Ito Kurohashi strode into the arena and stared out at the reunited party. The various members of the scouting team had been talking but the silent reaper had only just arrived and wasn’t even sure why he decided to show up. Reaching up and shifting the black cloth that covered the ebony collar, the sense of nausea that crept up as his hand grew closer reminded the walker of the mess they were all in, now.
Remaining in the distance, the large, shaded warrior decided that, though he had little to offer, he’d at least stay for a few minutes for the off chance of gaining anything useful from the gathering.
"That'd be part sensible to have a hollow's power remove it, but who would seriously want to face a cero head-on?"
Her eyes shifted back as soon as the new figures emerged into the arena. "I'm not sure, but isn't a cero enough to incinerate us?" Of course she was presenting things to consider, but she did consider at that point, the possibility that they might be undermining the durability of the collars.
"Eating a cero to the face... I understand you idea clearly, but you need to realize that a Cero is one of the most powerful attacks that they can unleash. Do you really want to hope it can remove the collar? If it does, what makes you think it won't take you with it. If we're discussing dangerous options, how about I just use Hanki on it?"
He was half kidding, but as he mentioned it, it did not sound half bad. With enough force Hanki was able to disable kidou, and if the collar operated similarly he might be able to at least weaken it if anything. Shunko was a very specialized type of ability that the Vastro Lord might not know how to compensate for fully.
"I don't see how that would work unless one of you has a hollow pal that can try to do a precision shot for you." Zak popped his neck to the side. "I which case I believe you would be up for charges of treason." He added with absolutely no waver. The Templar had no love of hollows or their compatriots, if one of the shinigami even suggested they might have a friend who was a hollow he was ready to cut them down then and there. "Dying still sounds like the best plan so far."
"And seeing as it was a Vasto Lorde that gave us this mark," Shingo inserted, affirming Kamenashi's thought and finally breaking his silence, having stood at a reserved distance from the group since he arrived at the spacious arena. "I would assume we would need a Cero of equal or near such strength to remove it. I'm not sure everyone here could even survive that encounter."
His hand gripped the collar around his throat and enticed the unbearable itching and throbbing feeling on the skin beneath it. Shingo couldn't see it, but every nerve that it gripped and those around it painted a painstakingly-apparent image in his conscious of the cursed attachment.
The reclusive officer turned his back to the congregation to hide the look of agony on his face that he failed miserably to restrain.
[139/139]
Poof!
3rd Div in da howse. Shingo has one of the collars too dawg... ...fa sho.
What an absolutely miserable day it was when she was in the same room as him. At least he didn’t gloat that her plan involved a bakudou. Instead her plan was completely undermined. She tried her hardest to restrain her anger. "I have some friends in the Fourth, I’ll see about getting a healer sent over,” she responded to someone else first. Depressingly enough, that someone was the person she decided was a figment of her self-destructive imagination.
But before she stepped out to place a couple calls, Adelaide did feel a need to respond to Lucas. "Though we should wait until a healer arrives for most of these experiments in case a failsafe gets triggered, Lazarus still sounds like the safest option, and I’d rather not gamble with all the lives around us on things like taking a cero to the face or whatever it is you’re implying.” She wasn’t harsh, and perhaps only slightly defensive. "Lazarus itself has no harmful effect, and we shouldn’t dismiss a course of action simply because you don’t know if it will work. We don’t know if any of these plans will work. If we did, we wouldn’t need to test them.”
It was funny how easily being opposed by Lucas made her find her confidence in her idea. If Lucas was against it, it must be worth doing. Her plan’s worst case scenario was nothing happened. And the plan most likely to work was Zakeriah’s modification of her plan: actually killing the afflicted, albeit for a short period of time.
She stepped aside from the group after her defense of her idea to make a call to one of the several highly-effective healers she knew. She had served with two of great talent recently, and had met a number of others. Surely she could get some monitoring of the medical wellbeing of the people testing these insane theories. That couldn’t be too hard to arrange.
"Everyone, stop!” Haresuno’s voice was firm, and rising, but not yet quite a yell. He had to make sure everything proceeded carefully, that there were no missteps, and above all only people who needed to know, knew. So far it seemed like Lucas was in, whether Haresuno liked it or not, as was Adelaide.
Letting his voice settle down over the now quieting din, the tall captain looked to the new-comers, then to Kago. "Before anyone, anyone, makes a move to do anything, how about we look at facts and not simply throw around ideas?
"If we act based on nothing but circumstantial evidence, we make no improvements.” His eyes began sweeping through the crowd again, taking them all in one at a time. Their health was at stake - their lives were at stake. Caution was necessary. "You all have an idea - some better than others, admittedly - but they must remain as such until a clearer choice can be made. That includes not involving any more people than utterly necessary. Or did none of you think about what could happen should our enemies learn about our situation?”
Hands slipped into opposite sleeves, the Adept shut his eyes to focus. "Before this goes any further, we need to put someone in charge. It has to be someone who is not afflicted, yet involved, and some form of seniority. After that we review.” As he finished, Haresuno opened his eyes and looked back to Kago. "I say Takimoto-dono should be the one to make the calls. He is the one who called us here.”
Hare was right, as much as it was annoying to admit. Everyone seemed to be trying to be the hero here, not focusing on what was important. Keeping this thing enclosed. Not involving others and not letting unnecessary people learn about this. As it stood, if someone were to attack, they'd be hard pressed to defend with so many people afflicted. Kago did seem to be the one who was most interested in seeing this affliction abolished. he called everyone here, he was the quietest which could be a sign of ignorance, or intelligence as he gathered everyone's thoughts. Given he was a noble, and a very powerful man; he knew what kind of man he was of the two options.
"I will agree... So what do you think Kago? Want to take the reins and leads us towards the cleansing?
Adelaide didn’t mean to challenge Captain Haresunp. The type of fear she had about missteps around Captains was something unique. She did, however, have a concern. She wasn’t here to play hero like she figured Lucas was; she was here because her friend and the woman she tried desperately not to love were involved, and she couldn’t not fight for them. She wasn’t able to be with these people when it counted weeks back, but right now she could be with them. Right now, she could be their teammate.
"Sir,” Adelaide addressed the Captain, though the argument was more for Kago as he was placed in charge of this endeavor. "We need a medic. The last time someone tried to remove one of these collars, they died. Really, properly died.” Now she directed her remarks to Kago directly. "There’s a healer I worked with during the Forty-Six incident, Lucia Frey, I trust her.” Adelaide gestured from Udo to Yuurei, "I’m not going to gamble with the lives of the people I care about without a trusted healer to keep them safe.”
Haresuno didn’t want her to involve anyone else, but at least one more person needed to be involved. A member of the Fourth needed to be in attendance. Even if she and Yuurei weren’t on the best of terms since Paris, she adored her. She wasn’t about to let her get hurt. Not if she could do anything about it. With the amount of effort Kago had to go through to get Adelaide’s trust, she hoped her remarks on behalf of Lucia and the necessity of involving a healer would be taken under advisement.
"Oh, it’s Lucia?” Haresuno’s tone was half that of recognition, and half dread. "Yes she should be fine so long as we can keep her away from making,” he had to stop for a moment. The next words always seemed foreign to his tongue, but he tried his best to make them seem natural, "making video game references.”
The nobleman stood quietly listening to everyone’s thoughts and opinions on matter, gauging what type of success could be achieved from the collection of shinigami gathered. It became apparent, rather quickly, that with so many individuals present, gaining a consensus on what action to take would be nearly impossible. When Haresuno turned the focus to him, the vice-captain cast an approving glance towards him and nodded.
"Having a healer within our midst would be a valuable asset. Make the call,” he instructed Adelaide.
Turning to face the rest of the group, Kago cleared his throat and made sure to speak loud enough for everyone to hear. "I agree with the captain that we need a clearer direction in approaching a solution to this issue. We cannot test life threatening hypotheses and lessen the Gotei already dwindling numbers,” he explained, making reference to the cero premise. "But, in the end, all ideas must be considered.”
The vice-captain distributed his weight evenly between his feet, bringing him up to his full height. "I believe that we need to put everything on the table and list what effects the curse has on each one of you and the circumstances under which they appear. Hopefully, once we have gathered this information, we can narrow it down to a single source.”
Adding a brief sigh, he continued. "And if that does not work, we will begin testing the hypotheses one-by-one, starting with the lowest risk.”
Kago paused and allowed the concepts and risks to sink in to all those present. That will also give Lucia time to arrive in case plan A fails... he noted.
"Starting with the information he provided...” the nobleman said, gesturing towards the unfamiliar third seat of the eleventh, "...he is physically forced to bow every five seconds while holding any object he considers a weapon.”
Casting a wide glance out into the crowd in hopes of getting the ball rolling, Kago folded his hands behind his back and raised an obvious question: "Who would like to go next?”
The spell-blade captain shifted in his seat. His silence alone was his sign of approval for electing Kago as the lead in this investigation. Senesati did his best to remain sensitive to the different effects the collars had on the others, especially the Eleventh Division’s Third Seat. Especially after the embarrassing discovery of the effects of his collar, while casting a low level kidou in order to display reiatsu control and manipulation.
He closed his eyes and shook his head as he recalled the humiliating display.
I can sympathize with anyone who has been forcefully patented with one of these devices. I can at least avoid mine during battle, to some extent, but his curse is by far one of the most embarrassing. He shook his head once more. That is a very crude thing to do to someone in the Eleventh, he thought to himself and glance at Reijuu
"I suppose,” he paused, "I will.
"Anytime I cast kidou the reiatsu is lost and...,” he scratched the back of his head out of hesitation and mostly embarrassment, "...and I flip upside down,” he concluded with a low tone.
That was as embarrassing as the day I overheard a grown man admitting to wetting his bed.
No matter. It’s not like they have seen it first hand. His eyes shifted from person to person, looking for anyone that would be insensitive to his curse.
"Matsumara-taichou is among us during the mission, and he might have pondered about it already when we came back. Well, probably. So at least we might want to think of other plans that does not heavily rely on harming the body. At least, if there's someone who knows the technicalities of it all, it must be the captain himself who knows our plight and has a proficient knowledge of both kidou and the body.
"I suppose, Takimoto-fukutaichou, that you have sent a message to him as well?"
Kago studied his captain as the man shared his own hindrances. The pain in Senesati’s eyes was evidence enough as to how difficult this exercise would be on the group. No one like admitting that they could not perform to the best of their ability, and if the captain’s embarrassing side effects were a sign of what others were experiencing, he wondered if anyone else would speak up regarding their issue.
It was then that the ebony haired female interjected about the healer captain. The nobleman looked towards her and nodded.
"I sent notification to everyone afflicted by the Vastro Lorde, but did not require anyone to attend. If Makoto is not present, then either he chose not to come or has more pressing issues to attend to,” he replied.
Kago returned his eyes to the crowd, hoping that someone else would step forward and admit their limitations.
Kurohashi took a few steps forward, approaching a wall within the arena. Slamming his fist against the wall, he turned away, knowing others would turn to look in the direction of the sudden commotion. He propped up slightly against the wall and raised a hand to the top of his head, showing a rough measure of how tall he was. Using his free hand to take his sheathed blade and shove it forward, a crude indication to show that the action had something to do with his zanpakutou, he turned back to the hand propped against the wall and lowered it several inches.
The mute man left the hand there for a moment and reiterated the effect with one more brief gesture – his hand going from a height that equaled his height to something significantly less.
His captain's plight seemed a bit odd. Flipping things upside-down was usually Udo's job, but now Senesati ended up doing it to himself. Was this a cruel irony? The mute man's actions simply made no sense at all, so Udo ignored him. Following his Vice-Captain's request, the green-topped soul reaper said to Kago, in a slightly lowered voice, "I can't use the ability of my zanpakutou."
Considering what attempting to release did to his captain, the spell-blade didn't want to find out what releasing his zanpakutou would do.
[88/456]
OOC: This turn does make sense. It just doesn't make sense to any of the other shinigami
"I lose my footing each time I wield a weapon.” Kyuketsu spoke up in response to Takimoto. "There appears to be a pattern to the way I’m forced to ‘step’ about, but it’s difficult to determine. Aside form that, however, I’m still very much capable of everything else... kidou, shunpo, hakuda.”
Having been in the hospital, and hearing the rumors among the nurses, Haresuno knew bits and pieces. He had known, but he did not want to believe. If these people really were only weighed down in one area or another, could they not see ways to turn those into advantages?
Very quickly, the new captain felt his chest grow tight. Not because of Prometheus’ curse, but because he felt bitter. Bitter at his own situation, bitter that the others saw their small hurdles as curses while he was forced to bear a painful weight, and told to jump higher. He felt bitter in that instant, and shoved it away. Far, far away in the corners of his mind. In the same place he hid his pains, the same place he had once hid all of his emotions.
What would being bitter solve? Would it make him happier to lash out and berate others?
As much as he wanted to, he knew nothing would come of it. Two-hundred years at the receiving end of those outbursts was wonderful for one’s perspective.
"If what you are saying is true,” Haresuno chimed in. It was an effort to make sure his tone was tempered, but he managed - if but barely -, "then it is perhaps a blessing in disguise.” His eyes falling over the few who had chosen to speak up, Haresuno could feel their want for an explanation.
"What I mean by that is: your situations could be significantly worse, and you should use the time in between our current state and future cure to expand on your abilities.
"I’ve been working on theories in my spare time as well as catching up on the Game of Houses, personally, but when you think about it these are potentially nothing more than minor annoyances.”
Kago stared questionably at the fifth division captain as he spoke. The nobleman understood where Haresuno’s thought process was coming form; the afflicted shouldn’t stop improving just because certain abilities are locked. He just worried that they would stop looking for a cure.
"While there is merit in that idea, Haresuno,” the vice-captain stated calmly, "we cannot lose focus on trying to find the cure. Although the fourth is still searching for it, any help we can lend them may expedite its discovery.”
Stepping forward, away from his ally, Kago stared out into the crowd. It seemed that very few, if any, were willing to add to the collection of knowledge about the curse. Reaching into his shihakusho, he pulled out a pen and pad of paper.
"Since it appears that we’ve hit a wall with our discussion, perhaps we should move into testing some theories,” he announced, abandoning the first tactic. "What were some possible ideas you may have for removing the collars?
"Remember, since we are brainstorming, no idea is without merit,” Kago added, hoping to encourage the crowd to speak up.
"Like I said,” it sounded so insane it needed repeating, she supposed. Not that she wanted to repeat it, saying it once was plenty bad enough. Still, "if removing the collars means dying, that might work in reverse. Either through Lazarus or some medical thing or another, if we bring the afflicted to the point of death, the collars might disengage.” Yeah, it was insane. But some people in the group seemed to like the idea. Maybe, just maybe, that was a sign that the Gotei needed periodic psychological evaluations.
