors.

No further noise was coming from there and several dozen minutes had elapsed, he was so focused on the door he may have gone into a trance like state. What's keeping you Kurisuna? He glanced about, seemingly snapping out of his daze, looking at the other two gathered and leaned forward, tenting his fingers together as he did so. "We cannot wait for our comrade from the Third any longer. So from here on out we'll be frank and to the point.

"As you're aware, Taisho has filled in for Ume, while she is still serving in our ranks she has decided another perspective should take her station. I accepted this and made Taisho's promotion official myself not to long ago. While I would have rather held that ceremony with all of us present, time was against us and I, we, didn't have the time to waste. It's done, settled. I do hope you do not take offense in that you were given more of a heads up, Harupia." He flicked his gaze from the smaller of the Taicho present to the large man. "I realize the timing isn't perfect but.. We'll have to make due. I'm sure Ume will mentor Taisho accordingly and he is always welcome to visit upon us for any mentoring he sees fit.

"On top of that, Kiba has left us." He sighed and his gaze flicked back down to the table before looking toward the chair which had belonged to the man in question. "And he had not yet appointed a Fukutaicho to replace the one whom went missing. As such we have no one who has even begun to be mentored to fill that role. This leaves us in one hell of a situation." He shook his head and bit his lip.
"We need to fill that role as soon as possible, but this wasn't a choice I could make myself. As such this should be our first issue to handle.

"Harupia, as your office has contact with more members of any other Division I wanted to hear your opinion on this matter, whom would you suggest to fill Kiba's outlandish shoes. I'm looking for someone responsible and not liable to fly off the handle or cause more chaos than he or she solves. Lord help is we do not need a second Kiba. Taisho, please feel more than welcome to offer suggestions as well."

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No need to post in the same order I don't think, so Haru if Taisho doesn't post in say 24 hours time, feel free to butt ahead, more so since I'm directing Malik at your character more.

The more he looked at Taisho, the more he could notice that the young Captain looked somewhat…roughed up. Perhaps he decided to do a nice training session or something…perhaps he would need to check him up. He let out a quiet chuckle at Malik’s words. He certainly hoped he would avoid those things to the best of his abilities. They waited in silence for a moment, the last of the Taicho still needing to come by…However, Malik decided they couldn’t wait longer and decided to begin the meeting one member short. That only showed how urgent the meeting was. He hoped Kurisuna-san would come sooner than later.

Harupia shook his head gently at Malik’s words as he said “I trust in Ume’s judgment, and I’m sure Taisho will grow into a Taicho we can be proud of”. He then listened him mention Kiba, a sour note in the meeting. The last time he saw the headstrong Taicho was the moment he threw his Haori to the ground… both commanding officers in a Division gone is never a good thing. Malik didn’t linger on the thought to long, posing the first question of the session to him.

Harupia was silent for a while, leaning forward to the table, his chin in his palm’s thinking about the issue. After a moment of thinking, he let out a small sigh before saying “To be completely honest Malik-Taicho, I’m not quite sure. While I try my best to keep every division member welcome during their stay in my grounds, but more often than not I don’t get a good chance to gauge their character. I could think of some potential names from the members of the 4th Division, but I can’t say I’d be comfortable with suggesting any of them. They are good men and women there, dedicated to their work, but they are still young, inexperienced. And they would not have the support of senior members of the division. I’ll think on this issue more thoroughly, but for now I can’t say there is a choice I’d be completely comfortable with.”

Taisho allowed him self to breath a sigh of relief when he seen the second division taicho walk in moments behind him. He bowed his head to the good doctor as he said a few words to boost the uneasy ness in his stomach. Right after Malik said something around the same lines he smiled at the two of them trying to not feel out of place as this was his very first meeting he was slightly on edge for the moment. Hearing that Kiba had left slightly bothered him the most, he remembered in the past sparing with Ume and the fourth division taicho he slightly wondered what was going on.


Taisho just sat there and listened to when Malik spoke more to Harupia then himself, his ears always open listening very carefully what the two had to say letting out a low breath he placed his elbows on the table and cupped his hands together as he looked at his fellow taichos. "Thing's are worse then I had figured. I noticed that Ume had been not doing the entire job what has been appointed to the fifth division but i enver new about Kiba leaving. As I said to you Tanaka-soutaicho I don't plan on slacking in my duties. As in such for appointing a new taicho for the fourth. Perhaps bring in a shinigami from another division who has shown greet leadership in time of needs. Perhaps someone you trust a lot in your own division Tanaka-sama." 

Taisho wasn't to sure if that was the best thing to say as he slowly sat back in his chair bringing his arms down on the table. His eyes looked over to Harupia and slightly let out a low breath before speaking to the doctor. "If you are free Later Harupia-taicho, I need some medical needs done to this body. I just left a sparring match with one of Tanaka-sama's members and she kinda gave me a beating."

Kinda was not the best word to use..she gave him more of a pounding then a beating, he slightly chuckled at the comment and allowed him self to get back in a cool demeanor for the meeting.

His eyes watched Harupia with interest, probing deep into the younger man's features. He watched how he moved when he spoke, how his lips and jaw worked with every word to see the true meaning behind his words. He spoke truthfully, from what he gauged and he could see the discomfort in in being asked such a query. Harupia was far from a green Captain anymore, and as such Malik would be leaning on him for more support now in these Council meetings than the man may be comfortable with. However, it had to be done.

And then Taisho voiced an opinion, Malik's gaze flicked to him and like with Harupia he watched him intensely. Once he finished and Taisho then directed his attention to the good doctor, Malik couldn't help but laugh. "Not the time or place for that Taisho, I think it could wait a little bit." He then flicked his hand almost dismissively.

"Putting one of my Division members in, or anyone of either of yours would be not solve any problem. We do detailed tests upon placing members in a Division after all, Second Division Members belong there, as do Fifth Division members belong where they are. No, it wouldn't work. As for your thoughts Harupia, I would have to agree." He smiled and nodded at the man, keeping it quite informal. Something he would hope the other two gents in the room would do the same. He doubted it would happen though. Taisho was still a green Captain and new to things, and Harupia.. Well he was stuck in his ways he supposed. "I would never vote to automatically put any member of the Fourth into the role of Taicho right away. No other member aside from the Fukutaicho would be ready for such a burden, as I mentioned before. Fuktuaicho are groomed for that spot under the guidance of their commanding officer just in case something does befall them.

"As such, I suggest we agree to promote an officer to the rank of Fukutaicho and mentor them along accordingly. The Division will then have a leader to follow, whom can turn to us when in need for that much needed seasoning and in time when that person has shown their worth, welcome them into the Council as an equal." He turned his gaze form one man to another. "For some time, I've had my own Fukutaicho going from one Division to the next conducting small interviews with different members of your individual Divisions. If you're both comfortable with electing to make a member of the Fourth into that Division's Second seat, I will speak with my own and see whom she deems to be the most qualified and conduct the interviews myself before any final choice is made.

"What say you both to that idea?"

The word on Kiba’s actual departure didn’t reach the general public…which was for the best. Another blow to morale like that would only hurt them more…and he still couldn’t help but to see the men’s decision as…impulsive at best. Still, he couldn’t help but to worry about the Taicho…lately, anyone who’s gone missing into the Wasteland really came back… As he listened to Taisho, he weigh his opinion in his mind. While other Division had more experienced members, certainly, he wasn’t quite sure how someone would adjust to working in a completely new environment…nor how the Division would feel with it. As for his request about healing, he would chuckle while saying “I might have some plans, but the duty of a Taicho always comes first! Your welcome to come to my office once the meeting is over” a soft smile across his lips. It would be nice not to tend to life threatening wounds.

Soon Malik took control of the discussion again, responding to their comments. He was glad to hear they had a similar feeling about moving members between Divisions. And then he presented his own idea, which seemed to make sense. Promoting someone to a high rank would give the Division direction, someone to lead them. True, it wasn’t perfect, but they were all brethren here. As gruff as the 4th Division members could be, he hoped they wouldn’t see the other Taicho directing the chosen member as stepping into their responsibilities.

As Malik’s mentioned the interviews members of his Division had within other Divisions, his expression dimmed a bit, a twinge of sadness striking at him. Once they were allowed to speak again he would say “I remember, Arashi-Fukutaicho came to speak with us. It was a hectic day for me and my man…” he said sighing lightly. So much unfortunate events steamed from misjudging the situation. He would speak up a bit louder “But I think my conversation with her should prove to be insightful. And the idea sounds good. This is a delicate matter, but I have no doubt only the most hardy Shinigami will manage to get pass an interview with you” he concluded with a soft chuckle. Yes, he had no doubt Malik would do his best to test any Shinigami before giving him a position of such importance.

Taisho slightly flinched when Malik spoke to him and nodded slowly to the man under standing what he meant. His nerves where slightly getting the best of him and he was speaking out of turn letting out a low breath tryingto calm him self. He listened two the taichos speak to each other voicing options what fit better. He recalled seeing the first division fukutaicho but there was no meeting. Bringing his right hand up to his chin he rubbed it slowly looking back and fourth from the two. He agreed with Malik's view of things and allowed him self a moment before speaking.

"I think your Idea would be the best to choose in this matter."

He wasn't to sure what else to say and well he was very tense right know and didn't want to say something what was out of line again. So he leaned back in his chair and placed his hand back onto the table. Looking back and fourth from each taicho to the other.  Ume-sama never spoke of meetings like this so really he wasn't sure what he was walking into. He needed to stay more calm and cool minded in this kind of place. He may lose a hand if he spoke out of turn.                

Malik nodded solemnly, one issue down several to go. Clearing his throat a bit he smiled at each man and continued. "Very good then, I'll start on that as soon as humanly possible. Staying on the same line of course having to do with morale and our current ranking system. As it stands right now we have far too many ranks and far too many people to fill them. With out recent lose our morale throughout the Gotei is certainly low and the gaps of power aren't in one Division alone.

"To remedy this, I suggest we remove the unseated rank and chop the seats to Ten. Any ranks below the Second seat will be a shared rank, holding as many as five or more members as is necessary. In this way our lower ranking members will have plenty of options to seek out a superior for various issues, if need be." (i.e like an actual military and even the series to some degree, and quite frankly we don't have the member base to actually make good use of our current ranking system) Spreading his hands a little bit he grasped them again, interlocking his fingers. This may not solve all of our problems with morale, however sometimes a bandage does more than stitches for the right patient..

"Oh, and another thing since we're on a subject of change.." He'd almost forgotten, but thankfully (or not) a little voice in the back of his head gave him a mental cuff. Uncupping his hands, almost seemingly as if he couldn't make up his mind what to do with them he reached into his uniform and withdrew a small bundle of letters, all of which he had read over the last few days. "These are letters of complaint throughout the city from mothers and fathers within the city." He waved them about a tiny bit before tossing them upon the table before them. "Due to some personal modifications and choices with some of our member's uniforms, I've had to read quite a hefty amount of complaints. Parent's throughout the city believe we're setting a bad example as a whole to future Shinigami and demand a change. Most of these complaints are actually directed at members of my division..

"Now, while I'm all for the freedom speech and self expression, however I do think there is a point to what these people are saying. As such I am suggesting a dress code for the Gotei, while on duty. What they do and what they wear when they're not on the job is no concern of ours as long as they aren't breaking any laws, however when they are on the job they are a reflection of us and our morals. As such, I believe we should enforce this dress code and have it so while small modifications are still okay,"he made a point of showing his own slightly modified uniform in that he had no sleeves upon his arms. "The front of the uniform must be full, double sided. So that any body parts not meant to be shown in public are not, nor hinted at." He glanced at Taisho who was damous for his his absence of the upper portion of his uniform, haori aside. "This applies for both men and women, Taisho.

"What say you both on these subjects?" Again, his gaze flicked between the pair of Captains before him, his gaze taking on the seriousness his eyes could well be known for.

Harupia couldn’t help but notice that Taisho was acting a bit tense from the start of the meeting...he didn’t know the man that well, but he seemed to be more of a boisterous individual most of the time. He honestly couldn’t blame him, a lot of responsibility was put on his shoulder. He remember feeling similar during his first meetings, even though his father was making sure that he realized what responsibilities awaited for him in e the future. Still, sitting by the same table with several individuals he Idolized as a child was a somewhat eerie experience.

While he still tried to be as polite as possible, he also tried his best to adjust to the general situation, and it seemed Malik didn’t want to the meeting to go unnecessarily formally. Once he introduced the next issue, he didn’t take too long to think as he said "Don’t mean to sound like too much of a yes-man, but once again I have agree it’s a good idea. It’s not unusual to see several people of the skill necessary for one of the seated ranks, and it will make for a clearer stricter in the unfortunate occasion the Taicho or Fukutaicho are gone. The one issue I'd see is a situation where there is a group of members positioned in the same seat... perhaps introducing some kind of rank system to make a distinction who is closer to earning a higher seated position?" suggesting by the end. While the idea was good, he thought that lower seats would obviously have more members, so some kind of ranking in addition could be useful to show a clear structure of command.

And then another issue was brought up to the table...somewhat literary as the messages landed on it. Listening to Malik, he couldn’t help but feel slightly bemused...though it was a slightly sour note due to his latest conversation with Yoshiya. After a soft chuckle he would say "I guess we aren’t doing that bad of a job if that's the most serious of complaints failed towards us Malik..." he half joked, though he tensed just slightly seeing the gaze of the other Taicho. With a light cough, he would say "While I don’t recall any Shinigami wearing attire I’d consider as indecent, It's true that we do set an example for the rest of the city. And I guess lacking clothing can make for a slightly to casual atmosphere... I bet the women in your Division tend to have trouble focusing around you Taisho" he said with a laugh, hoping his joke would ease the younger Taicho...and hopefully not irk the older one a lot. After that he would say "Again, I agree. When on duty, uniforms should cover most of the body, though I also don’t see anything wrong in some light modification or addition's to the uniform"

Kurisuna was late.

Never mind the hours she had spent waging battle against the upsetting truism that her detestable personality tended to corrupt and derail every meeting she partook in: she was woefully, unbefittingly late. And never mind the intangible aura of remembrance that permeated the First Division, too: it was the same plantless, uninspiring, and awful department she'd viewed from a mental spool.

If Kurisuna had mobilized, it was due to how long she'd been treading the knife-edge. She had spurned her duties. Committed treason, murder. That no Shinigami had besought the woman for the title of Captain was a minor miracle, and testament of the Gotei's poor condition; her mantle was one that would have to be wrenched by force, since Sumie's passing had done little to prompt Kurisuna into retirement.

Nonetheless, it would not be proper to surmise that she had healed. She would have deflected Malik's summon had the news of Kiba's death not nursed a markedly foreign sensation within her; it was the cool, exhilarating sense of dread, creeping up the notches in her spine for the first time in a number of months. Her ire had folded down, collapsing like a dying star: could she waste away as he had, mourning a singular victim?

If she were to divine the answer, as if by an illusionist's trick, or a sleight of hand, Kurisuna would not doubt the silent, denunciatory ''yes'' that had curdled her private Elysium. But first, she would attend the Soutaichou's charade to liberate the shreds of information the council had not been made privy to.

Parting the ornate doors, Kurisuna stepped past the threshold. Her sheath glistened dismally as she pressed into the chamber, forgoing her seat; she had eyes exclusively for Malik, whom she had not seen since the Hollow had sieged Seireitei. And she would've looked the part of a stalwart businesswoman were it not for the vestments of Captain, too, her locks no longer lacquered into a scarlet shine past the base of her neck.

With a nigh-criminal flair of unconcern for the topic at hand, as well as Taisho and Harupia's familiar faces, Kurisuna stood before Malik. ''I was unpunctual. Forgive me.''

Taisho looked at his uniform and sighed, he new he would have to keep the upper uniform part on for know on. He slightly grunted not liking this idea at all. Leaning back in his chair he listened to both the male taicho's speak, slightly laughing at the comment Harupia had made. A smile came over his face as he nodded to the man in thanks really. The tense feeling was going away, he then heard the third division taicho enter and walk towards Malik. She was a true beauty that was for sure, he smiled softly at Kurisuna and let out a low breath before speaking.

"I agree with both statements Tanaka-Soutaicho. As for the uniforms i'll make sure the fifth division follows the new rules about the dress-code. This also noted, makes me kind of sad that I would have to cover such a manly chest. However I do agree with it."

Taisho smirked a little allowing him self to enjoy the meeting a little more. With all the Taicho there now he didn't seem like he would need to talk as much as the other three sense they were the elder's of the council. Taping his hand on the table he some what went into a though thinking about his division who showed off to much skin. Only he could think of him self really, the only two shinigami he could think of was...oh damn. He looked over at Malik and he new two members in his division who needed to cover up a little more. Pity though, they had nice skin.

He listened as Harupia spoke, but interjected before Taisho had a chance to. "What you suggest is no different than we have now. And truth be told does having a higher rank make one more suitable for a promotion? I'm not so sure. Actions, not a number attached to the person should dictate whom gets what. Of course the commanding officer of each Division gets the final say on the matter.

"In truth, Harupia I think you're over thinking it and making it more complicated than it really is." He smirked and chuckled a bit before he heard the doors. His back straightened in response and his vision flicked toward the entry way to see Kurisuna approaching. He beamed a smile in her direction, if only for a moment and stood as she neared.

Yes believe it or not he did have manners.

"It's quite alright old friend, the First Division welcomes you home as always." He watched her closely, noting that she seemed only interested in himself and not those around. Was something wrong? He couldn't be sure, he had heard very little from the Third Division as of late, something he wished to rectify on all fronts. "Please, take your seat so we may continue. So far we've addressed Kiba's replacement, changing of ranks to better fit our current conditions and a dress code so Parents in the city don't form a union and try to control everything we do." He couldn't help but chuckle a bit there, although tensely. He couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong with his one time Fukutaicho.

He'd known he a long time, and while it was true in the last few decades he'd not seen her as much as he would like due to her own responsibilities he couldn't help but not know her as well as he would a sister. "Unless of course, you've something you'd like to address first, Kurisuna-Taicho?" It seemed wrong to be informal now, unless of course he was just seeing something where there was nothing. It was possible.. She did cut her hair after all for the first time like.. Ever. Maybe he was just reacting to that?

Harupia couldn’t help but to rise a brow as he said "With all do respect I don’t think that's quite a fair as..." before the door into the chamber was opened, making him rise up as well in surprise. Though the person who entered was someone he could have expected...and he was surprised she wasn’t there to begin with. He did notice Taisho relaxed quite a bit...he was glad his attempts to loosen him up were successful.

Saikokui Kurisuna, the second Taicho when it comes to tenure. The head of the Division in charge of archiving and seeking knowledge, and what came to be more important quite often, investigation... again, it seemed one blight would taint him for a long time. The death of the young girl from the Rukongai, under their care...unsolved by this day. Of course, he couldn’t help but to blame himself for his relative tardiness. He should have come to her and inform her of the ordeal, request looking into the whole thing. But still, he couldn’t help but wonder, why had she not done something with the matter herself? It was, for all intents and purposes, her work to investigate things like this, and while there was the issue of the other events unfolding and the Hollow's attacking, this did warrant some attention he felt. Especially since he recalled directly she wanted to interrogate the people involved in the outbreak... though maybe she didn’t want to speak with him due to the way her Fukutaicho died, also on his watch.

Much to his chagrin, his relationship with Kurisuna was...natural at best. He of course respected her for the work she put into forming and defending their city, but unlike with Tanaka-san he rarely had a chance to interact with her outside of Council meetings. Most he knew about her was from his father during his tenure as Taicho, and he had the utmost respect for her...both as he often said, she changed ever since her children died. Something he could understand, but still, from his point of view, she seemed to be doing an admirable job as a Taicho...at least until recently.

Harupia wanted the best for his people, and most of the time, he did so by tending to their wounds. But through the last few years he saw some wounds could not be tended by his hands, and he couldn’t help but to pounder... Earlier he was busy with his work, and perhaps a bit too much about his personal worries...but facing red haired Captain now, he couldn’t help but have questions form in his mind.

Either way that would have to wait. As Malik finished his rundown of what was discussed already, he would bow down respectfully before her and only then (not wanting to interrupt Malik, who seemed to tense up somewhat at her entry...) he would say "Good to have you with us Kurisuna-Taicho" smiling lightly. He didn’t want to repeat after Malik too much, but with all the doubts that flushed his mind, he was glad to see her come here. If anything, it would clear up those dark thoughts...or just add fuel to the fire...

''I see...'' Deflecting his warm reception, his bid for her to sit, Kurisuna considered the topics that the trio had discussed with a sudden, arresting disappointment. ''And… these dress codes.'' She was too elegant to look affronted, but her voice ushered a disillusioned sigh. ''I presume they herald the end of this conference, yes? That these unforeseen, and unspeakable events -- events marked by the passing of Natsukoi Sumie, to say nothing of the innumerable casualties -- have been fastidiously deliberated, if the council has deemed it proper to preempt such comparably insignificant sumptuary laws?'' Oops. There went ''her'' name again. But, this time, she had not warped it with the unhinged cadence of a madwoman -- her voice was cool and level. Inertia had become her accomplice out of necessity.

Nonetheless, her brows pinched as she noted a sliver of unease from the Soutaichou. Of course Ume's successor would be the most comfortable, and with a theatric flourish of her hand (which alighted upon the crested rail of her seat), Kurisuna dispelled the pending request for some form of justification and continued. ''That's immaterial now. The Fifth Division could not have been more aptly timed; the mangled body of Shuchiku Kiba has been found in the borderlands.'' No time for her to contemplate the silent, painful ruination of Seireitei's former Captain. ''Shigemitsu Shigeo, too, has been confirmed dead by a patrol traversing the Second District.''

She glanced knowingly at Harupia, reciprocating a hollow smile. A stab went through her heart. ''Unattended children are so troublesome.'' The double-entendre, the sly intimation that she wasn't, in fact, referring to Kiba and Shigeo exclusively, could be lost on anyone but him. ''Aren't they, Hitoshi-kun?''

Taisho looked over at the third division taicho and listened to her as she spoke. He kept quite letting the older Taichos to speak among them self's, sitting back in his chair he looked over at each one of them waiting to see if he would be spoken to next from the soutaicho or Kruisuna-taicho her self. She brought up good point and brought a hand up to his chin slightly rubbing it softly.

Truthfully speaking he wasn't to sure what to do about the fourth division. His own Taicho steped down however he was able to take over the roll, though it would seem the fourth division is in a lot worse shape with out a Fukutaicho to take over. This also noted he had the ex taicho of the division able to help him with things if needed.

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Sorry for the late and crap post.

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ooc
Sorry for the delay. Lame excuse is lame, just had a lot on my mind irl and have been diving into another world to escape it where I didn't have to think e,,e.

"Kurisuna-Taicho!" His face was hard again, his tone matched it. "That's enough." He too had yet to seat himself and was staring the female in the room down. "Yes, we have gone through a great ordeal in the past few weeks but that does not excuse such a lack of disrespect for your co-council members!

"We are to decide on both the big and the small issues for this city, and I was simply crossing some of the smaller ones off until your arrival. Had you not been so tardy in the first place the less important matters would not have even surfaced yet!" He took a breathe and shook his head. "But that is neither here or that, I can understand your point.

"As for your news about Kiba and Shigeo, I expected as much." He sighed heavily and racked a hand through his hair and dropped his eyes to the table. "Kiba was anything but subtle, and no one seeing him for such a period was unlikely. It is unfortunate. When he was focused he was good at his job, and from my understanding so was this Shigeo." His eyes flicked up to Kurisuna's.

"Has an investigation shown how they died?"

For the time being Haru was silent along Taisho, wanting to listen to what Aki said in detail. So far her complaints were, in his mind, somewhat ridiculous. Though his face did visibly change in expression as she mentioned the death of Kiba and Shigeo, a deep sigh leaving his lips as he rubbed his temple gently. Just what they needed, more dead bodies... As the female Taicho addressed him specifically, he looked up at her in an instant, in an expression stuck between deep confusion and annoyance. That... why would she say that? He never heard her address any of the Council as children...

Before he could really voice any of his concerns, Malik spoke up, clearly quite agitated as well. He completely agreed with the Taicho's first point, matters of vital importance shouldn’t be discussed without each member available...unless the Taicho felt her opinion was unneeded, or unwelcome, which wasn’t the case...completely at least. After Malik spoke he would interject himself saying "The losses seem to be piling up...but at least we realized their fate quickly. Though I bet it must be a busy time, adding these two deaths to the ongoing investigations of all the recent events... Did you man come to any conclusions as to the events you mentioned Kurisuna?" he asked in a curious voice, though he could feel his throat drying up just slightly as he finished talking.

The death of her Fukutaicho seemed to start a true avalanche... and he couldn’t help but feel partially guilty for that, alongside the death of the Rukongai girl. Still, even if it meant potential trouble for him, he was ready to face any sorts of accusations. And he couldn’t help but see just how much she knew about these events... perhaps it was him looking to deeply into it, but that choice of words... could it be completely coincidental?

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Sorry for the late ness

Taisho's eyes would slightly narrow at the third division taicho as she said the line children. How was age really meaning anything here, Harupia Taicho seemed to be doing his job quite well. If anyone was lacking to be a Taicho here it would be himself, shaking his head slightly he turned to look at Malik as he spoke. Hearing about both the taicho and fukutaicho of the fourth division dead some what bothered Taisho a little. How did two high ranking shinigami die at the same time. It makes little sense, or was it that the hollow's where getting stronger and more in number then the Shinigami even imagined.

Bringing up his right hand he rubbed his chin softly pondering over this few things, he didn't raise his voice or anything he just was stuck in thought of course he did keep his ear's open if any of the three taicho's spoke again. He was wondering how the meeting would move on from this and what killed or who killed the former taicho and fukutaicho of the fourth division.

Unimpressed by Malik's spasm (she was sure he had meant a lack of respect), Kurisuna parried his frustration coolly. The taunt was whisper-soft, condescending. ''Had you not been so tardy in notifying our troops that the Hollow were encroaching -- per Shuchiku-Taichou's request, and the responsibilities assigned to your division -- these matters would not have surfaced at all. You withheld important information that resulted in many deaths, Malik, so do not talk to me about tardiness.''

She could fathom his silence, and she could even reconcile the hypocrisy suffusing his voice with the tightly-wound look of a man revered (and reviled) for his adherence to the law. ''Unimportant issues? Such as Kiba's successor, and a rehaul of my division's hierarchy? Those are matters on-par with ''dress codes''? Spare your tenuous grasp of urgency. You cannot possibly think that our status quo is not so poor that you can afford to prattle on about laws that not even the citizenry abides by, because I can tell you exactly why they complain: it's because they need us. And we're not doing our jobs. Supplication has gotten them naught but ruin, so they -- the mothers and fathers -- seek to galvanize the Gotei from inaction any way they can.''

Forgoing a sigh of compressed leather that would telegraph her willingness to parlay, Kurisuna retracted her arm from the crown of her seat and swept it colorfully. ''The Soutaichou doesn't communicate, the Second Division permitted a chain of events that would forfeit a young girl's life,'' There was no pang of guilt, no flurry of emotions as she glossed over the child whose face she had mangled; she would answer for that soon, oh yes, but not now. ''The 2nd District is teeming with unprecedented quantities of Hollow and Arrancar -- that covers the Fifth -- and the Third Division no longer cares to dispense its intelligence. Kiba was rarely focused, you're right about that, but he kept this city free of crime, which is to say he did his job better than any of us have done ours. Whether you like it or not, these things need to be addressed; I won't censor myself just because you squawk at every perceived slight.''

''That being said, I also did not come here to spite you. Up until Sumie was killed, I pulled my weight -- I hurt a lot of people along the way, but I pulled it. Turns out I'm still more keenly aware of the situation than everybody in this room, which is how I can supply solutions, and tell you that Kiba and Shigeo were killed by a weapon much akin,'' with a masterful flourish, she unsheathed her blade, ''To this one.''

He didn't sit, nor did he interrupt as the female Captain spoke. She allowed him his little episode the least he could do was give her the right of the floor. What she said was very true, he could not deny it. Hell, she was spot on in a lot of her points albeit as blunt as they were, but bluntness was something called for this situation. And she hit the nail on the head, they did need to get things organized so they were working as a unit again, which was in truth at the core why he had called this assembly in the first place.

As she mentioned the bit about not coming here to be spiteful he simply nodded, his eyes haunted by his own sins as of late. He could not call her out on her past behaviors when his own recent ones were.. Well, not all that much different. Though in truth his sin had cost the lose of many lives, something that would haunt him for the rest of his days. He had yet to speak to anyone who hadn't lost someone close to them, and it was all his fault. A burden that often made him think it was time for him to resign... But, those under him weren't ready for the responsibly he'd be forcing them into. So for now, he'd simply have to bare the weight.

Then, she flourished her blade and his eyes widened in shock. They were killed by a sword. He thought to himself, regaining his composure. Kurisuna could have simply said they were killed by a sword, why brandish her own though? He knew all to well the skill that Kurisuna had with a blade, he'd the scars to prove it. More then enough to deal with two high ranking members of the Gotei.

He took a half step back, his eyes still wide moved from the blade to Kurisuna's auburn eyes. "Old friend.." He said softly, barely above a whisper. "Speak truthful, is this a confession?"

While Malik remained silent for most of Kurisuna's commentary, Harupia who was slightly on edge before, but some of the Taicho's comment's really ticked him on the wrong edge, and he didn’t talk about the life of Sui. That he could take the blame...partially. One thing he bit his tongue on was commenting how the Taicho she commended on doing his job best ended up abandoning them in a time of dire need...however, he knew that as frustrated as he might be, the men was dead, and talking about that just...didn’t feel right. Also, he was quite surprised to hear that apparently the Soutaicho knew about the Hollow invasion...but he hoped that issue would be addressed by Malik himself.

But as soon as Kurisuna talked about not censoring herself he would say "No one is trying to dictate what you say Kurisuna Taicho, but perhaps you should think a bit more about what you say. First you accuse us of wasting time on unimportant issue's, then you are angry for us talking about important issues without you presence. Your presence from the beginning of the meeting would help immensely in solving both of those issues either way." He would then stand up to speak on "And while I do accept my fault in the death of the Rukongai girl, amongst other Shinigami which could but didn’t stop her for whatever reason, I WILL NOT let you slight the work of my Division. Me and my men worked day and night after both of the invasions healing and helping in the recovery of everyone we could. So please, don’t say that me or my men are not doing their job!". That was what got him the most... regardless of what the citizens or anyone though, his men were dedicated and worked sleepless hours tending to every wounded they have, in spite of significant loses in staff...He could take any accusation of him in other fields, but he had nothing to fault himself when it came to doing what his Division was meant to do.

And just like that, the situation became even worse as Kurisuna suggested that Kiba and Shigeo were killed by a blade...a Shinigami blade. It came to him, the visage of the little girl which he tried to save... her eye was pulled out of the socket clean, no real lacerations around it... he thought that it could have been some kind of claw of a Hollow...but why would it leave the body intact? So there was the option of a blade... And while it could earn nothing at all, her move along her earlier quip... he couldn’t help but feel as if she was taunting them all. He sat back in his chair for now, waiting for her to respond to what was aimed at her. Though it would probably end with her denying the accusation...or perhaps in something which he really wanted to avoid...

Taisho looked over at the Third division taicho as she spoke. She showed no real emotion as she unsheathed her sword and then said something slight puzzling but yet it bothered Taisho the most. If she was the one who ended both the fukutaicho and Taicho of the fourth division with a sword. He looked over at Harupia who seemed to have a out raged reply back to her. He could agree with everything he said. Every division had been pulling there weight. He slightly pushed him self back in his chair.

Taisho for this fact renamed silent still, he wasn't sure what to say or even do. If this taicho did kill fellow shinigami she would be under arrest for her crimes. The other fact was what if she didn't come with out a fight. Three against one seemed to be good odds but he heard stories about this woman's great sword skill so really he was slightly scared for his own life. He took a deep breath trying to see how things would turn out. Malik would be the best to talk to Kurisuna since he did know her the longest and perhaps could shade more light onto this manner.

''You don't say,'' Kurisuna revised from an impromptu 'no shit.' Never mind Harupia's flagrant misinterpretation of the point she had tried to make -- Malik's shameful excuses should not trivialize Kiba's succession. If they wanted to discuss important matters without her, good for them! That was proper investment of the council's time. ''Do not worry, Hitoshi-Taichou. When the Third Division is no longer short on manpower, you can rest assured that an investigation will be conducted to determine just whose fault this staggering security breach is. I work on facts, after all. Not your prejudice.'' Harupia could affirm his authority as loudly and pointlessly as he cared to; she would not quirk a brow on his account. Let the man draw his blade in turn if he felt as though he could forcibly suppress her opinion.

The delusion that the Gotei had been operating optimally was something she could stomach; Kurisuna had not expected any of them to listen. Turns out, however, that they had listened too well; it was almost as though they had been privy to information they could not possibly have acquired through IC methods! The connection between ''they were killed by a sword'' and ''you're good with a sword, it must be you!'' was that stupefying.

All right. So what if a triumvirate of alleged professionals were prone to accusing their fellow Taichou of murder on no evidence whatsoever beyond a blade in common? All this meant was that they should never work within the Third Division. ''They were killed by a sword. Not my sword, you asshole.''

There was a long silence after the Taichos words, since he wanted to wait for Malik to respond first. He was a bit worried about his own response, since he already was quite agitated. But the silence dragged on for quite a while, neither of the Taicho willing to break it. While tense, it allowed Harupia to calm himself. They did act rashly, that was true... even though it was easy to see Kurisuna was provoking them. And in spite of his own worries about the situation, he knew that Malik's accusation came out to soon, with no proper backing...though one had to wonder, if someone who was friends with another accused him of such a cruel deed with what seemed little though...It rose even more questions

Regardless, silence wouldn’t solve anything. With a cough, Haru would say "Perhaps simply stating that it was a sword without comparing it to your own would be a less provocative way to raise the issue, Kurisuna-Taicho. You already conveyed you dismay at our display without that...regardless, throwing and defending from accusations is a waste of time. The Gotei is rattled, there is not hiding that. So let’s focus on the present now, and then you can investigate everything you feel is needed Kurisuna-Taicho. I offer my full cooperation on the matter" he concluded with a light nod. He had to bite his tongue not to say that perhaps finding the girl with an eye gouged from her face in the middle of the woods was a bigger mystery then her walking out through a hole in the wall caused by the late Kiba... but he didn’t want the conversation to run in circle again.

He turned to Malik now saying "As the council is now fully assembled, perhaps a restatement of the earlier mentioned issues, as well as presenting the ones not yet discussed would be in order Tanaka-Taicho. I think a quick overview of what was already decided on would give Kurisuna-san an even wider perspective on the entire situation" he concluded finally, his face fairly blank...which for him meant that he was somewhat upset. Her words stung somewhat, perhaps because there was a hint of truth in them...And he could understand her frustration. and perhaps...pain from the loss of her Fukutaicho? He had to deal with that as well...though to be truthful, it was hard not to notice the Taicho relied on her second in command much more than other Taicho... yet still, the lingering doubt was still there. Why would she speak of children? He couldn’t remember her doing it since...her earlier loss.

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{ooc}thanks for going ahead Haru, long story short I've not had much of a computer as of late and my phone eats proboards posts.. a lot

A lot went through Malik's mind in those moments, explaining his silence. He was beyond grateful that Harupia spoke first and simply nodded a bit and sighed a big one, of relief. "Yes of course that'll do nicely, Hitoshi-Taisho.

"But first, my apologies old friend. Your flourish of your blade just made me a bit.. Antsy I suppose and I jumped to conclusions." He offered her a small, but humble smile and continued. "The thought of any one killing Kiba with a sword whom does not have at least your talent however is astonishing. Unless of course he allowed it to. Grief does... Well it makes us do strange things indeed. Regardless however, I beg your forgiveness." After that was said and done he offered a small bow of his head and then smirked widely. "And for you to put that away, I have a reputation around pointy things and I'd rather not sample more of Harupia's Division's food again so soon."

Retaking his seat he raked his hands through his hair. "Before we continue, I think we should all dull the edge on our tongues a bit and try to keep our tempers. We've not the time to waste and I simply lack the energy to bicker and play parent and pull the lot of ya's apart and stick you in time out.

"With that said, Harupia before we move on or give Saikokui-Taicho more information on past subjects, I would like to know if she has any leads on just who exactly did do the act of slaying Kiba and his underling Shigeo. Catching their killers is the very least we can give to two officers who gave so much to our cause and besides, Justice and our pride demands it."

Taisho looked at the 3rd division captain and sighed softly. He didn't mean to give off the look that she was the one that killed the two fourth division members. He smiled and bowed his head a little. "Forgive me for giving off the Idea that it was you Saikokui-Taicho."

He would sit up in his chair some more placing his hands on his chin as he looked at the other taicho's thinking it was a good idea to not lose there tempers though this said Taisho never did. These old boys new how to get there feathers in a bunch that was for sure.

"Giving the rest of the info to Saikokui-taich would be a fine idea." He spoke softly once Harupia had spoken but right after Malik-soutaicho took the lead and with a great idea. He nodded in agree meant with the man.

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{Mod Note}Given Kurisuna's quitting the forum I'm going to go ahead and exit her from the thread, and her character from the forum. After speaking to her on my own I know in which way she wishes to have her character go out, so I'm going to do my very best to make it happen in a way she'd do.

As the other three Captains in the room mused over what she said, she felt as if nothing was going to sink in. They were blind, blind to the truth. Blind to everything she'd said. She sneered, turned on a heel and started to leave. "Continue with your petty conversations without me, I'm done." Her tone gave way to the fact she didn't wish to be followed and as her figured disappeared through the door and down the flight of stairs, she knew the others wouldn't dare stop her, not this time. Not ever.

She made her way back to her own Division, her home. It was here she found herself in her office among her beloved plants. There was little in the world that brought her as much joy as tending to these, her true friends. Her only friends now. Filling up her watering can, she set herself to give them all a hearty drink. Due to the storm, they would get no sunlight today a depressing thought, though in truth her own life had not had a true ray of sunlight in a very long time.

With that task completed, she moved into a side room and changed out of her Shinigami robes, bathed, then slipped into a far more delicate and comfortable kimono. Her Zanpakuto remained at her side and paired now with a small Tanto. In her hands, a simple white cloth. Kneeling upon a small mat, she looked upon her office with a solemn gaze and started to write a letter on a bit of parchment. At first, she started it as a poem as was the custom in this ritual, but it turned into a one sided conversation to her long lost children, friends and those she considered family. With it completed, she slipped it into a small wooden box and moved it off to her right hand side. While in truth, this wasn't a woman's way of preforming this ritual, she was a warrior. A swords-woman, she would die as one.

Opening the front of her kimono, she revealed the skin of her belly and traced a line with a finger across her abdomen, from left to right. Nodding to herself she unsheathed the Tanto and wrapped the center of the blade in the simple white cloth, which was then followed by the wrapping of her fingers over the small yet incredibly sharp blade. Tightening her grip upon weapon she pointed its tip toward her frame and then plunged it into her flesh and followed the line in which she had traced over a moment before. She did little more than grunt as he face twitched with pain as she preformed the deed. A few short, painful, moments would pass before her body slumped forward, and she fell upon her right side, her lungs heaving on last breath as her eyes fluttered to a close.

Saikokui Kurisuna, dead

---

As Kurisuna left the room, Malik turned his gaze to his remaining Council and rose a single hand to them, shaking his head as he did so. "Don't try to stop her, her mind is made up." He would go to her office later that day to speak privately to her. Only then would he wish he had handled things differently, like so many other things as of late. "I move we continue on with where we were going before Kurisuna-Taicho arrived.

"Harupia, Taisho. Do either of you have anything you'd wish to discuss before I move onto the main issue and reason I called this assembly this day?"

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{ooc}And my own bit of my post is so short, sorry for not giving you's much to work with.

It seemed Kurisuna was hell-bent on being deaf to any voice besides her own... Before he could considered whether he wanted to stop her from leaving, he was stopped by the Soutaicho. On one hand he did not wish this meeting to be even more fragmented then it was now...yet he could see that Malik was right. There was no way to speak with Kurisuna now...perhaps later...

With a sigh, Harupia would say "I think we covered the earlier subjects well enough. My opinion hasn’t changed on the topic of the uniforms, though I can’t help but think we truly have more important issues than short robes. And I approve of a change in the ranking system, though I guess details about that could be discussed latter. I think it’s a good time to move on to the next subject on the agenda"