Merited Complaints

Fifth Seat,
First Division
Reiatsu
125
Strength
50
Defense
40
Speed
20
Spirit
15
‘The Academy?’
‘Straight from the Commander, ma’am.’
Hazuki paused, taking a deep breath. Her eyes wandered sidelong from the slightly pained look on the messenger’s face as she mulled over what she had just been told. The very latest in what was shaping up to be a long series of tasks she had been assigned since coming to the First designed, it seemed, to occupy her time and little else.

She reached out and took the offered document, eyes sliding back to the Shinigami in front of her. The effort not to simply snatch it from her grasp was a conscious one, but the thank you that Hazuki offered was pure reflex. She received a curt salute in return, and on some level couldn’t help but resent the almost apologetic look she caught on the other Shinigami’s face as they turned away and left her there, parchment in hand and an increasingly dour look on her face.

She already knew what she would find upon unfolding it, of course. Not the assignment itself, no, but the manner in which it would be presented. Something official-sounding, tasking Hazuki to embark on some ultimately meaningless errand far beneath her station, and at the very bottom, scrawled in her own handwriting, a personal note directly from the Commander herself. Something to the tune of I need you to do this for me.

As if it would take the edge off.

As if Hazuki alone was able to manage.

She sighed, turned the paper over in her hands a few times, her thoughts going unbidden to the sword at her hip and wondering if she would ever get the chance to use it outside of sparring lessons with her aunt or uncle. It was looking ever more unlikely. Letting her talents go to waste was putting it mildly. The dour look had turned into a scowl at this point, and she shook it off, unfolding her orders deftly, by now a well-practiced habit.

Her orders were as neatly dictated as ever, and Hazuki skimmed through them picking out the gist of how the Commander wished to waste her time. Investigate Academy operations to ascertain validity of complaints, it read, Concerns related to adoption of Asauchi pivotal. Ah, so that was it. Hazuki wasn’t quite sure where she stood on what had become quite a controversial matter, but she could certainly see why Central 46 had seen fit to approve the use of the "empty blades". It had certainly accelerated recruitment, and if desperate times called for desperate measures then these times certainly qualified. There had, of course, been those who disagreed, and it seemed the Academy was bearing the brunt of their displeasure. Yet another stress in the seams holding Seireitei together. She scanned past the Commander’s seal and sure enough, there it was. A personal note of what was surely meant as encouragement that Hazuki could now no longer help but view as patronizing:

I need someone I can trust on this.

She loved and admired the Captain-Commander—she was practically family, after all—but this soured Hazuki’s mood all the same. Another meaningless task to perform, another series of meaningless reports to write, and the bitter, helpless feeling of utter stagnation kept growing in the pit of Hazuki’s stomach. Fifth Seat of the First Division, professional errand-runner. Her scowl returned in an instant. No sense in putting it off, she thought, neither the mood nor the errand.

The walk to the Academy, while scenic, was a brisk one; she wasted no time on admiring the view (though did, admittedly, steal a glance in the direction of the Second’s gardens as she passed the highlands, wondering how her mother was spending her day) and arrived at the Academy grounds in fairly short order. She hadn’t spent long there herself, and for her it had been almost a formality more than anything else. She had been born, in a manner of speaking, to the black, and the reds and blues of the academy uniforms were not in her taste. It was an odd feeling, seeing the students meander across the grounds in groups of three and four, laughing, talking amongst themselves, seemingly oblivious to the mood among the rest of the Gotei. Understandable, but jarring nonetheless.

She squinted in the sunlight, her off hand falling to the pink silk of her Zanpakutō’s hilt, and wondered where she should begin this most vague of tasks. A brief meeting with the Tenth’s leadership would probably do her some good, maybe even a quick round of the premises, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to rely on the Tenth’s lieutenant for much outside of conversation and was unwilling to bother his captain with such a triviality, orders from the Commander be damned. Their offices would have to be the first port of call, however, and she would simply have to make the best out of whatever happened. She set off in the direction of the administration building, still scowling—she wouldn’t have to wipe that off until she reached her destination—but as she rounded a formation of students performing drills under the keen supervision of an academy instructor, something caught Hazuki’s eye. A flash of blonde on the opposite end of the courtyard, and a gait she recognized from her short stint here.

She put herself on an intercept course, acknowledging the instructor’s glance at her with a polite nod, and moments later she was in range.

‘Hildr!’
 
Student,
Shin'o Academy
Reiatsu
50
Strength
20
Defense
5
Speed
20
Spirit
5
Within the gated walls of the Academy, the world was at peace. Conflicts were only so far as interpersonal spats, or heated disagreements with teachers. Students, young and full of bushy-tailed wonder, went about their days with smiles, oblivious to the woes of the world.

Certainly, they all knew the state of the world beyond their sheltered lives. It had been drilled into them every day: Shinigami were being slaughtered, left for dead, or wounded beyond saving constantly. Hollows were tearing apart the mortal realm, wrecking havoc unlike anything the Shinigami had ever seen. The Rukongai was flooding over, the slums completely beyond repair.

Yet, the words rung hollow -- pun intended -- on most of the students, Hildr included. The cautionary tales sounded so absurd that they had to be exaggerated. No one had any doubt that there was a crisis, but to that scale?

Pft.

Hildr was one of the shockingly few students who had manifested her sword all on her own. It earned her a badge of honor among her peers who were granted Auschi -- empty swords meant to coax out a proper Zanpakuto with enough time and training. She, like the others of her status, were on an accelerated course through the Academy, and often didn't mix with the... Well... Lesser students, though Hildr would never say anything so demeaning aloud.

She was walking through the hall, flanked by a small group of her peers. They had been discussing the recent lecture on the rising casualties among the Shinigami, each with varying levels of belief.

"If it's so bad, why don't they ever bring in a proper black-coat to speak?"
"If I have to hear them preach about this again, I'm going to be sick."
"It's just a little fearmongering. A prank on us students, I'm sure of it."

Hildr herself often chose not to comment on the matter. Being overly negative never was her look. Instead, she just smiled and nodded along, half interested in the conversation. It was no wonder that a flash of black hair and a voice vaguely familiar was enough to perk her ears and widen her eyes.

"Hazuki?"

The suddenness of Hildr's voice stopped the conversation, furrowed brows and blinking eyes flicking between her and the new woman who approached. Not that Hildr minded their reactions. She gave them only a curt apology, a half smile, and then bailed.

With a slight skip to her step and a grin blossoming across her face, she bounded up to the friend she hadn't seen in over a year. Without hesitation, she pulled the taller woman into a hug.

"I heard you're in the First now -- a seated member, nonetheless!" Hildr beamed as they stepped out of their hug. Then, with a knowing wink, she added: "I bet you're privy to all manners of secrets and intel."
 
Fifth Seat,
First Division
Reiatsu
125
Strength
50
Defense
40
Speed
20
Spirit
15
The hug wasn’t entirely expected, but Hazuki wouldn’t go so far as to consider it unwelcome. Not her style, certainly, but from what she remembered during the brief time she spent alongside Hildr at the Academy, it was standard fare for the blonde girl. She returned it, perhaps not with as much enthusiasm as the other girl was showing—with Hazuki, there rarely was—but still a far cry from her usual reserved manner. They had found one another through a mutual interest in swordsmanship, and that, clearly, had been enough.

‘Yes, they put me in First while they tried to figure out what to do with me,’ she smiled, ‘I’m told I’m of some use to the Commander,’ or so she says.

‘As for secrets and intel, well...’ She paused. ‘I hear things. I see things. I doubt much of it is very secret. I’m here today to hear and see things, for example. If you want secrets, you’ll have to go speak with my father,’ she laughed. ‘Be careful with him, though. He’ll hit you with the usual if I told you, I’d have to kill you routine.’

Thinking on it, however, Hazuki was struck by the fact that, given the circumstances, that would probably be a pretty ominous thing to hear from him, were he talking to anyone but his wife or daughter.

‘On second thought, avoid that if at all possible. Never know with him.’ She grinned. ‘What about you? We haven’t spoken in a long time, still aiming for placement in the Eleventh once you graduate?’
 
Student,
Shin'o Academy
Reiatsu
50
Strength
20
Defense
5
Speed
20
Spirit
5
No sooner had their embrace ended did Hildr pat her friend-acquaintance on the shoulder, and then gently usher her down the hall in the direction Hazuki had been going. Their path would have them cross by the supposed friend group Hildr had been with, but the grinning girl paid them no mind beyond a brief glance and a tiny flick of her wrist, as if to wave at them.

Naturally, the group gave the two girls a mix of frowns and raised brows. Though the group was mostly of exceptionally skilled students, none of them had been in the same accelerated course as Hildr -- the very same that had her sharing a year of studies alongside the prodigal Tsukimiya.

"Hearing and listening sure seems like a waste talent for someone like you," Hildr's smile waned as she blurted out the obvious. Though, with a blink and an apologetic chuckle, she quickly added: "But, ah, I imagine finding someone of use for the Commander is far more difficult than someone able to swing a sword."

Though, to insinuate Hazuki's skill was merely swinging a sword was an insult, to say the least, and both of the women knew that.

"Regardless, I'm sure both of your parents are proud," she insisted with a rejuvenated smile. Then, with a playful wink and a gentle elbow to Hazuki's side, she added: "You still owe me a date with your parents."

A half-hearted wager they had made when practicing in class. Through some miracle, Hildr had managed to best Hazuki in their sparring, and her chosen prize had been the chance to meet with the famous Captains. Certainly, it was only because Hildr wanted to meet her friend's parents, not a chance to build a connection with two incredibly competent Captains. Hildr would never be so self-centered.

It also, certainly, had nothing to do with the rumors of Kyousuke's good looks.

"As for me?" Hildr continued while they continued a lazy walk in the vague direction of the Academy's administration office. "I've already begun on admission forms for the Eleventh. These last few months of my studies are more for formality, I think."

She sighed and waved a dismissive hand.

"Thank whatever god that may exist; I've been dying of boredom trapped in this stupid cage," she groaned. "I don't suppose you could forge a few papers and get me sent on an early mission, could you?"

Her half-grin was appropriate for the half-joke.
 
Fifth Seat,
First Division
Reiatsu
125
Strength
50
Defense
40
Speed
20
Spirit
15
Hazuki silently agreed. It was such a tremendous waste but she neither had the opportunity nor the inclination to question the Commander to her face. Whatever she intended, Hazuki would simply have to abide. And abide she did—but sourly. Even the complaints to her mother and father had begun to wane; while they always listened patiently and offered encouraging words, their response was almost universally simply to urge Hazuki to remain patient. Whatever the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 had planned for her, she would learn of in time.

‘Oh, quite proud, I think.’ Were they? ‘But yes, I haven’t forgotten. Times being what they are, I suppose they’ve been a little busy, and I’d like to make good on my promise in a way that befits your...’ She searched for the right word, smiling, ‘Accomplishment. It was a very good sparring session.’

The other students were giving them some odd looks in passing, though Hazuki could certainly understand why. Academy life was remarkably insular for what was essentially a preparatory program for induction into a military force: outside the usual instructors in the Tenth, it was rare to see unfamiliar faces wearing black at the Academy grounds, far more so in the company of a single student. She had only attended for a brief year, and much of that time had been spent simply going through the motions. There hadn’t even been enough time for her to make a reputation for herself outside of certain very small circles, and now, just over a year after graduating, it seemed her identity was a total mystery to all but a very select few. All things considered, Hazuki preferred it to the alternative.

‘I think the Eleventh would be a good fit for you. It’s straightforward work, uncomplicated and you have a talent for it. The people I’ve met from there have all reminded me of you in some way or another. I wouldn’t mind it myself, but it seemed Ka—’ she caught herself, ‘—the Commander asked for me specifically.’

She weighed Hildr’s request with a smile. ‘That’s a little beyond both my authority and expertise,’ she replied, shaking her head in mock solemnity before breaking into a wry smile, ‘but either one of my parents would be able to help. Such a pity you haven’t had the chance to meet them yet!’

They walked in silence for a few moments before Hazuki drew a tentative breath, as if to say something. Hesitated. ‘I get the impression a tour on earth isn’t exactly something to look forward to these days, though. At the risk of sounding patronizing, perhaps you should consider yourself lucky that you can avoid it, at least for the time being. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want you—or anyone else, for that matter—to get in over their head. But you can help me today, if you’d like. As a student, your insights may prove invaluable.’