The day's light was harsh like a slap to the face after being caught with another woman. Mayuri narrowed his eyes at the day before him. Despite the fact his lab was well lit, at least as far as the areas he worked in, he still had a bit of trouble adjusting to natural light. "Oh dear. oh deary." He sighed as he shielded his eyes with his hand. "One of these days I will get around to doing something about these eyes of mine. Yes, they're always a bit of a bother to take out and put back in, but anything is better than dealing with all this trouble of reorienting myself with the outside world."
"Master Mayuri!" The young woman bounced. "The ceremony. We're going to miss the ceremony!" She wanted to be louder, more imploring with her words, but settle on biting her lip and
"Everything alright?" Shunsui smiled as he stopped a few feet out of the lab. "You look uncomfortable, Mayuri. Maybe all that time in the lab isn't good for you. Some more sunlight couldn't hurt."
The twelfth division captain opened his mouth to reply, but instead of a retort for the captain commander, came "Hmmm. It seems we've got ourselves a visitor." His eyes, along with those of the captain commander and his young assistant all shifted in the direction of a handful of individuals, each with their faces covered by long brown cloaks.
"Hello." Shunsui said, turning so that his entire body faced the newcomers. "Are you guys lost?"
In response, the cloaked figures all shook their heads in perfect unison.
Risiru wanted to sigh, but couldn't force anything out. Her foot bounced rapidly on the cold cement before she switched to using the other one. Her fingers danced on her knees. She wished, deep down that she knew more than just ballroom dancing, because that got old kind of quick. She also wished she brought a pen and paper so she could get something done. It didn't matter what it was. She'd be happy with the chance to make a list of things to do later, once she was freed from the hell surrounding her.
On the stage there was a single shinigami, or a single would be shinigami. She didn't know said soon to be Sinigami's name, but she knew of him. They'd been in a few classes together. The guy, whose hair was light blue and his eyes were red, didn't have a life. He lived for being a shinigami, and made sure his teachers could see that in his work. In his hands were several sheets of college ruled white paper. Risiru, from the middle section, was too far to be able to make out the individual words the would be shinigami had scrawled on the back. Which may or may not be a blessing. It all depended on the slim chance that anything had to say could be anything resembling a twist or not. She could, on the other hand, to her horror, make out that the words were small, very small, the kind of small that could only be achieved with special pencils. Which also brought on the fact that there was riding on the back of the pages at all.
"This is too much." Risiru mumbled to herself.
"Excuse me?" The soon to be Shinigami sitting next to her said, looking annoyed that she was being distracted during the speech.
"That's okay." Risiru said, getting up to make her way to the front. "You're excused. Just try not to make it a habit." She started moving down the row towards the front but stopped at the sound of an explosion off in the distance. Before she was able to react, every member of the would be shinigamis was on their feet, leaning forwards to try and get a better look. Some started to move, but were quickly stopped by their teachers.
"What was that?" Risiru said, not to anyone in particular in the first row. Her heart was racing. It was hard to tell if it was because there was danger and excitement near by, or if it was because of the fact that they wouldn't, in all likely hood, be made to sit down and listen to the rest of the speech.
There was a woosh as two figures in white appeared at the center of the stage. One was the captain Commander himself, Shunsui dressed in his usual pink komono. However, instead of its usual pristine condition, the fabric was ripped, nearly to shreds. It was hanging on by nothing more than wishes and prayers. In his arm was a young woman, the assistant to the 12th division's captain. She was bruised and cut up but didn't seem like she'd die any time soon. She was able to stand on her feet, all be it a bit wobbly, after the captain commander put her down. The other figure, who looked even worst for the wear was the captain of the 12th division He was missing an arm, all the way up to his shoulder. there was also a large hole in the other shoulder. There was blood coming on the side of his mouth, but his face was one of mild annoyance.
"We're sorry, everyone." Shunsui said, stepping forwards, in front of the red eyes shinigami who didn't look to pleased to be so unceremoniously cut off. "But it looks like we'll be having to cut the ceremony short. There's some issues that the captains need to attend to." He turned his attention to a group of shinigami, off to the side, all holding pouches with degrees inside them. "If you'll please. Pass those out."
"Now then." The captain commander continued. "You'll find directions on where to go with next, along with your diplomas. Please be quick as the captains will be calling meetings of their own shorts."
The young shinigami were quick to hand out the diplomas to their owners. It came with being members of the 6th division.
"Hmmm?" Risiru opened the note that came with her diploma and looked it over.
Below those words was a map of the seritei. Over an area near the 12th division's barracks there was an X, which was a mark for the spot.
"Wait." Risiru arched an eyebrow and turned to the three closest soon to be shinigami sitting in the front row. "Is there a fourteenth division now?"
"Master Mayuri!" The young woman bounced. "The ceremony. We're going to miss the ceremony!" She wanted to be louder, more imploring with her words, but settle on biting her lip and
"Everything alright?" Shunsui smiled as he stopped a few feet out of the lab. "You look uncomfortable, Mayuri. Maybe all that time in the lab isn't good for you. Some more sunlight couldn't hurt."
The twelfth division captain opened his mouth to reply, but instead of a retort for the captain commander, came "Hmmm. It seems we've got ourselves a visitor." His eyes, along with those of the captain commander and his young assistant all shifted in the direction of a handful of individuals, each with their faces covered by long brown cloaks.
"Hello." Shunsui said, turning so that his entire body faced the newcomers. "Are you guys lost?"
In response, the cloaked figures all shook their heads in perfect unison.
****
Risiru wanted to sigh, but couldn't force anything out. Her foot bounced rapidly on the cold cement before she switched to using the other one. Her fingers danced on her knees. She wished, deep down that she knew more than just ballroom dancing, because that got old kind of quick. She also wished she brought a pen and paper so she could get something done. It didn't matter what it was. She'd be happy with the chance to make a list of things to do later, once she was freed from the hell surrounding her.
On the stage there was a single shinigami, or a single would be shinigami. She didn't know said soon to be Sinigami's name, but she knew of him. They'd been in a few classes together. The guy, whose hair was light blue and his eyes were red, didn't have a life. He lived for being a shinigami, and made sure his teachers could see that in his work. In his hands were several sheets of college ruled white paper. Risiru, from the middle section, was too far to be able to make out the individual words the would be shinigami had scrawled on the back. Which may or may not be a blessing. It all depended on the slim chance that anything had to say could be anything resembling a twist or not. She could, on the other hand, to her horror, make out that the words were small, very small, the kind of small that could only be achieved with special pencils. Which also brought on the fact that there was riding on the back of the pages at all.
"This is too much." Risiru mumbled to herself.
"Excuse me?" The soon to be Shinigami sitting next to her said, looking annoyed that she was being distracted during the speech.
"That's okay." Risiru said, getting up to make her way to the front. "You're excused. Just try not to make it a habit." She started moving down the row towards the front but stopped at the sound of an explosion off in the distance. Before she was able to react, every member of the would be shinigamis was on their feet, leaning forwards to try and get a better look. Some started to move, but were quickly stopped by their teachers.
"What was that?" Risiru said, not to anyone in particular in the first row. Her heart was racing. It was hard to tell if it was because there was danger and excitement near by, or if it was because of the fact that they wouldn't, in all likely hood, be made to sit down and listen to the rest of the speech.
There was a woosh as two figures in white appeared at the center of the stage. One was the captain Commander himself, Shunsui dressed in his usual pink komono. However, instead of its usual pristine condition, the fabric was ripped, nearly to shreds. It was hanging on by nothing more than wishes and prayers. In his arm was a young woman, the assistant to the 12th division's captain. She was bruised and cut up but didn't seem like she'd die any time soon. She was able to stand on her feet, all be it a bit wobbly, after the captain commander put her down. The other figure, who looked even worst for the wear was the captain of the 12th division He was missing an arm, all the way up to his shoulder. there was also a large hole in the other shoulder. There was blood coming on the side of his mouth, but his face was one of mild annoyance.
"We're sorry, everyone." Shunsui said, stepping forwards, in front of the red eyes shinigami who didn't look to pleased to be so unceremoniously cut off. "But it looks like we'll be having to cut the ceremony short. There's some issues that the captains need to attend to." He turned his attention to a group of shinigami, off to the side, all holding pouches with degrees inside them. "If you'll please. Pass those out."
"Now then." The captain commander continued. "You'll find directions on where to go with next, along with your diplomas. Please be quick as the captains will be calling meetings of their own shorts."
***
The young shinigami were quick to hand out the diplomas to their owners. It came with being members of the 6th division.
"Hmmm?" Risiru opened the note that came with her diploma and looked it over.
Prodigy 002
Division 14
Below those words was a map of the seritei. Over an area near the 12th division's barracks there was an X, which was a mark for the spot.
"Wait." Risiru arched an eyebrow and turned to the three closest soon to be shinigami sitting in the front row. "Is there a fourteenth division now?"