Fluidity (Open)

A silver ribbon cut through the air as Anima moved in tandem with his sword. Using the weight of the zanpakuto that was held comfortably in accommodating hands, Anima could potentially increase his stamina by being pulled by his sword instead of pulling his sword. Of course, this sacrificed total control at this stage of his technique, but perhaps he could master it to remove that demerit. The wood beneath his bare feet was gaining warmth from both the sun that was given permission to enter the room via an open window, as well as the heat from Anima himself pounding on it with his movements of his training. He never allowed his muscles to relax. He could feel them begin to strain and rip as he tore his muscles through extensive training. Good. When they healed, they would be thicker. Biting back the pain, it was ignored coldly. Pain was only an obstacle, which had to be removed.

The sounds of his grunting and occasional gasp filled the air. Anima Mortis wasn’t exactly a master at holding in all of his pain. Gripping the yellow-clothed hilt of his sword tighter, he concluded he simply wasn’t used to it yet. In time, he would be able to take much more then some ripped muscles. Bringing the blade up diagonally and then slashing it downwards in a smooth arc, he spun on his left heel to deliver a slash to the midsection of his imaginary foe. Switching hands while rotating the blade, he dropped to a knee while pulling the blade back into his sheath. Rising back to his feet, Anima noticed he was panting slightly. Clenching his jaw shut, he fought the urge to fly out of the room and jump into the first lake or pool he found. Sweat coated his body in a light sheen, but that was nothing new for this man. He knew that in order to become strong, he would need to disregard the little things, such as pain and hygiene. Flicking cold, gray eyes towards the clock that hung by a simple nail on lacquered wood, the second hands ticked with a message. Time was running out. Stop wasting Time. There wasn’t Time to be standing around.

Drawing his blade once more, Anima took a quick swig of water from the bottle he kept on a bench, before wiping a line of sweat from his brow. Taking his stance once more, Anima released a breath and began eviscerating phantom enemies with vicious and aggressive slashes. The sunlight bounced off of the blades diamond edge pattern and lit up the room, a kaleidoscope of shadows and light triangles dancing around Anima as he danced around failure. The calluses that had already formed on his hands, and would continue to spawn were going to hurt after today. This was more training then he had ever pulled off in one day. Hopefully, he would extend this time in the near future. No. Not hopefully. He WOULD extend this time in the near future. Three hours wasn’t enough yet. Anima wished to be able to fight for days at a time if he had to. The blade of his zanpakuto seemed to pulse as he thought this. Clearly, it agreed.

The light from the window faded, dipping behind a shadow to settle a momentary sombreness into the air. The distinct smell of training hung in the air, thick beyond sweat there was heat as well, doused in the release of spiritual energy to combat the exhaustion. The Captain hadn't been watching the whole time; in fact she'd only popped in to watch for the last few moments. An unwilling sense of nostalgia had paralysed the girl in thought, relaying her own experiences to that frustrating end of physical ability to fight any longer. It had been a while since she'd hit that wall actually.

A twittering bird echoed through the walls of the training area, his melancholy tune actually lifting the spirit of the room as the warm light faded back into the room, the instant warmth splitting the heavy breathing that seemed almost contagious. Vaguely aware that just watching students train without even a word of hello might be a little rude, Kaiyo pushed off the side of the wall, releasing just a little of her reiatsu in the wondrous thought that the student would notice such a fluctuation. Of course she didn't drop all her energy, she didn't want to the drop the academy students with it. But for most people meeting Kaiyo, the heavy energy that seemed weightless around her sweet demeanour was sometimes a little too daunting.

A casual and practically scruffy appearance was not uncommon amongst Captains, after-all, it was everyone else who had to be so formal to them. Kaiyo stepped forwards with a polite smile, 'Nice job' she added, stepping into the box of light that splashed through the window; her golden blonde hair lit up with the warmth. 'You're going to end up very skilled in swordplay'. A firm nod followed the compliment that had her reasoning for watching in the first place, though she had definitely found it hard to look away. Her white Captains hoari was draped so glaringly obviously over her robes, curled to one side at the hilt of her blade that swept away the fabric.

After having spent a good deal of time in seclusion, to the point where he knew almost nothing of the activities of Seireitei, so engrossed was he in his scheming and experimentation, Ryouta realized it would probably be a good idea to re-connect with his fellow Captains. Especially since he'd probably have to face at least a couple in serious combat at some point in the future. That being decided, he concluded that in addition to the Captain Commander, the other Shinigami most likely to impede his plans was Kaiyo, the 11th Division Captain. Her power was something to be reckoned with, for certain, and Ryouta wanted to ensure that he was prepared.

So, he now sought out Kaiyo in the halls of the Shinigami Academy, a place where he had not stepped in for quite some time. Mostly because as far as he was concerned, Academy students were generally uninteresting at best and a nuisance at worst. Frankly, he didn't see why she even cared...but then again, the principles of most people in Soul Society didn't hold much water with Ryouta.

He stepped into the Zanjutsu training area just in time to hear Kaiyo speak. No nonsense - that was probably the best aspect of her personality. Candor was a virtue that Ryouta valued, and was partially a reason why he thought he might regret having her death be an integral part in his plans.

Before he had left his barracks, he had been told by several people he should cover up his mechanical parts, as they were quite disconcerting. Given that this was supposed to be a social meeting and not a fight, Ryouta had conceded that his squad members might have a point and wrapped both the left side of his face and his left arm in bandage, obscuring both of his mechanical parts neatly.

"In which case, you'll be seeing a lot more of Kaiyo-taicho," Ryouta said softly, knocking on the doorframe to announce his presence. "I believe her squad specializes in that sort of thing." He attempted to give her a look that said 'I have something important to tell you' but followed it up with a gesture that communicated that it could wait...and also that an Academy student shouldn't be privy to this information. It was quite an achievement, considering only one of his eyes was visible.

A shadow fell over the face of Anima as he swung the blade upwards in a smooth, directional slash that would have decapitated anyone whom stood before him. Spinning with the slash while allowing the blade to glide downwards would have gutted a second opponent. Now his panting was noticeable, and he was finding it more and more difficult to stand back up. Deciding that he couldn’t train if he was dead, he should probably take a break before he injured something that couldn’t be fixed. It also appeared that he had visitors, and he shouldn’t be rude. They could potentially help him in the future, so it was best to be nice. Resheathing his blade, he wiped the thicker coat of sweat from his face, the normally-pale flesh having taken on a rather rosy color. Glancing up with his cold eyes, he stared at the captain of the 11th division with a look that said “Why are you here? I shouldn’t be worth your time at the moment.”. He gave the same look to the 12th division captain. Blinking that look away, he smiled at both of them. ”Good morning, my captains. My name is Anima Mortis. It is a pleasure to meet you both.” Realizing he was still covered in sweat, he bowed politely to the two commanders before excusing himself with a low breath. Walking to the other side of the room, he snatched a white towel that hung on the wall and began wiping the sweat from his body.

He had not missed the look that the bandaged captain had given the female. It was hard not to. His one eye made stealth difficult, and it had immediately caught his attention. ”If you two have business, then please, don’t allow me to get in the way of that. When you are finished, however, I would like a word with both of you, if I could be so bold to ask.” Popping open his water bottle once me, he sank the contents of the green, opaque container rather quickly. Letting the iced water to hit the back of his throat and pour down his parched throat, he nearly sighed with content. That was nice. Dumping some over his silver hair, it merged with the sweat that had converged there from his training and gave the light color a very noticeable sheen. Looking back to the two captains, he stared at a stack of folded up chairs that was in the corner of the room. Grabbing three mats from the floor and a number of chairs equal to this, he brought them to the center of the room. Laying the mats on the floor, he placed the chairs on top of them so they wouldn’t scratch the floor. Cracking his knuckles, he smiled politely at the two of them. The captain of the melee squad would allow for him to gain skill in combat unachievable by the other squads. Similarly, the captain of the science division could help him gain access to techniques and other means of gaining power unattainable through any other resource.

And of course, both of them had captain-level reiatsu. Simply by being the same room as him and allowing their spirit pressure to leak from them at progressive levels would make training more difficult, and as such, more profitable in the end. And if they couldn’t, they knew people that could help him. They would be very helpful to him, if they chose to assist him. Of that, there was no doubts.

The Captain smiled inwardly when she realised Ryouta was around, she'd heard rumblings he'd returned. Of course Captains were quite notorious for vanishing with no warning, especially the ones with secret labs everywhere, but it was good to be around an old friend again. No matter how much he may have changed. Twisting around she smirked slightly at what Ryouta said, 'Something like that' she added, assuming his only vague reference to her squads primary existence had been purposeful. Her attention was drawn back by Asuma though, finding something very captivating about him, if not a little quirky.

Her soft blonde hair flicked around as she glanced between the two men, tickling the side of her neck as Kaiyo raised her eyebrow at Ryouta. She'd heard about his half machine body, but like most rumours she had assumed them to be untrue. The bandaged body was still a little odd though. Throwing back a quick, 'how-serious-is-it' look. The sliding noise of the mats being dragged along the floor echoed through the training room, the heat of the wooden floor radiating through Kaiyo's feet. Anima Mortis; odd sounding name. Odd seeming guy.

An amused look dawned the girl's expression; she had plenty of time to indulge in such things. Kaiyo glanced back over her shoulder to Ryouta, keeping her slightly amused look at the fact the man had just set out these chairs for a talk. 'Sure' she concluded, flash stepping onto her seat as she beamed across the room to Ryouta, slapping her hand on the chair next to her for her fellow Captain to join her. Ryouta had always been an odd ball, but he was someone that had been around, and actually Kaiyo quite liked him, and all of his oddity. Even if what he usually said confused her to no end, she never exactly felt like he was talking down to her, which in itself was something people did to her too much. Mostly because they felt threatened by the Captain, and because she was admittedly quite simple minded at times. The mat squeaked slightly as Kaiyo shuffled in her chair, the shifting weight not quite right yet. What could be so serious that they'd need to sit down for it.

Ryouta took a seat next to Kaiyo, looking her full in the face as he did so. Or at least, he appeared to. While his visible eye was looking at her, his mechanical one was utilizing its x-ray vision function to ensure that the Academy student stayed away from the conversation. "I haven't seen you since my operation," Ryouta said perfunctorily. "I hope my appearance doesn't put you off." He doubted it would have, even if none of his bandages were there, but he figured it was a polite way to start the conversation.

"There have been rumors," Ryouta began. "Rumors that the forces of Hueco Mundo have been gathering to strike at Seireitei. Ordinarily, I would not be concerned. However, these rumors coincide with some events and whispers from dark places that I find unsettling." He paused, either for dramatic effect or to choose his next words, it was uncertain. "One: I have reason to believe that the humans have technology beyond what we initially believed them to have - equipment that gives them the powers of Shinigami. I believe that they are behind strange fluctuations of unknown reiatsu and the vanishing of Hollow reiatsus. That is, normal humans, not humans like your friend Kazuhiko, have gained this technology. I would hazard a guess that they did not come up with it on their own, at least, not at first. I suspect involvement from Las Noches...or possibly even within my own squad."

"Second, it appears that large chunks of humans have been disappearing from the Real World, but not manifesting as Pluses. It seems to be the work of Hollows." This was actually pretty close to the whole truth. Ryouta's Hollowbots pretty much were Hollows. "I speculate that Las Noches has something big going on, but with little concrete evidence, I can't exactly go to the Sotaicho."

"I have one final concern. You know that I was once Vice-Captain of 2nd Division. I visited their archives today - there are no mentions of anything that I have found on my own, which is odd. I hate to imply treachery within the ranks of the Seireitei...but there it is." This was sort of true. Ryouta had gone into the 2nd Division archives and had found small seemingly insignificant references within the documents to the events he had described and taken part in. He had either destroyed them or changed their meaning. This was a small step in his plan to sow discord within Soul Society - create confusion and distrust within the ranks.

As the two sat down, got comfortable, and began to chat, Anima decided not to trespass on their privacy. He hadn’t taken his seat, designated by lack of choice, when the others had. Instead, he spun on his heels and walked back towards the corner of the room with his water bottle and towel. A small smirk flashed across his face. They had accepted his invitation to chat. That was progression, at any rate. They decided to give him an audience, which was something that he actually doubted he would receive. Thankfully, it appeared that the duo of captains that had appeared before him as if his eternal thirst for power had subjugated a call within their souls were actually pleasant and possibly even helpful. Who’da thunk it?

Wrapping callused and blistered fingers around the smooth plastic resin of his water bottle, Anima lifted it from the wooden bench silently, careful to not let the bottle scrape against the surface and create a disrupting noise. In fact, when he was walking towards the water bottle, he was careful that his feet and sword didn’t scrape across the ground, either. He did not want to appear rude to his guests, or ignorant to manners and polite etiquette. Twisting the top open with rigid fingers, he drank silently, letting the cooling water to run down his throat once more. Now that he was no longer parched from his training, he could actually enjoy the taste of water. Twisting the cap back on and wiping his face once more with the feather-white towel that hung on a rack to his left, he glanced back towards the captains.

He was simply wondering if they had finished their business and could afford to chat with him. If not, he would simply continue to wait. Either way, it was not a bother to him.

Kaiyo smiled politely back at Ryouta; she'd seen men literally explode, have limbs torn off and their faces utterly destroyed; she had no aversion to exterior looks. Though she appreaciated the kidness of his caring to mentionb it; or cover up his robot-ness. She took that as his confirmation of the rumours as well, he was now half robot..She'd ask to see it later.

Shuffling in her seat, the blonde girl swivelled around to face Ryouta, her eyes vaguely tracing the movements of the student in the corner of the room. Then things became a lot more serious. Rumours were rife with the Gotei 13, but for the most smartest man Kaiyo knew to be following such rumours, and indulging in them. It was a bad sign. The light in the room faded once more; a sign of things to come.

Forces in Hueco Mundow gathering to strike, that was never good. Of course a continual threat was held from the hollows home, but an organised attack held more threat. Kaiyo's smile faded as she nodded slightly, keeping Ryoyta aware her attention was now very firmly on him. Kaiyo's serious expression usually held little solace on her face, and was not a frequent visitor either, but the colour even drained from her cheeks a little when Ryua mentioned the humans. Her blue eyes dimmed, narrowing in one Ryouta's one real eye as the short girl began to chew on her bottom lip lightly. Such heavy thoughts tended to simply hurt her brain, but a few rumblings she'd been hearing seemed to matching up with what Ryouta was saying.Treachory within the Gotei 13, Kaiyo's jaw dropped ajar, her shock unhindered by a slightly over-dramatised reaction.

Another nod, vanishing humans this time- this was turning out to be quite an eventful day. The Captain regained her composure as she gently pursed her lips together. A sweet smile curling her glistening lips upwards as she replied. 'Thanks for letting me know Ryouta'.

Kaiyo's own sources were arguably less reliable, but holding a juxtaposed reputation of the nicest and more fearful Captain had left the girl with a large number of people with which she shared a relationship of mutual trust, both inside and out of of the Goeti 13. Honour-bound to reveal her own hand, she leant in closer to the Captain next to her. 'The rebel groups have been rising as well, i know in the past they've never been a threat but things seem more serious now...And active shinigami are working within their ranks to aid the rebel groups'

Uncertainty hummed at the pit of Kaiyo's stomach, there was just something a litle off. Whether it was the nerves or the stress, she couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she felt a little uncertain about her current situation. Brushing aside her brief doubts, her eyes rolled down to her feet, scuffing the heels against the mat gently before she glanced back up to Ryouta. 'I'll have a look into it if you don't mind, i'll let you know if i find anything'. The Captain so loyal to Soul Society was being played, and she didn't even know it.

Kaiyo dropped her hands to either side of her chair, nudging Ryouta to just let him know they'd kept Anima waiting a while already. Kaiyo lifted herself off the chair and dropped back down with the smallest of thuds. Her large smile growing back on her face without even a glimmer of pretence, sincerity at it's best. 'Ready when you are Anima'

"Of course," Ryouta said genially. Not because he was actually concerned with being friendly, but because she was reacting as expected. "I wouldn't have confided my concerns to you had I not wanted a little help. I may be Captain of the 12th Division, but what I can find out on my own is, unfortunately limited. Any new information you could give me would be much appreciated."

He paused, let the beginnings of a smile grace his thin lips before continuing. "Thank you, Kaiyo. My mind has been put much at ease - it is good to know that I, nay, Soul Society can count on you in a time of crisis." He bit his real thumb thoughtfully, a habit he had developed since becoming Captain of the 12th Division, something he did when thinking hard. "I think I will visit the Maggot's Nest then; from what you've told me of these rebel groups - perhaps some of my old...uh...'friends' there might know something."

At Kaiyo's nudge, Ryouta turned his real eye's gaze back to the Academy student. He leaned forward, not out of interest, but because such body language conveyed interest. "As am I. You know, most people are uncomfortable speaking to me - I suppose I do have a bit of reputation, and my new appearance does not help things much. But how can I assist you?"

Ah, it appeared the two were finally able to speak with him. How fortunate. Nodding to Kaiyo when she told him, he made sure everything in his corner was put in order. After confirming everything was in proper order with a pleasant nod, he swiveled on calloused heels and trotted towards the two silently. Taking the seat he had pre-prepared for himself, he nearly sighed with content. Sitting down after his daily training was always so nice. The buzzing he felt from the excess adrenaline and energy as it rushed through his body was nearly intoxicating. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it today. He had business.

Turning to Ryouta, he smiled slightly. ”Your appearance is nothing more then a testament to your drive and devotion to your life. It is nothing to be feared, but rather respected. Whether your modifications have been made due to injuries or your own need for evolution, I salute you.” And it was true. Although he was generally a very cold, careless person when it came to very nearly anything, Anima’s one desire was to evolve past his own personal levels and become more then what he was. Ryouta seemed to have done that quite nicely, and perhaps the two could work one something to help him achieve that later, at a later date, during a private meeting.

”Now then. As you both know, I’m just an academy student. I don’t have a high level of stamina, nor fighting skill. I wish to raise my skills in every field that I possess, and figured the captains of the science division and melee fighting division could potentially assist me in this raising. The fact that the two of you happened to stop by here means something to me, if it doesn’t to you. I do not ask much of you, if you choose to help me. Whatever assistance you wish to provide would be appreciated, but even being in the same room as I and slowly raising your spiritual pressure to act as a gravity of sorts on my body as I fight would help. It would temper my limbs and physical strength. As for mental strength, going through strategies and the like with me would be beneficial. Then again, these are merely my theories. If either of you have something else in mind that could help, feel free to suggest it. I’m open to anything to get stronger.”

Anima wasn’t kidding, either. Although his final statement could be taken to as he was open to any form of training they could provide, he was actually referring to being open to any form of training anyone could provide. Illegal means, frowned-upon techniques, forbidden training methods… It was all “fair game” to Anima. He was simply looking to evolve past his own plateau. Still smiling slightly, his cold eyes had centered on the horizon once more, the crack adjoining the wall and floor behind the two captains becoming the center of his attention for the time being.

Kaiyo dropped her head to one side at the man first notion, uncertain if he was trying to appeal to the ego of the Captain sitting beside her or not, but he actually sounded a little like Ryouta. To Kaiyo at least. Though that could have been attributed to the simple fact that the man was clearly well versed. Still, Kaiyo had to concentrate to hold her focus, it seemed odd that such devotion to his practical ability could be so many worlds apart. The tinged orange room had set so well the pictures that had encapsulated the Captains attention, the fierce movements and strikes that sliced through the air. Her attention had even drawn elsewhere in-fact, his words blurring into white noise as she sensed the lingering excitement of energy from the man.

The girl sat back up straight, her blonde hair brushing down her neck in a shimmering sway. Most students at the Soul Reaper academy wanted to be trained by a Captain, but very few held the nerve to ask one, let alone two. A certain amount of respect had to be given to the guy, afterall, these two weren't exactly the easiest of people to approach. Something seemed a little off centre to Kaiyo though, of course she could relate to that desire to surpass ones self, to extend beyond the limitations set by her subconscious and grow to a strength previously unknown. Still, his clear adoration for Ryouta's exterior had to be questioned by the girl, it was odd to apply Ryouta's special personality to another hopeful shinigami.

Her hand dragged down along the side of her face, she could still smell the warm sweat that had adsorbed the room, pungent and fuelled by a desire that so many held, and so few dared to reach. Perhaps it was the intrigue that was just too much, but Kaiyo figured her curiosity might fare her better than it did the cat.

'What do ya think Ryouta?' she smirked slightly, trying to get a read on her friend. It would definitely be interesting to work with Ryouta in any capacity again.

"I think that his ambition is commendable. I also think that he has no idea what he'd be getting himself into," Ryouta said with a thin-lipped grin. There was something about the student he rather liked; probably because he saw a little of himself in the student. His eagerness could possibly even give birth to another Visored, given time. "Although, his flattery is rather satisfying," Ryouta added. It was impossible to tell whether he was joking or not; and in truth, he was and he was not. Ryouta did not really respond to flattery, but beneath his inscrutable face, Stein preened in pleasure at the praise.

"I say we give him a chance. I would like to see if Academy students are still being groomed into reliable members of the Gotei," Ryouta said. "Unfortunately, most of the things I can provide - I'm not sure it would be looked upon too kindly by the higher-ups if I started implanting things in Academy students."

He stood quickly, acting on an impulse. In that one swift movement, Ryouta channeled his reiatsu into the bandages across his face and arm, causing them to unravel and fall away, revealing his mechanical arm and eye, as well as the heavily scarred left side of his face. He did this to gauge the student's reaction. Would he react with fear? Disgust? Or perhaps...desire? He wanted to see raw true emotion - and that was why he was swinging his mechanical arm at the student, seemingly with every intent of punching a hole in his chest. Ryouta had no intention of doing so, of course. He would stop the blow before it hit. But he wanted to see the reaction, unbridled by any conscious thought.