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>>704346
Steel clashes loudly as Gin parries Ichigo's zanpakuto with Shinsō, the boy's speed and coordination honestly surprising you a little. The leaves on the trees that're still standing in this public park you've been fighting in shudder. But as you would expect Gin's speed allows him to easily match his cousin, and he hardly moves even under the force of the attack.

“My, my! How scary!” Gin taunts the boy as Ichigo pushes with all his might.

“You bastard! What the hell's wrong with you!?”

“Tell me, do you recall how your first meeting with Captain Kuchiki went?”

“I remember he nearly killed me!” Ichigo shouts back across their locked blades. “And he would've too, if it weren't for... if... ah.”

“Tha's right! I figured Byakuya would try an' recover lil' miss Kuchiki's powers first, stabbin' you through your pressure points an' lettin' you start workin' on growin' your own powers, an' Riku steppin' in would put her in a good position with your family an' all. Hell, a good talkin' to from Riku'd even get the little lord thinkin' about the situation from her perspective, which means it was even good for him in the long run!”

Gin twists his wrist, forcing both his blade and Zangetsu's to one side so that he can reach across and place a palm on top of Ichigo's head. “You've got a good heart, kid, an' you seem to mostly get what makes people tick. So you an' I both know already Riku's never been one to manipulate. Sneak, sure. Kill, you betcha. But in our family I'm the manipulative one. It's just in my nature.”

Ichigo glances at you as he disengages from Shinsō, and you shrug. It's not like you didn't already know that your son isn't just “playful”, that the sarcasm, the pranks, and all the rest of it covers up a fundamentally deceitful and manipulative nature. He can be a bit of a bastard. But what you've always trusted is his judgment, his ability to tell what the right goals to manipulate people towards was.

“I get how that worked, yeah,” you acknowledge, and you have to sigh at the next bit. “And I've long since accepted my son's various... intricacies. But Gin, please remember that while I understand your reasoning and your goals, my subordinates are my personal responsibility. And that those who endanger the lives of those to whom I am responsible are my enemies.”

You glare sternly at your son, admonishing him for what may be the first time not as a mother raising a child but as a Captain correcting the transgressions of a peer. “Do I make myself clear, Gin?”

Gin's brow furrows. You don't get the impression that he disapproves or disagrees, but instead you feel like the rebuke must have genuinely stung. Good, maybe the message will stick. “Crystal, mother.”
>2/3

>>704346
>“Well for starters I told Byakuya where to find his sister.”
>Gin helping since the beginning of the strawberry raid.
oh Gin, you best son.

>>704366
Gin's keikaku is pretty strong.

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>>704366
You throw one arm around your taller son's side, butting the side of your head against his chest. “Good, then don't ever make me have to talk to you like that again, boy.”

“I'll try.”

Again, you hear a cough: this time from Yoruichi. As you glance at her she gestures silently towards BG9's head, then at the fallen body of the Question. Bambietta prods gently at the latter with a stick, as if testing to see if she's just faking her unconsciousness. Thankfully the wounds in her neck haven't been bleeding much... you did good work on that one, and avoided hitting anything that'd lead to fatal blood loss. That being said it would be best to get back to dealing with that situation sooner rather than later.

“Well then,” you offer, pulling away from Gin. “Bambi, you need help incinerating the corpses?”

“Whoa there!” Ichigo interrupts loudly. “That's getting a little too serial-killery for my comfort!”

“Most Japanese families cremate their dead,” an exhausted-sounding Arisawa observes as Asano helps her walk over to join the conversation, her arm thrown over his shoulders. “I see no problem with it.”

“Yeah, but after doing the killin' first?” Ichigo retorts. “That's not fuckin' normal!”

“Language,” Masaki sighs.

“There's a quincy whose special power is making zombies from the recently dead,” Bambietta explains. “So it's the only decent thing to do, destroying the bodies... though I also want to give them a proper burial if I can. They were my comrades once.”

“I know of a cemetery across the Onose river,” Masaki informs her fellow quincy. “It's at a shrine in the hills, the handful of quincy families living around Tokyo have used it for more than a century.”

You notice an uncharacteristically solemn look come over your wife's face, and she notices that you've noticed.

>That's the one where you buried me, correct?
>It's fine. You don't need to be concerned about my reaction.
>I should stay here, it might get uncomfortable otherwise.
>Other?

>>704388
>It's fine. You don't need to be concerned about my reaction.

>>704388
>It's fine. You don't need to be concerned about my reaction.

Neat. It's not often you get to look at your own grave.

>>704388
>Rosa, are you comfortable with seeing where "we" died when we were alive?

>>704388
I'll go with this >>704405

>>704388
>It's fine. You don't need to be concerned about my reaction.

>>704388
>>704405
>Rosa, are you comfortable with seeing where "we" died when we were alive?

>writing

>>704388
It's fine. The first 20 years of our life were important to us, but why would we dwell on them in comparison to the 200 years we've lived since? It would be like holding a lifelong grudge for someone giving you a black eye in a kindergarten scuffle. Besides, my subordinates survived that fight, and that's far more important than something as trivial as me dying.

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>>704456
“It's not gonna be a problem for me,” you insist quietly, mostly answering Yoruichi's unspoken question. “I mean, what kinda shinigami would I be if a grave threw me off my game? I'd be the laughing stock of the Seireitei!”

Yoruichi's eyes close, and she sighs. “So you knew. Probably from when you were my Lieutenant?”

“That's right. I always figured you had your reasons for keeping it quiet and treading lightly, never bothered to pry.”

“And I figured you had your reasons for never asking... really, all I did was keep it clean once a year. Least I could do.”

Ichigo looks confused. First he glances at you, then at your wife, then at you, then... at nothing in particular. “I'm sorry, what the hell are we talking about?”

“My body is buried in that cemetery,” you explain, rapping your knuckles against the side of your head. “Hey Rosa, you okay with this?”

The mental answer comes immediately. “Do whatever suits you.”

“Okay, touchy subject.” You shrug at your companions. “Honestly, so far as I'm concerned I'm still alive anyway. The corpse that was buried there has little to do with me as I am now.”

“Wait, but you're dead,” Masaki observes, trying to puzzle out the more complicated thoughts behind your words. “So, how?”

“I was technically never alive by that definition,” Yoruichi observes, cocking her head at your sister-in-law. “Born and raised in the Seireitei through good old-fashioned sexual reproduction.”

“How?” Masaki repeats, even more confused than before.

Yoruichi grins smugly. “Well, when a male ghost and a female ghost love each other very much...”

“Riku always told me a ghost stork was involved,” Rangiku shrugs nonchalantly.

“That's because I'm an asshole,” you explain, throwing your hands up in frustration. “Look, I'm not gonna get into the mechanics of how souls get recycled, because I honestly don't sweat the details. But not only is there probably not even enough left of my old body to qualify as a 'corpse' after two centuries in the acid bath that is Japanese soil, I really don't even think of it as being me that's in there.”

“So let's just get this show moving,” you conclude before setting fire to Nianzol's corpse.

“I'll excuse myself,” Masaki bows gently. “Seems you know where you're going, and I'm sure I'll be needed at the clinic tonight. Big bursts of reiatsu tend to mean a lot of sudden minor cases from borderline spirit-sensitives... and I'd look weird carrying an invisible bag of ashes.”
>1/2

>>704466
I know I never made friends with Zachary after he took one of the pegs on my bike and chipped my tooth with it. And If I ever see that little shit again I'm going to return the favor tenfold.

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>>704485
With a loud cry, however, there's a... disruption.

“Baaaad SPIRIIIIIIITS!”

The foot of one Don Kanonji collides with the side of Yoruichi's head, and although your wife's head doesn't so much as budge the medium's boot does manage to leave a muddy print on her cheek. Watching the progression is a beautiful experience as Yoruichi's eyes narrow, suggesting she just realized that Kanonji attacked her intentionally rather than just being a total spaz, then her brow furrows as she realizes that he's left behind mud on her face.

“Hey Riku,” she growls, “I'm considering doing something I swore not to do again. Mind turning the other way for a second?”

“No,” you sigh, pinching your nose. “I have a better use for this moron. Kanonji?”

“Oh!” he exclaims rather sheepishly. “I remember you! You were that shinigami, right? From back at the hospital!”

“I am. And I have a job for you.”

Ten minutes later you're on your way, having secured two big black trash bags from a local convenience store. Kanonji is sweating bullets, carrying the mortal remains of the two dead quincy and looking for all the world like a random onlooker pressed into service covering up a mafia hit.

“I swear, Captain! I'm not gonna rat you out or anything, please don't ice me!”

“These are what you'd call 'bad spirits', Kanonji,” you grin. “In the Seireitei we play for keeps, you get me?”

“I get you! I get you!”

“You're right!” Yoruichi smirks playfully, any anger she actually harbored towards the man long forgotten. “This is way more fun!”

“We there yet?” Bambietta asks.

Yoruichi nods. “Almost. It's just up this hill.”

At the top of the hill is a small shrine, clearly quite old and forgotten: there are many like it in Japan, tended to by the few locals who even know of their existence with funding set aside by a priest at some far-off grand shrine who's never been there in person. But this one is special. Beside it is a clearing in the trees with rows of stones, some of which bear the sign of the quincy cross, and others that are totally unmarked.

“You'd almost think it was a Christian cemetery,” Rangiku bends down and observes one of the marks more closely. “Uses some very similar iconography.”

With a little ball of kidō to serve as a lantern at her fingertips, Yoruichi guides you to the back of the cemetery where the graves are obviously older. Under an old cherry tree, and covered with yellow daffodils, is... you.
>2/3

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>>704566
Oh god not you

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>>704566
“Nice touch,” you nod approvingly, noting the symbolism there. “And such a romantic location, too. I take it there wasn't a shrine here before?”

“That's right,” Yoruichi confirms. “The original went up some years after Rosa's death.”

>Well, Kanonji, time to dig the holes. And no, neither of them is for you, so calm down.
>Someone should say a few words. And by someone I mean Bambietta.
>You know, I don't think I ever had a proper funeral.
>Is there anyone else here I'd know? Just out of curiosity?

>>704566
Dammit Don. We warned you, but you ignored the warnings. You dug your own grave boy.

>>704594

>Well, Kanonji, time to dig the holes. And no, neither of them is for you, so calm down.
>Someone should say a few words. And by someone I mean Bambietta.
>Is there anyone else here I'd know? Just out of curiosity?

>>704594
>>Well, Kanonji, time to dig the holes. And no, neither of them is for you, so calm down.
>>Someone should say a few words. And by someone I mean Bambietta.

>>704594
>Is there anyone else here I'd know? Just out of curiosity?

>>704594
>Is there anyone else here I'd know? Just out of curiosity?
>were my parents buried here?

>>704594
>Well, Kanonji, time to dig the holes. And no, neither of them is for you, so calm down.
>Someone should say a few words. And by someone I mean Bambietta.

She's the only one who knew and presumably remembers them before they went whacko

Gonna have to take a (hopefully) short break as there's a problem with my hot water heater.

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>>704623
NOOO!!! NOT THE HOT WATER!

>>704594
>Someone should say a few words. And by someone I mean Bambietta.
It's a shame that the Wind seems like he could only be beaten by certain-kill attacks, because there wasn't really any plausible way to convince him to surrender. ...The Overkill can go fuck himself.

>>704594
Shit, I'm late.
>Is there anyone else here I'd know? Just out of curiosity?

>>704639
Electricity, hot water, and gas! What could go wrong!?

>>704691
The Curse!

>>704718
The curse has burned down entire apartments before

Be careful King

>>704739
Turns out it was a FAIRLY quick fix, just had to isolate the fault first. Turns out it wasn't potential property damage, but my bills would've been astro-fucking-nominal if I hadn't noticed it.
>writing

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>>704817

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>>704817
“Gin?” you inquire calmly. “I trust you brought the shovel?”

“Yes, ma'am!” he replies cheerfully, pitching the tool edge-first into the dirt where it sticks like a javelin. “Get to it, mister TV-medium!”

“Oh man,” Kanonji moans. “Oh man! This is total bad spirit stuff right here...”

“Don't worry about it,” you assure Kanonji, finally dropping the charade. “Just dig two shallow graves, and neither of 'em's going to be yours.”

“Then why were you leadin' me on!?” the human demands.

You wiggle your fingertips for emphasis. “Cause we're spirits, dipshit!”

“Oh, I get it... but wait, then how was he carryin' that shovel?”

“Less talking, more digging,” Bambietta insists.

“Someone should say something,” Rangiku muses quietly, watching Kanonji work. “I mean, we've come this far.”

“Bambi?” Yoruichi suggests.

Bambietta frowns at the casual use of her nickname. “Don't call me that. And if we're bein' honest I didn't even know them too well in the first place.”

“Better than we did,” you observe, waving your hands subtly at the first hole in the ground. “You can say something, right?”

The Sternritter sighs. “Neither Nianzol nor Driscoll were good people,” she begins. Not exactly a great place to start, you think. “Driscoll was a total fucking psychopath and Nianzol never made any damn sense even before we all went crazy. And to be honest, he creeped me out. None of us really ever talked to each other, and I know nothing about their personal lives because quite frankly I didn't give a shit at the time. But we were comrades nonetheless, and at the end of the day I still think we were all fighting for the same thing.”

“So maybe underneath all the bullshit there was once something meaningful to each of them. Maybe the people they once were deserved better, and maybe I could have done more to help them find their way again. But we'll never know that now. All we do know is that they gave us no real alternative but to take them down. I won't say we should mourn their deaths, but I do regret the lost opportunity.”
>1/2

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>>704884
“It does seem rather pathetic that they're being buried in black trash bags, out here in the woods,” Yoruichi muses, “not even a real ceremony. But that said, unlike Rosa's grave here, I don't feel any reason to come back. Not out of respect, and certainly not out of regret.”

“You told me once that there aren't always two sides to a situation,” you remind her solemnly.

Once the bodies have been properly disposed of, Bambietta marks each with a simple stone a piece. No names, nothing flashy, nothing to identify who they once were. You take a moment to look around at the rows of stone markers, many of which are very much overgrown, wondering how many of them are the final resting places who served under Rosa Rosette's command at some point. Some of them no doubt found their way back here to be buried next to the commander who gave her life for theirs.

“Anyone else I'd know here, you reckon?” you ask nobody in particular. “Maybe someone I should pay respects to?”

“I've seen Ryūken's wife out here once,” Yoruichi recalls. “Kanae, I think her name is?”

“Then the old man's probably out here too,” you realize. “Probably buried closer to the front, he only died a few years ago. Cirrhosis of the liver.”

>Try and find Sōken's grave?
>Leave it alone, get back to the Seireitei.
>Exhume the grave, just to be sure
>Other?

>>704945
>>Try and find Sōken's grave?

>>704945
>>Try and find Sōken's grave?
>>Other?
Ask Rosa if the reishi density in the area matches with that of having a Quincy that's been deceased for a few years.

>>704945
>Leave it alone, get back to the Seireitei.
We're good

>>704945
>Try and find Sōken's grave?

>>704945
>Exhume the grave, just to be sure
why is there an option to exhume it? Would that mean there's paranoia Riku senses?

>>705022
Because unlike Riku, he died fairly recently. HER body is outside Gigi's reach. The old man however...

>>705022
It usually is, but I don't wish to resort to it as a matter of paying respect to the Ishidas.

If the paranoia is that great and minor observations lead up to that conclusion, just have Ryuuken or Uryu themselves check up on it, so we don't infringe too much.

>writing

>>705035
How fresh does a body have to be for her to Zombie it?

I figure two years would probably be enough. A two year old corpse is mostly a sack of bones wrapped in leather.

Unless she actually can go full skeleton horde and just chose not to for some reason.

>>704945
>>704988
Final addition.

>Re-assure Bambietta that the Sternritters in our custody would get a chance so she doesn't have to regret any further lost opportunities.

>>705057
She only has to get there when it's still relatively complete, which could have happened soon after his death. In theory.

>>705057
Mayuri could, I dunno, make a soulless clone meatpuppet for Gigi to zombify. Rather convoluted I'd say.

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>>705056
“Well, at least the ones we've captured still have a chance,” you reassure Bambietta, “so it's not unsalvageable. Before we leave I'd like to visit an old acquaintance.”

You lead the group around more or less blindly in the dark, until you find one of the few recent-looking graves in this whole place. On it is a familiar name, belonging to a man you first met on Okinawa during the height of the invasion there: Ishida Sōken.

“Was he a good man?” Bambietta asks, staring down at the grave. Like your own, the Ishida grave is marked by flowers growing wild around it, no doubt Kanae's doing. “I only know that brat grandson of his looked up to him.”

You nod. “Without a doubt. His methods were a little bit backwards, but his heart was definitely in the right place. He'd be sickened if he saw what your fellow Sternritter had been reduced to.”

“That's not saying much.”

“Alright, I've seen enough,” you conclude. “It's about time we got going.”

“One last thing,” Yoruichi thinks aloud, stopping your party just as Rangiku draws her zanpakuto to open the Senkaimon. “What about Arisawa? She seemed like she could use some official training.”

You consider the point: she and Ichigo had gone back home with the others, having seen to it they felt protected after the clash this evening, and you're almost certain Tatsuki herself has turned in for the night. But she got beaten pretty badly, and will likely be stinging from a loss so soon after gaining shinigami powers. She may even be regretting the decision, wondering if it was worthwhile in light of the realization that she'll have to re-learn how to use her powers to some extent.

>You have a point, let's go get her.
>We'll take the prisoners back to the Seireitei, you go get her.
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.
>Other?

>>705141
>>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.
Well, Riku did make her go through that, so owning up to it seems fair.

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.
>Others: Mention to Masaki or the Ishidas about Gigi's abilities. Have them make sure that the graves of their deceased relatives haven't been exhumed. Then have them spread word about the danger.

Tatsuki can phase, right?

Can we grab her by her ankle, and then dnagle her through the ground to check up on Soken without exhuming him?

>>705141
>>We'll take the prisoners back to the Seireitei, you go get her.

>>705166
That sounds pretty horrifying, let's not.

>>705166
I give you points for creativity, but man, that's just so wrong on many different levels.

>>705165
Also, supporting this
>Others: Mention to Masaki or the Ishidas about Gigi's abilities. Have them make sure that the graves of their deceased relatives haven't been exhumed. Then have them spread word about the danger.

>>705166
that's some cruel and unusual training right there anon. Even by Riku's standards.

>>705175

Honestly, more black comedy to me. And it'd be better to find out now, and do so without digging him up, than later.

...And because I am immensely amused by the image. Like goddamn that's some surreal shit right there, how many other stories will you ever encounter where that's a thing you could do?

So... how's everyone doing?

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.

>>705166
Unorthodox and just about as rude as just digging up the grave. Many times I would say "Let's!", but now is not the time for such shenanigans.

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.
>Others: Mention to Masaki or the Ishidas about Gigi's abilities. Have them make sure that the graves of their deceased relatives haven't been exhumed. Then have them spread word about the danger.

>>705187
I'm fine. And patient. Been patient with your quest like Riku with her ghost life.

>>705141
>>We'll take the prisoners back to the Seireitei, you go get her.

>>705187
I'm grading a bunch of babies first HTML for my professor so fuck me

>>705195
...what does THAT mean?

>>705187
There may or may not be a storm that's about to hit an hour or two from now, but it's all good.

Also, anon suggested this >>705166 for your mental image pleasure.

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.
Might as well mention that the Sternritter have a necromancer on their side.

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.

>>705141
>I'll go. You keep an eye on the prisoner transfer.

Prep for inevitable ambush.

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>writan

>>705187
Excited, finally caught up in the archive and can now participate for the first time.

>>705243
SIT-REP QUIZ GO! I'M TESTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE SINCE YOU CLAIM TO HAVE BINGED THE ARCHIVES AND HAVE CAUGHT UP ON SSQ
>HOW MANY TAILS IS RIKU'S BANKAI CURRENTLY AT!?
>WHAT MAKES RIKU AND YORU DIFFERENT FROM THE VIZARDS IN THEIR HOLLOWFICATION PROCESS?
> WHAT IS THE QUEST'S MAGIC DICE NUMBER?
>WHAT IS THE RUNNING GAG WE HAD WITH THE LATE-YAMAMOTO?
>WHO HAS AIZEN'S COUCH?

>>705258
>7
>Sealed in a sword
>2
>Stolen sandals
>Best son

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>>705240
“I'll go, you just make sure the prisoners get there in the same number of pieces they're in at the moment,” you suggest. “I'll just go get Arisawa.”

“Got it,” Rangkiku nods, understanding that this means she's in charge of the transfer now. “I'll call you when it's all been sorted.”

“And Yoruichi? Please send the Kurosakis a message for me: that they should be aware of Gigi's abilities. Exhuming graves isn't my thing, but I have a bad feeling about that madwoman.”

Without a human in tow, you're able to reach your top speed and find Arisawa's home in mere minutes. The window is open, so you let yourself in through it and step quietly into her room. She doesn't seem to notice you at first, having evidently just fallen asleep, so you roll her covers back to expose her arm. Since she was fighting in her spirit body her physical one is still healthy, but her reiatsu is seriously depleted. Using kaidō casts a faint green glow over her face as you help solve that problem.

“What're you doin in my room?” she complains groggily, barely conscious. “Riku? The hell?”

“Doing you a favor,” you reply quietly. “Pop out of your physical body and I can heal your spirit body.”

“That's what's the worst off,” she agrees with a sigh. “Do it.”

You lift her up in bed and place a gikongan in her mouth, which lets her roll out of bed and onto the floor while her body remains sitting upright in bed.

“Claudia,” you order the replacement soul, “feign sleep for a normal amount of time. Since it's a weekend you can pretend to study. Avoid contact with anyone who might recognize a difference between you and Tatsuki here.”

Tatsuki's body bows politely. “Of course, ma'am.”

“Creepy. As. Shit.” Tatsuki observes. “My mom's working this weekend, so you should have no trouble. Just be sure to show up for dinner, and be polite.”

“Understood, young woman,” Claudia replies calmly before lying down.

After getting Tatsuki to sit still you carefully heal Tatsuki's remaining wounds. It takes several long minutes of careful work, but you manage the feat easily enough as none of the wounds on their own are life-threatening. “There we go. Good enough for what I've got in mind.”

“And what do you have in mind?”

>I'm taking you back to the Seireitei to train with your zanpakuto. Get you caught up.
>I'm taking you back to the Seireitei to be trained by someone better at training people.
>I'll train you here in Karakura town, there are a few places to do so in secret.
>Other?

>>705258

Aizen is always the answer.

>>705307
>>I'm taking you back to the Seireitei to train with your zanpakuto. Get you caught up.

>>705307

> Sereitei training with kisuke

>>705307
>I'm taking you back to the Seireitei to train with your zanpakuto. Get you caught up.

>>705307
>I'm sending you to Oetsu for Royal Guard Boot Camp. The God of Swords knows the best about your zampakuto.
>>705335
our backyard scientist has his hands full.

>>705307
>I'm taking you back to the Seireitei to train with your zanpakuto. Get you caught up.

>>705307
>>I'll train you here in Karakura town, there are a few places to do so in secret.

>>705307
>>I'll train you here in Karakura town, there are a few places to do so in secret.
Get one of the Vizards for Tats' zanpakuto training. They should be able to provide that much at least.

>>Other?
Also need to drop some pointers to said people on how not to suck with Hollowification.

>Writing: COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO NOT SUCK
Also, roll me a single d10. Taking the second result only.

>>705307
>I'll train you here in Karakura town, there are a few places to do so in secret.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>705411

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>705411
C'mon, Nel

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>705411

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>>705421

>>705411
SHIT
>>705421
SHIT

>>705421
>Gin
Welp. RIP Tats.

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>>705421
Okay.

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>>705442
“Well, no sense hanging around,” you sigh, standing up with a groan. Feels good after having crouched over your patient for god only knows how long. “Let's get out of here. Sleep tight, Tatsuki's body.”

“Could you not?” Tatsuki frowns.

“Never,” you reply, opening the garganta and waving in. “After you.”

You keep your speed relatively low to allow Tatsuki to keep pace comfortably, and make a mental note to work on her shunpō. In this form she should be easily capable...

… and your train of thought derails as you duck under the blade of a sword, almost purely on instinct.

“What quick reflexes!” your masked assailant commends you. “Truly befitting a Captain.”

“And you are?” you growl, drawing Tenkotsuki in a single, fluid motion and sweeping the arrancar's blade away.

“Arrancar number sixty-one, Rudbornn Chelute. I come here as fraccìon to the Tercera Espada, Lord Ulquirra Schiffer, with a proposal.”

“You have my interest,” you admit sternly. “You have ten seconds to convince me not to kill you right here, starting now.”

“Lord Ulquiorra would like to arrange a meeting on neutral ground between you and the Primera Espada, to discuss terms regarding the coming battles.”

“Is this guy for real?” Tatsuki asks, completely shocked at what she's hearing.

The arrancar, whose face is totally hidden behind an animalistic mask like some kind of strange horse's skull, chuckles. “Oh, I can assure you I am quite real. And more to the point, my offer is sincere. Would I have come here alone to meet with a Captain were that not the case?”

>Tell your master to fuck off, I don't want to talk to him or any of Aizen's little servants right now.
>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.
>Tatsuki, you're not far from the end, I'll even extend the path for you. I'll be along in a few minutes.
>Kill him.
>Other?

>>705514
>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.

>>705514
>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.

>>705514
>Tercera Espada, Lord Ulquirra Schiffer
So Sad clown is number 3 instead of 4? huh.
>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.
>May I ask you a question, if the meeting place was to be held at Silbern, how can I get there?
>that mis-formated option.
DRINK QUEEN

>>705514
>>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.

>>705514
>Tell your master to fuck off, I don't want to talk to him or any of Aizen's little servants right now.
Makes me think this is just a wool being pulled on us so Aizen can search for Mimihagi on the sidelines.

>>705514
>Send a message to the Primera: if he wants to talk business he can meet me on my terms as a show of sincerity.

>>705514
>Other?
Was it only Lord Ulquirra who made the proposal?

>writing

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>>705605
“There's no such thing as neutral ground,” you retort sharply, “only a position you choose and a position you don't. If anyone on your side is actually sincere about opening a line of dialogue you'll send them over on my terms, since I'm the only one involved who's shown any interest in observing the tradition of parlay.”

“Parlay?” Tatsuki asks.

“An old French word. Basically I don't try and take advantage of an enemy who just wants to talk. An old value, maybe even outdated, but it's the kind of civility I'd appreciate if the positions were flipped.”

“You would pass up such an opportunity?” Rudbornn asks skeptically, as if comparing your response to some mental database of your characteristics. “Such a dialogue may be in the best interests of your precious subordinates.”

“I refuse,” you reiterate more clearly. “I do not expect that Aizen's forces would pass up an opportunity to corner me alone. Tell Ulquiorra that if he wants to prove otherwise he'll have to do better than this to do it.”

The arrancar scoffs loudly. “Lord Aizen was correct, it seems. You shinigami truly are blind to the truth.”

“Even blind, I'd gladly take the head of a coward like your precious 'Lord' Aizen. You can tell him I said that.”

“You'll regret saying that,” Rudbornn sneers, easily discernible as such from the pure venom in his tone.

“Not likely. Now fuck off.”

The arrancar spins on his heel and marches off in frustration, creating his own reishi pathway as he goes. You half consider tailing him to figure out how it was he found you like this, but with Tatsuki along that seems less like a smart idea. Instead you continue on to the Seireitei, emerging on the grounds of the Ninth Division.

“You can sleep in my guest room,” you tell your new student. “We'll begin training at sunrise and continue till I tell you to stop, so get a good rest. You'll need it.”

“Thanks, Riku,” Tatsuki bows. “Or should that be Kusajishi-sensei?”

“Sensei would be fine,” you nod, testing the word as you say it and liking how it sounds.
>1/2

>>705514
Sadbat got a promotion? I'm happy for him.

Though that means Aizen is being less silly with number assignments, which probably means Uno and Dos have Segunda.

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>>705706
You remain awake late into the night, pondering the situation over a cup of lukewarm tea. Your Commandos are recovering well enough, and Rangiku has informed you that the prisoner transfer went without incident. You did however hear that BG9's first few words caused quite a spectacular commotion, which you're kind of sorry you missed.

So deep in thought are you that you almost fail to notice two new presences in your office.

Spinning, you find that a familiar woman has seated herself on the floor next to an unfamiliar young man with blonde hair. Your fingertips instinctively find the hilt of your sword.

“What are you doing here, Neliel!?” you demand loudly even as the garganta behind the pair of arrancar snaps shut.

She frowns deeply, glancing at the floor. “Believe me, I'd rather be anywhere else. But orders are orders.”

“And who's the kid with the dumb grin?” you demand. “Another one of the Privaron espada?”

The boy looks up at you with an almost vacant stare. “Wonderweiss.... Wonderweiss Margela.”

“Primera Espada.”

>Greet them coldly, tell them to get on with it.
>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.
>Repeat your question: why is Neliel here too?
>Other?

>>705751
>>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.

>>705751
>Repeat your question: why is Neliel here too?

>>705751

Waaaaaaaaaat da fuuuuuuuuuuuuuq

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>>705767
Told you Yamamoto's premature death would have repercussions.

>>705751
>So blondie is "Primera" material?
>>705772
FUCK. THAT MEANS WONDERWEISS IS TAILORED TO COUNTER RIKU EXCLUSIVELY!

>>705751
>>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.

>>705751
Jesus christ, they made Wonderweiss an espada?

Is Nel his handler or something? I hardly expect him to do any negotiating himself.

>>705751
>>705772
This... is certainly an interesting development.
>And what are the two of you doing here, might I ask?

>>705751
>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.

>>705751
>>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.

>>705751
So he counters Tenko, big deal, we can kill him with kido or rosa.

>>705837
You don't understand. He steals bankai and seals it away within himself. He can literally take away godhood.

>>705751
>Express some appreciation that they came here personally.

>>705845
Oh gee it's almost as if we can use Kido, stealth shenanigans and fucking speed to avoid the literal retard.

>>705845
You do realize Yamamoto STILL wrecked the retard in canon sans his flames right? Having ONE power outta multitude sealed doesn't mean we can't kill him either.

Guys, I'm pretty sure he's not just a gimmick in this canon since he made PRIMERA FUCKING ESPADA

>>705893
you do realize what the espada may be doing is midnight assassination/bankai theft right? And Neliel is just being the attendant/retainer for the autistic PRIMERA ESPADA. Probably Number 4, 2 or 1.

>>705909
>the retard
>assassinating ANYONE
I think ya might be over-estimating his intelligence m8.
It's not a matter of power, because that's worrying, it's a matter of why you believe he has the mental wherewithall to actually attempt something like assassination.

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>>705751
“While I do appreciate that the Primera came here personally after all,” you admit, hand still lingering on your sword's hilt, “I must also admit I'm a bit surprised. What are the two of you here to discuss?”

The Primera looks awkwardly at Neliel, whose frown deepens into a scowl, and then he looks back at you. “She's not here to discuss anything. She got... demoted.”

“Demoted?” you ask.

“Demoted. For losing to you.”

“I was stripped of rank,” Neliel tells you, her voice full of bitterness as she continues to refuse direct eye contact. “I lost Pesche and Dondachakka as well, they were reassigned to my self-styled rival in the Espada. He beats them regularly, for no reason at all other than the fact that they're my friends.”

“She's a Primera. She doesn't get to have an opinion anymore,” Wonderweiss continues, his eyes still disturbingly unfocused. “But that's not why we're here. We're here to bring you a message from Lord Aizen.”

At the mention of the name, Neliel grimaces. It's hard to tell who she hates more passionately at the moment, you or him. Probably him, but only by a narrow margin.

“Go on.”

“The message...” Wonderweiss frowns.

“His army is ready for combat now,” Neliel continues slowly, as if prompting the Primera into remembering.

“That's right,” Wonderweiss nods, as if having suddenly recalled some unimportant piece of trivia. “Now that the undesirables are gone we can attack at any time, at full strength. Lord Aizen says he plans to crush you shinigami with an overwhelming power.”

“This isn't a parlay,” you observe quietly. “Really, it just comes off as saber-rattling. If he's ready, why doesn't he just attack?”

“He has an offer,” Wonderweiss continues. “Become our prisoner, and he'll do his best to ensure that as many shinigami survive as possible! He'll even guarantee that three will definitely survive, and you can name which ones you want!”

The look on Neliel's face shifts somewhat, betraying obvious discomfort. Perhaps she wasn't told the full content of the message? Either way, she seems almost... offended.

>Get our of my office before I redecorate it with your entrails.
>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?
>I'll consider it (lie)
>No words. Just kill.
>Other?

>>705929
>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?
"Honestly, I consider it a pity that I didn't find you when I was looking for hollows with a shred of decency back in the day."

>>705929
>>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?

>>705929
>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?

>>705929
>Neliel, the three Privaron Espada you entrusted me into your care are still alive and safe.
>So Wonderweiss, what's your number amongst the Primera?
>I'll consider it (lie)

>>705929
>>No words. Just kill.
Murder him

>>705968
>what's your number amongst the Primera
He's #1, anon. Literally THE Primera, not one of the Privaron. Of the three Privaron remaining however one is now #101.

>>705929
>I'll consider it (lie)

>>705929
>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?

Okay, so Wonderweiss isn't QUITE as retarded as he was in canon, but he still seems a little scatterbrained. Nel is here as a secretary to keep him on the right mental track, I guess, and man does her situation suck right now, but given Pesche and Dondachakka are basically hostages there's not a whole lot we can do about that.

Unless we or a close ally were to do something completely insane like sneaking into Las Noches to rescue them or something?

>>705929
>Get our of my office before I redecorate it with your entrails.

>>705929
>>Neliel, why do you keep working for these assholes?

>>705929
could we ask why wonderweiss is working for aizen?

>3d10 for righteous anger, best of three

>>705772
So you're saying that Yamamoto's death IMMEDIATELY TRIGGERED ENDGAME? Well FUCKING GODDAMN SHIT MOTHERFUCKERING BITCHASS BASTARD.

Rolled 2, 9, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>706066

Rolled 9, 6, 8 = 23 (3d10)

>>706066

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Rolled 9, 2, 4 = 15 (3d10)

>>706066

Rolled 6, 1, 5 = 12 (3d10)

>>706066

>>706075
Could we FINALLY make a crit success?

>>706083
DC is hidden anon. Righteous anger against The Primera espada is a high DC. And in the dead of night. GOD I WISH WE HAD A NAT 30 RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

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>>706066
“So your offer,” you snarl, physically shaking with barely controlled rage, “is to spare the lives of the people who I love in exchange for betraying all of the values and goals we share? To betray everyone I know? Because that's sure as hell what it sounds like you're suggesting.”

“It's the best deal you can expect,” the Primera responds casually.

“Then here's the best deal you can expect!” you roar, rising to your feet and drawing Tenkotsuki from her sheath. Rosa doesn't even need to be prompted to release, you're furious enough that she does it on her own. You can feel pure, overwhelming rage frothing over, not just something you feel burning in your heart but actually a palpable force outside your body. Neliel stares at you in shock, while Wonderweiss' face remains totally impassive. Like a blank slate incapable of showing fear or surprise.

“Get out of my office, you scum-sucking piece of shit!” you shout, the force of your voice shattering windows and shaking your home to its very foundation. “Get out now before I redecorate this whole fucking compound with your blood! And tell that fuckface you call 'Master' that the only way he'll lay a finger on my friends, family, or subordinates is over my cold dead corpse and the corpses of his whole fucking army, because THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE!”

After a moment of silence, the effects of your own voice still ringing loud in your ears, the Primera stands. “Then I look forward to our fight, Captain.”

“Soon.”

With that pronouncement he opens a garganta and steps through it, gesturing for Neliel to follow. You raise one hand as she stands, however.

“You wait here,” you command. “I'm not done with you yet.”

“Whatever,” Wonderweiss shrugs as Neliel sits awkwardly where she's been doing so this whole time. “She knows what happens if she doesn't come back.”

With that, the Primera makes his exit.

“Why are you fighting for these assholes?”

Neliel stares at you angrily. “You heard what he said. Pesche and Dondachakka...”

“Served you well, I take it,” you interrupt. “They were loyal to you. But you have to consider what they would rather see: you continuing to fight for the ideals that won them over, or caving to Aizen over threats to their lives.”

>If I betrayed those who supported me by accepting Aizen's offer, I could never look them in the eye.
>You're a leader who's never lost a subordinate. But it happens. You accept it and do better next time.
>You failed them once by allowing Aizen to transfer them. Don't fail them again, Neliel.
>Other?

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>>706075
dc 8 is pretty good. But it might not be enough. Still its time to get fucking angry, not the shouty kind of angry but the kind of angry where you become numb to everything and warm fury gives way to cold hatred.

>>706153
>You failed them once by allowing Aizen to transfer them. Don't fail them again, Neliel

>>706153
>>You failed them once by allowing Aizen to transfer them. Don't fail them again, Neliel.

>>706157
Shouty anger was more appropriate here, I thought. The offer itself was a grave insult, and holding Pesche and Dondachakka as hostages was the lowest sort of cruelty. Riku has every right to be disgusted and outraged.

>>706153
>If I betrayed those who supported me by accepting Aizen's offer, I could never look them in the eye.

Hostage situations suck. I don't think Nel is the sort of person who is capable of making that kind of sacrifice, even if it's what they would want her to do.

Still, I've been surprised before.

>>706153
>>You failed them once by allowing Aizen to transfer them. Don't fail them again, Neliel.

>>706153
>And what of the Privarion Espada that you entrusted me into my care? They're still alive and safe from the abuse Pesche and Dondachakka now suffer from! And yet you still let Aizen do as he wishes to you and your subordinates!
>You failed them once by allowing Aizen to transfer them. Don't fail them again, Neliel.

>since I went missing for 40 minutes I'll go a bit longer than usual today to compensate
Also, I feel like things have been gradually slowing down since the move from /qst/. Is this the new norm, or is there something about the way I'm telling the story that's losing people's interest, or what?

>>706231
/qst/ is just fucking slow man

>>706204
Way I see it both would have worked well. still it is satisfying to just tell them to fuck off and eat a dick.

>If I betrayed those who supported me by accepting Aizen's offer, I could never look them in the eye.

>>706231
/qst/ is slow as fuck, always hss been.

>>706231
The story is still great no worries there Queen

>>706231
It's probably placebo effect in action.

>>706231
It could be because its October, in school and university life October-November tends to be a busy time of year... Also /qst/ is just slower.

>>706153
>You're a leader who's never lost a subordinate. But it happens. You accept it and do better next time.

>>706153
>If I betrayed those who supported me by accepting Aizen's offer, I could never look them in the eye.

alternatively
>Here's a pro tip, Aizen doesn't actually give a shit about how loyal you are because he's arrogant enough to think that he can survive any double-cross. All that matters to him is how effective someone is. If you storm back there and kill whoever is in charge of your subordinates, odds are good Aizen will give you your job back because that's the kind of asshole he is.

I mean, he gave Grimmjow his job back the second he killed Luppi, so I don't think Aizen cares.

>writing
Any write-in phrasing that makes it before I'm done writing will be considered

>>706231
quest threads are more of a weekly/bi-weekly thing in a sense.
having a board solely for quest threads won't Guarantee high activity so /qst/ is slow as a result. Also, SSQ is getting into the lategame (now with the timetable shifted up a GREAT DEAL because a certain someone DIED)

>>706153
>Think about this: If Pesche and Dondachakka were both in your position and you were the one held hostage, and knowing Aizen's personality, what would THEY have done?

>>706251
I do support this argument that Aizen will just kill her once she is no longer useful to him. Both her and her subordinates.

>>706269
That would probably backfire

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>>706255
“You failed them once already when you allowed Aizen to use them as hostages,” you tell Neliel, and you can immediately see that the words sting as she hears them. “What you do next is your choice and yours alone, but I sincerely hope you choose not to fail them a second time.”

“What would you have done?” she asks morosely, staring resolutely away from you. “In my place?”

“I'd have protected them or died fighting,” you tell her, without any hesitation. “The wife I married, the children I raised, the family that adopted me, the allies and subordinates who support me... they would all do the same for me.”

“And would they sacrifice your life for their goals? Are your bonds so weak?”

You shake your head dismissively. “It's because of how strong our bonds are that they know I wouldn't hold it against them. So while they might pursue every other option first, yes. They would probably trade my life to achieve what we're all prepared to give our own lives for.”

“That's sick.”

“That's what being a shinigami is about,” you inform her. “We expect to some day give our lives to defeat an evil worth giving everything to defeat. Far better than being so servile as to follow a master who would gladly kill you as soon as you've lost your purpose to him.”

You watch as your words swirl through Neliel's mind, and tears come to her eyes. She may want nothing more than to protect her two subordinates... she really does have a soft heart, in a lot of ways. But a leader can't afford to have such a soft heart as to prevent her from making difficult decisions. If there's some goal in her mind more important than the life of any one hollow, she'll either have to find the strength of conviction to sacrifice her subordinates or choose to abandon that goal to protect them.

“It's your choice,” you repeat, “and yours alone. I honestly wish I could help you... I wish I'd found you before Aizen did, like I did Halibel and Starrk.”

“But you can!” she insists quietly, staring up at you with tears still in her eyes. “We can rescue Pesche and Dondachakka! I could never do it on my own, but I'm sure someone like you...”

>I may be able to arrange that.
>And sneak into enemy territory? You can't possibly place that on my shoulders.
>Do it yourself. It was your mistake that got them there.
>No. Sacrifice them for the right cause, or ignore it all to protect them. It's your responsibility.
>Other?

>>706392
>>And sneak into enemy territory? You can't possibly place that on my shoulders.
>The whole reason Aizen sent you and boy wonder over there was to piss me off, he's not nearly so blind as to think I'd take him up on that offer. No he wanted me to hear what he had done, and arrange for a mission into his territory, where he is strongest, so he could corner and kill me. He expects me to come to be so blinded by emotion to forget he has eyes here thanks to Mayuri.

>>706392
>>706426
supporting

>>706392
>Other: Send a message to all divisions and call a captain's meeting.
>Get some tea or some sort of refreshments to calm Neliel down. Hug her if need be.
Poor Nel. I wanna hug goat girl.
>Neliel, what I want you to do is to take deep breaths, and calm down. Being this emotional won't save Pesche and Dondachakka and rushing headlong into the fight blind to any sense of logic. There WILL be an opportunity to rescue them. But not now. Not by playing into Aizen's hands.

>>706426
>>706392
This. Also, tell her how many men have died so far on our division, and start listing their names

>>706392
>I may be able to arrange that.

Man I really don't know, offering to sneak into Silbern to smuggle the clowns out sorta invalidates the point we just made, but on the other hand, Nel isn't a bad person and she's kind of been fucked over in this timeline, arguably harder than she ever was in true canon.

I want to help her, but sneaking into Silbern after they have literally just declared war is insane.

I'm just gonna go with my heart on this one and say that it might just be crazy enough to work and then deeply regret it in hindsight when everything goes wrong

>>706392
>>706426
Yeah that sounds pretty good.

>>706426
Actually, on second thoughts, this makes more sense.

>>706392
>Other?
The fact that Aizen sent her here means that's exactly what he's hoping we'll do. Unless she knows something Aizen doesn't have a chance of predicting, which is nigh-impossible, Riku attempting an infiltration mission would be one of the dumbest things she could do. Especially with his several powerhouse anti-espionage subordinates.

The answer is no.

>>706426
Yeah, sorry it is too late to send a rescue operation now, not when war has been declared...

inbf Aizen isnt ready, he was just sable rattling.

>>706512
I doubt Aizen is sabre rattling. All those previous invasions were both the scouting force in attempt to probe our defenses and is also a way of him cleaning house so he'll have a more organized and efficient army for his "ethnic cleansing" because he's that much of an asshole.

>>706392
Seconding both of these>>706426
>>706476

>3d10, DC 7 to convince her

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>>706574
I was not being serious dood. :)

Rolled 6, 1, 10 = 17 (3d10)

>>706594

Rolled 2, 8, 7 = 17 (3d10)

>>706594
SATAN

Rolled 4, 6, 6 = 16 (3d10)

>>706594

>>706602
Nailed it

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>>706602
Good job anon! That was close!

Have a best shark job searching and drinking coffee.

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>>706659
I don't need sharks when I have our one true lord and savior!

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>>706668
Pic related?
>writing

>>706695
Joke from south-park, cutesy Disney animals who runs a satanical cult. Blood orgies and all.

>>706695
“I can't.”

“Why won't you?” she demands. “Have I slighted you somehow? You were willing to help Bambieta of all people, but you won't help me save my friends?”

You frown. It honestly hurts you to have to say this. “The whole reason Aizen sent you here was to try and bait this sort of response. He wants me to try and do something reckless, to weaken the Seireitei before his own invasion. That's why despite wanting to help, I really can't. Too much is riding on what I do, and it's too late now for ill-conceived rescue missions.”

“I can offer you some protection of course, and I can let you in on our planning sessions, but...”

“What's going on?” Tatsuki demands, clearly exhausted and half-awake. “Why were you screaming?”

“Someone annoying showed up,” you tell her. “But I handled it. Go back to sleep.”

“Like I was saying there's a limit to what I can actually do for you. I can't work actual miracles, but I'll do what I can.”

Neliel's tears fall freely as she seems to make a decision, her voice straining to even give words to her regrets in so low a voice. “I'm sorry Pesche, Dondachakka. Just... try to hang on a little longer, okay?”

You offer the poor arrancar an awkward hug, which she returns with an almost pathetic desperation. “Don't cry over it, don't let it weaken you. Focus only on what you're going to do to help make sure this decision wasn't for nothing.”

With your one free hand you search through your desk drawer for a small bottle, within which are powerful sleeping aids furnished by Yoruichi. She knows that sometimes you have trouble without them, the stress of work and a long-running secret war weighing heavily and ceaselessly on your mind. Two pills tumble out onto the desk.

“These will help you sleep,” you tell her. “For security purposes I'll have to handcuff you as well, but it's only for tonight. We'll sort out the details tomorrow, so until then there are spare cushions in the closet. You can sleep on those.”

The arrancar silently swallows the pills dry, and after you cuff her she lies down on the cushions and slowly loses consciousness.

>Dice+3d10, taking second roll only

>>706695
I was referring to Tim Curry, actually.

Rolled 3, 9, 9 = 21 (3d10)

>>706733
why.

Rolled 4, 9, 8 = 21 (3d10)

>>706733

>>706745
That's not bad, anon!

>>706745
>>706744
BRUH, POSTED AT THE SAME TIME AT THE EXACT SAME SECOND! WHICH ROLL COUNTS AS THE SECOND ROLL I WONDER?!

>>706761
The second one.

>>706733
And that's when our wife walked in to see another woman in our bed.

"Aww, it's not even my birthday Riku!"

>>706744
>>706745
Hold on, I thought rolls were connected to the time it was posted?

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>>706733
pic related to how Nel looks in this moment?

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>>706733
For a while, you watch her sleep. You really do regret not having found her first... it really makes you wonder what might have been, had you not brought Starrk and Halibel and the Tres into the fold the way you did. Had things been different they might be in just as bad a position as Neliel is, having been forced to knowingly abandon her only friends to an uncertain fate to pursue some greater goal she's been too distraught to explain. Though perhaps this way won't be to anyone's advantage by the end, depending on how things go. It's really just not useful to think about things that way.

You almost don't notice yet another intruder.

“Who is it this time?” you sigh in exasperation. “What are you supposed to be?”

The woman who stands before you has pale, blonde hair in a ponytail folded close to her head, with eyes a deep and almost uniform shade of purple. And you can tell, that as weak as she may be...

“She possesses shinreiryoku,” Tenkotsuki confirms.

"Have I come at a bad time?" the strange woman asks. "If so I can come back later... who is your strange guest?"

>Who are you?
>What are you?
>What do you want?
>Leave, I don't have time for this.
>Other?

>>706836
>Who are you?

>>706807
Not dead enough inside.

>>706836
>Who are you?
>What do you want?

>>706836
>>Who are you?
>What do you want?

>Another defectee from Aizen's army. Still beating herself up about it.

>>706836
>who is your strange guest?
"...You?"
>Who are you?

>>706836
>false smile
>No no- you've come at a wonderful time! *sarcasm* a time where all the shit gets flung at me at high speeds so I can sort them out immediately afterwards with a sword through the gut as I'm nearing the end of my patience!
>In all honesty, who are you. You certainly seem like one of Aizen's cohorts. Yet you wear a Sternritter outfit.
>I should kill you yet, you possess shinreiryoku, and if you were affiliated with Aizen, then it would be strange for him to not have stolen your shinreiryoku by now.

>>706851
Wow, please don't bully.

>>706836
>Who are you?
>What do you want?

>>706836
>>>Who are you?

>>706873
She's not wearing that outfit. Don't take that reference image so literally.

>>706836
And the grandmaster finally makes his move

>>706836
>>please tell me you brought alcohol.

>>706836
>Who are you?

>>706836
>>Who are you?
>>What are you?
>>What do you want?

>>706836
>Who are you?
>What do you want?

Jesus christ is the entire afterlife gonna come visit Riku. Sleep is very important for wartime strategic thinking.

King is sleepy and has fallen asleep at the wheel.

>>706836
“Who are you?” you ask again, honestly unsure of yourself. “You're the weirdest guest I have here right now.”

The woman with the purple eyes gets on her knees, bowing low until her forehead touches the ground and remaining that way for several seconds. In doing so, you notice for the first time the pack slung across her back: like that common to the Fourth Division. Then she raises her head to address you. “Actually... we share a name, Lady Kusajishi. I am Riku, three generations descended from Susano'o. I have been sent to swear myself to your service, and to convey a package.”

She lowers her head again, this time not rising.

You scratch your head in confusion. “Get up, please. Sit down at the desk and we'll talk.”

After a moment's hesitation, 'Riku' does as you request, sitting uncomfortably. She also refuses to meet your eyes.

“What's going on here?” you question.

“You possess one fragment of the August Kami known as Inari, a great and powerful divine being. A third-generation such as myself is far below your standing.”

“Then forgetting that bit,” you grumble, not liking the implications behind that statement, “you said I had a package?”

“It is said this was of the utmost importance,” she tells you, producing a small bundle from inside her pack and holding it out with two outstretched hands, stubbornly staring straight down at your desk rather than looking at her. “Please accept it!”

Inside are three small objects: a wooden masu box, used for measuring rice, a long and ornate stem pipe with a feather hanging from the alabaster head, and a small knife with a damascene blade and ivory handle. Though pretty in their own right, the more significant fact is that each of these three objects doubtless carries within it divine reiryoku, each traceable to its previous owner.

“These are gifts from Coyote, Inari, and Artemis,” Riku tells you, still looking down and away from you. “I'm told it comes with a two-word message.”

“And the message is?”

“Don't lose.”

>>707005
And I'm wiped. Thanks for playing, and hope you enjoyed things so far. I'll finish up tomorrow evening.

Shadows of Zeon will be next Saturday and Sunday (if need be), and I'd like to set aside that entire weekend to wrap it up properly rather than half-assing both of them to get one run of each in on this slow-ass board. Splitting the weekend just doesn't feel good to me.

Sorry to delay again, but I hope any SoZ fans out there can understand my reasoning on this one. Such as it is, being only half awake.

I'll answer any questions tomorrow morning. I literally can't right now.

>>707005
For some reason I want to see what they do rather than eat them. Clearly they don't just do exactly what they are supposed to do, right?

>>707029
Thanks for running Queen!

>>707005
>“Don't lose.”
the items or in general?

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>>707005
>Gods sending us artifacts of divine power to help us get our bankai to full maturity.
SO FUCKING BASED.
>>707029
pic related to your face right now except more sleepy?

>>707005
My my my! Now that is just lovely. If I didn't already like them before, this would fix that immediately. Throwing that on top of the divine artifacts the shinigami are giving us and that adds up to a very nice power boost.

SUCK IT, AIZEN!

And they even sent us a minion! A divine minion!

Gifts they may be but we'll probably owe them favors for it. Which I don't mind repaying in good faith. They've certainly dealt fairly with us.

>>707074
anon, one of Aizen's Sternritter minions is also a divine minion. as in the literal left hand of the Soul king.

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>>707005
These gods man.

>>707029
Thanks for running man.

>>707039
in general I'm guessing

>>707097
Another one is the Soul King's Heart. And the X-Axis dude... something weird was up with him.

Of course, once more this is assuming that Aizen didn't eat them for more power.

>>707895
Gotta love how none of that shit was explained whatsoever.

I wonder if that means chopping Aizen apart will result in more Aizens. That'd suck.

>>707039
Both, but ESPECIALLY the latter.

>>707031
Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe. Coyote uses it mainly to get high, or to get other people high.

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>>707895
It makes NO. SENSE. And it was never properly explained in canon what any of that even meant, though it's implied that at some point the Soul King had been dismembered for some reason, or else his limbs rebelled or something. Who the fuck knows.

Two hours.

>>709356
Nah, someone definitely took him apart ritualistically.

>>709356
Some questions you didn't answer from last thread:
>Is "flirting/Impressing Mirai" Starrk's new hobby?
>Does Starrk have any new techniques/skills/tricks aside from his Cero Wolves or his Gran Rey Machine-gun? I can easily see him using his pistols to fire individual Bala rounds, Apacci's patented Bala Buckshot, or just pull off trickshots with his guns. Which brings to mind, has Starrk seen any John Woo films? I would love to recommend him to watch Equilibrium, but that film comes out in 2002
>BG9: Head! I need a body. Head! Not just any body. Head! You know I'm just a head... Heeead!~
>C-46 treats the thing like a rebellion, not a war || How do they think it's not a war? The opposing side(s) has enough cumulative manpower/firepower to potentially take down Seiteirei's Police force AND THEN SOME. Do they even have a threshold policy for declaring full-scale war aside from another C-46 massacre? Although granted, the fact that Riku and the 9th have such good response times despite the captain getting away with "technically legal activities" which BENEFITED Seireitei may be a factor in their decision making.
>Had Yamamoto not died, we would have had more time to prepare for the endgame right?

>>709619
>Is "flirting/Impressing Mirai" Starrk's new hobby?
Something like that.
>Does Starrk have any new techniques/skills/tricks aside from his Cero Wolves or his Gran Rey Machine-gun?
He doesn't have a lot of "tricks", but the ones he has are pretty impressive.
>BG9: Head! I need a body. Head! Not just any body. Head! You know I'm just a head... Heeead!~
Humor not detected.
>C-46 treats the thing like a rebellion, not a war || How do they think it's not a war?
Considering it a "war" gives Aizen a degree of implicit legitimacy, where if they maintain the narrative that it's another internal rebellion there isn't that sense. It's mostly a political/PR measure.
>Had Yamamoto not died, we would have had more time to prepare for the endgame right?
Making a few assumptions there.

right guys, so there's a couple things I think we should do.
>commute with the divine items
>open a garganta into the Great Plains and spar with eagle to get gud
>polish our swords
Should be doable in a short timeframe, Aizen shouldn't be able to destroy soul society by the time we are done.

>>709681
why the fuck do we want to spar with eagle? how about get everyone in Seireitei up to speed?

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>>707005
You stare blankly at this strange new visitor, who claims to be a distant descendant of Susano'o and still refuses to look you in the eye. You gather it's some sort of class difference you were unaware existed among Japanese deities, where the descendants who inherit progressively weaker reiryoku are discouraged from even looking at their 'superiors'. And since one third of you is a manifestation of the god Inari that technically places you at such a level.

The other 'Riku' remains motionless, holding out in her hands a pipe, a small wooden box, and a knife. She could probably kneel here all night waiting for you to accept the gifts, which were no doubt intended to furnish you with the shinreiryoku you need to accelerate your Bankai's development. To hurry things along you take the gifts from her hands, and her head remains bowed.

“Please stop,” you sigh, a little unnerved at the situation. “All this bowing and refusing to make eye contact just feels weird. I'm not a goddess or anything, I just borrow the power of one from time to time. So cut it out.”

She attempts to comply, looking up and initially meeting your eyes and giving you a good look at her again. Her face is deeply expressive, like that of any other human or shinigami could be, though her eyes being solid purple is a little disquieting. But she can't hold that eye contact at all.

“Chin up,” you instruct her, “just focus on my shoulder if you have to.”

“Yes, ma'am,” she bows gently, rising and carefully positioning her chin at what she considers a 'normal' height. She seems much more comfortable now that you've relieved her of the obligation to look you in the eyes.

“I'm sorry, it's just that looking a divinity in the eyes is usually... discouraged, rather than encouraged. It's a very old tradition.”

“So what exactly are you?” you ask quietly.

“The word for what I am is 'tenchi', taken from the characters for heaven and blood,” this new Riku explains thoughtfully. “And please forgive me if I sound impertinent, but I would prefer that you refer to me as such.”

“What, as just Tenchi?” you ask incredulously. “Like calling my nephew Japanese, or calling me half-foreigner?”

“We share a name,” she reminds you. “If it alleviates any confusion or awkwardness I would be happy to do away with it, and it held no particular meaning to me in the first place. In fact I only got it because it was...”

“...unisex?” you smile, thinking back to your own 'childhood' in the Rukongai. “I'm the same way.”

>If that's what you're more comfortable with I'll oblige you.
>I don't think I'm comfortable with that, Riku.
>Wait, why do we need to decide on how to refer to you?
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.
>Other?

>>709802
>>Wait, why do we need to decide on how to refer to you?
>>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.

>>709681
Eat the divine items you mean.

>>709802
>Wait, why do we need to decide on how to refer to you?
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.

>>709802
"How about Rika?"

>>709802
>If that's what you're more comfortable with I'll oblige you.
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.

>>709802
>If that's what you're more comfortable with I'll oblige you.
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.
>Other: In the meantime I have a message that needs to be sent in the morning/asap.

>>709802
>I don't think I'm comfortable with that, Riku.
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.

>>709824
>>709802
I'm fine with this. This will alleviate the confusion that occurs when someone's trying to address Riku and the other is within earshot.

>>709802
>>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.
>>Other?
"Would you like some tea in the meantime?"

>>709827
>If that's what you're more comfortable with I'll oblige you.
>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.
>Other: In the meantime I have a message that needs to be sent in the morning/asap.

Rika is a real name and sounds a lot like Riku.Anyone else want the name change?

>>709802
>>Wait, why do we need to decide on how to refer to you?
>>I'll fix a second set of cushions for the night, you can sleep here.

>>709850
>>709878
I also have a possible nickname in mind that would work for her.

>>709878
nah.

>>709878
But Ricchi or Ri-chan is so much better.

>>709887
Also, 3d10 to try and ease some answers out of her. Also specify one of the three following options:
>Steer the conversation, but avoid asking directly
>Ask politely, but clearly
>Order her firmly, but not aggressively

Rolled 7, 4, 7 = 18 (3d10)

>>709900
>Ask politely, but clearly

Rolled 7, 9, 2 = 18 (3d10)

>>709900
>>Ask politely, but clearly

Rolled 8, 7, 2 = 17 (3d10)

>>709900
>>Ask politely, but clearly

Rolled 7, 9, 6 = 22 (3d10)

>>709900
>Ask politely, but clearly
Why the hush-hush?

Rolled 2, 6, 10 = 18 (3d10)

>>709900
>>Ask politely, but clearly

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“Why do we have to settle on what I should call you?” you ask, puzzled at the implications. “Does that mean you intend to stay here now that you've made your delivery?”

“I apologize for coming uninvited, ma'am,” she bows much more subtly. “But I am under orders to keep a watch on you. My reiatsu may be weak, but my senses are quite keen by any reasonable standards. Even when I'm asleep. That was why I was selected.”

She's being quite open about this, you think to yourself. “Who selected you?”

“The Royal Guard,” she replies immediately. “Specifically, Ichibē. I'm not sure he quite understands, but for a tenchi to lie to a deity, particularly when asked a direct question, would be unthinkable.”

“So he thought he was picking the best spy...”

“...but in reality I was probably the worst choice, yes,” she smiles. “Technically I should also follow any reasonable order you give me, though that's not compulsory.”

“If I ordered you to send him the most unhelpful and vague reports possible without tipping him off that you're doing so?” you ask, having to stifle a chuckle.

“That could be arranged, ma'am.”

You nod to yourself, satisfied. “Alright, I think I can work with that.”

“Do you believe who he intends to do you harm, ma'am?”

“Probably at some point,” you admit quietly, “though it may well be many years in the future. Who knows if it'll ever even come to that.”

“I hope it doesn't. Such infighting serves no one.”

“I know, right?”

You rise to your feet, tiptoeing around Neliel as she sleeps with the best of your Onmitsu training keeping each footfall as close to silent as can be reasonably expected. There are still enough cushions available to fix a makeshift mattress for this new Riku, and you offer it to her with a wave.

“I'll arrange permanent sleeping quarters for you tomorrow when I have time,” you yawn. “But for now I need my beauty sleep, Tenchi.”

You frown for a moment as Riku lies down and closes her eyes immediately. “Tenchi... Riku... Ten... Ri... Tenri? That might be a good nickname for you. It'd be the characters for 'Divine Law', and for the former capital of Japan.”

“Tenri?” the young tenchi-woman repeats, before smiling to herself. “Tenri. I like that.”
>1/2

>>709982
we better not wake up in the middle of a blitzkrieg.

>>709993
We need some rest already dammit. We just had one of the busiest days ever.

>>709982
>“Tenri. I like that.”
A Tenri to go with the Tenko. 10/10

>>709998
all these tens to go with twos.

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>>709982
The next morning comes entirely too early, with someone nudging your ribs with the end of a scabbard.

“Riku! It's sunup already!”

Your eyes peel open, and you glare at Tatsuki as if trying to kill her with your gaze. “Shit happened. Give me a few minutes to wake up.”

You stand up, and tatsuki averts her eyes as you dress. “It's not like I'm naked, Tatsuki. I swear sometimes, Yoruichi's right. You kids these days are so sheltered.”

You drag yourself out to the garden and motion to a smooth rock. “Sit.”

Tatsuki follows your orders, and you show her how to position her zanpakuto to meditate properly. After a few minutes, you tap her on the thigh. She tries to ignore you, so you tap again, and again, and continue tapping until her eyes fly open.

“Quit bothering me!” she insists.

You frown back at her. “If you were doing it properly you wouldn't have noticed. Nothing on the outside matters in the slightest, all you need is your own internal focus.”

“I'll be back in a few hours to check on your progress.”

>Captains' meeting needs to happen like right now.
>Check on your wounded Commandos. Rukia may be awake now.
>Try and figure out what to do with these three 'gifts'.
>Other?

>>710016
>>Captains' meeting needs to happen like right now.

>>710016
>>Captains' meeting needs to happen like right now.