Captain's Office

[Hymn of the Silent]

At first glance this office looks less like an office and more like an indoor garden. Filled with plants and fertile earth, a small path of cobbled stones leads from the doorway to a central platform in the center of the beautiful garden. Shan's desk, normal sized unlike his old Ninth Division roost, stands out proudly amidst the natural beauty of everything, built of solid white marble. His chair is made of the same material, mirroring the structure of the high seat in the Meeting Hall. It is very rare that he is in this room, as he is a more hands-on, active captain, preferring to interact with his constituents than sit back like a benevolent dictator.

 

[Hymn of the Silent]

Zooming into the office, Sotaichou Hokori found all his belongings had indeed been transferred while he was away. But he was looking for one thing in particular. Setting his poncho down on the cold, smooth surface of his new desk, he picked up his haori, and admired it for a second or two. How strange that a simple number was having such an effect on him. But he knew he shouldn't waste any more time, so he turned it around and fit his arms into the sleeves, letting it sag down from the weight of it until it situated itself perfectly. He looked at himself in a mirror, and nodded at the reflection in acceptance.

A king cannot, Yasumeh. He thought, quickly braiding his hair in front of the mirror. If he was going to visit the Royal Guard, he needed to be presentable, as asinine as that sounded. But a king needs more than speculation and what-ifs. I trust your judgement enough. And I trust the Gotei not to collapse in the short time I shall be gone. Even if the ruse is to get me to leave, a few traitors should not be a match for the combined efforts of the rest of the squads.

He sighed, letting his long tied hair fall against his back. I will find some way to keep this establishment unified, even if it kills me. He turned from the mirror and left his office just as he had arrived. He was going to speak with the Royal Guard, and get to the bottom of this. Hopefully this would answer some questions. Hopefully this, coupled with whatever Yasumeh could learn, would create clarity. It had to.  

[Hymn of the Silent]

The door opens to the Captain's office once more, and Shan walks in at a rather tired pace. He ignored the inherent beauty of his office, and plopped down into the chair. He sighed, and dropped his head down against his chest to relieve some of the tension that was all through his body. The new Head Captain just listened to the beautiful silence of his office, the only break being the occasional bubbling of the fountain hidden in the corner. There was so much information to process that he sat for a very long time like that, without moving, the only indication that he was still amongst the spiritually living was the soft rise and fall of his chest. There were many options to consider, many sides to see and many angles to cover. The good old days of simply bringing the men and women in for questioning was gone.

Shan Hokori sat there in the simulated silence for a long time, solid and unmoving. It was almost as if he was waiting; blending in to the scenery and simply waiting.  

[HaruNoAo]

Haru knocks at the door warily mumbleing "I hope he's in a good mood."  

[Hymn of the Silent]

Being the only sound in such a long time, it took Shan a few seconds to react to it. Lifting his head, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the door in front of him. He was tempted to ignore it, but thought better of that idea. Sighing, he leaned back into the chair and straightened his posture. His neck was a little sore from the position he had been in for such a long time, and he stretched it a little before speaking.

"Come in." His voice boomed louder than he had anticipated, and he waited to see who had come. He hoped for a second it was Yasumeh. But it was not his spiritual pressure. It was unfamiliar to him, and he made no effort to try to identify it beforehand. Perhaps my first duty as a Captain-Commander. This should be interesting.  

[HaruNoAo]

Haru walks in slowly and says "Am I interupting anything?" Then almost trips on a root.  

[Hymn of the Silent]

Smiling at the fellow shinigami as he approached, the Captain-Commander shook his head. "No, you are not interrupting anything. What can I help you with, young sir?" He offered a chair in front of his desk for the shinigami to take. "I figure as long as it's not too terribly unreasonable I can accommodate whatever it is you need assistance with." The small-framed man placed his hands on his desk, overlapping each other. Unusually lacking his hood, his effeminate face was obvious immediately, instead of being hidden in shadow.  

[HaruNoAo]

Haru sits down and pulls out a vial of nasty smelling liquid and says "I have reason to beleive that great danger aprotches." He checks the seal of the vial then says "Danger like never seen before. I'm telling you so you can bring it to the attention of the head captain. For you see, I can't meet him face to face because there's a good chance it'll just be dismissed as nonsense."