A Death in the Family (Post Setsuna Meeting)

Hideki frowned. It was just a lot of mumbo jumbo. He was just going to talk in nonsensical circles. But that all the more confirmed that he was hiding something to Hideki. He opened his mouth. He had his suspicions, but he needed to get something to back them for this to become a table wide issue before it was brushed under the rug as squabbling. But what. He was about to try and counter his argument before something caught him. It had been nagging him, but he'd been TRYING to ignore it... but emotions were key here... Maybe it would be the hair that snapped the Intelligence Officer's cool?

His frown turned into a sly, smug little grin. "Irregardless isn't a word." The smugness of his face said it all. It didn't matter if Jurobei had laid the most complicated plans. He had made a grammatical error and Hideki now considered him inferior. That is exactly what that face would communicate to the old man.

Des put an imaginary gun to her head and pulled the trigger. With a little bang sound she let her head hit the table before she sat back up with a scowl on her face. "Christ, you... you are an annoying person. Is this meeting over? Cause I need to leave before I arrest Jurobei on the ground of being fucking annoying."

"I have been the headmaster of the academy for quite a few years, Jurobei. One thing you have to learn how to do when your in charge of young, growing minds, and even just learning minds, is tell when people are hiding someone." Maki sat down and rested her head on her fist, "When someone is not telling the truth, they tend to be quite a bit more creative, and tend to answer pretty quickly. They also tend to get caught up in the same little details to add validity. What do you not want the room to know?" She segued hard and fast into the last line staring him dead in the face. She didn't mean to ignore the rest of the captains that were talking, but this needed to be dealt with now.

"Perhaps he cared for Setsuna on a more deeper level." Alexander spoke up. Drama, eugh. Drama always bored the man to tears. "Love and grief can make people do strange things. I've studied this." He finished. At this point, he just wanted the meeting to be over before they were stuck in the room for another 2 hours due to this.

Jurobei was unaffected by the follow up remarks of both Hideki and Des. They were being petty themselves now. It actually comforted Jurobei to scrutinize their tiny flaws; a minute but satisfying distraction. He felt emotionally more resolute now, with reaffirmation that there was no perfect lie, no matter how long one practiced.

Maki's reference to her Academy experience confused him in terms of relevance, but what was not said was that Setsuna had trained her Captains well. Though even with a man who could read his mood directly from a book, they were still obstructed by their assumptions. Maki's mental fixation to compare Jurobei to an academy student was to Jurobei's benefit in keeping his mask.

He returned her look with a blank expression when she asked what he was hiding; the same question that Hideki had asked. It was comical to him that they could not see that he already showed them exactly what he felt during his initial emotional outburst, and that all they had to do to discover the truth was look there again but with open eyes. Their subsequent attempts to extract a reaction from him through mockery only gave him the opportunity to close them off.

Quote :

"Perhaps he cared for Setsuna on a more deeper level."

Jurobei looked at Alexander after he spoke those words for a calculated amount of time before turning back to look ahead, and chose to remain silent.

Lakshmi wiped her eyes from the few tears that formed as Norma spoke, nodding her thanks. She didn't think her voice would work properly at the moment, at least for expressing her thanks, though it seemed to work for such things as dealing with the squabbling Taichos around her.

She waited till they had spoken their piece and then chimed in. They were acting ridiculous...Her grandmother died and most were acting like idiotic children!? Her tone was an icy remnant of Setsunas, her eyes matching their grandmothers in intensity. "If you require an examination, I will give a full one later Taicho Ishimura. Come to the Medical Division in a few hours. However it seems to be just plain grief as of now, I can check you over for any issues if you wish though."

Whether she trusted Maki Tsukino or not was irrelevant at this exact moment. Whatever doubts she had... could be addressed another time at a more appropriate place. For now it seemed Setsuna had left the woman the position, and if that was her Grandmother's will... then she would do it. The chains of her zanpakuto shifted around under her clothing, their agitated rattling the only sign of her distress.

"Soutaicho, may I please be excused? My division will need me shortly..." And she wasn't sure she could keep her entire composure through much more of this.

It was a damned kindergarten. Children! They were acting like children! They were captains, but they were acting as if this were their first day on the playground. What was wrong with them? Norma had never seen the like. She had never seen captains act so childishly in a meeting, and then the interim Commanding Captain to join in. What was going on here?

"What is in the hell is going on here? We're supposed to be devising a plan on what to do in Setsuna's absence. Our most powerful player is gone. Yet, her you are...going at each other like mad dogs! The contents of Jurobei's character should be the very last thing on your minds. I have known Jurobei most of my life, and I could have told you a long time ago that he is easily the most underhanded, sneaky, and conceiving person I have ever met. I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him, but that isn't worth a goddamn right now! For goodness sake people, we don't have time to be squabbling. Do you think we are the only ones who have taken note of Setsuna's absence? Do you think Las Noches isn't on top of this as well? We need to prepare for an all out assault, even if it doesn't come."

At Lakshmi's request Maki stood up, "Everyone nothing to add to the discussion of Jurobei's ability to do his duty is dismissed." She had said her peace, everyone knew their jobs, and if they had any questions they could come to her. She turned her head to Norma, "And what kind of Head Captain would I be if I didn't listen to my fellow Captains. Norma, I have been a Captain for a long time, as you well know, but I have never gotten to know Captain Jurobei. In your experience with the man, what would you suggest I have done with him. Ignore his behavior? Reprimand? I am quite open to suggestions." Maki was one hundred percent sincere to Norma, and meant none of this to come across snidely. She really DIDN'T know Jurobei well, its why she was having issues.

"I am not saying that his actions don't deserve consequences captain."

Norma started, her gaze moving to meet Maki's. She would stay to listen to the interrogation of Jurobei, because she knew that's exactly what this was going to turn into. She was, however, going to try and halt it for as long as possible.

"What I am saying is, now is not the time. The gates of Hell could open on our door step, with a single garganta, and we are not prepared in the least. The reprimand of Captain Jurobei should wait until we have all of our ducks in a row. As of right now, we have very little, if anything."

Norma considered both Maki and Jurobei her friends. She may not have trusted Jurobei very much, but he was someone whose company she enjoyed over the occasional game of chess and a cup of tea. She didn't want to see him go down like this, humiliated in front of his fellow captains. He didn't deserve that. Not after his many years of service. Norma wouldn't want to see that of even the greenest of the captains. This wasn't even how a proper hearing was conducted.

Technically, all who should remain for Jurobei's mental health fitness that would include the Taicho of the Medical Division. However...in this case she had way more important things to be doing. They could discuss Jurobei's issues at a later time, as far as her official prognosis would be. His file was filled with information about him, and people who were grieved did react with such fierceness. If no one found anything wrong, they could request her to do an official inquiry later.

For now she had a job to do and grief to deal with by burying herself in work, work badly needed at this moment. "If you need me, I shall be in Division Four."

With that, the Taicho of Division Four headed out from the meeting.

As Maki gave them permission to leave, Masaru gave a small nod; feeling no more need to be here considering he'd rather keep himself from being involved with the current...discussion of Jurobei's state of being at the moment.

"I'll be taking my leave as well then, if I'm needed I'll be at the Sixth." He said, his voice coming out rather calm but it was clear he was masking his current state of emotions. He couldn't let them take priority right now...he had work to do...

With one final, respectful bow towards the remaining captains, Masaru took his leave.

Hideki just gave a look at the stupid old lady. This old man captain was acting in totally contradictory ways. He had emotional blocks up like the great wall of china, actual parts of his SOUL ITSELF were locked away and it all circled around the death of Setsuna. It was a secret so vital, so DAMNING to im that he would rather openly try to press and manipulate the new head captain into sending him to PRISON then have it explored... It wasn't his leading hypothesis, but it wouldn't surprise him if he'd had an active hand in the death of Setsuna.

How did she not understand this. Other threats? They'd just had a goddamned SCHOOL DANCE with the Arrancar and the Hollows. Did she think they were really just waiting on their haunches ready to swoop in? Plus, the explosion was hours ago. If they were going to garganta in and start razing things, would them rushing off help? THEY still had a Corona. They would get squashed either way. No. No no no. The captain who might be responsible for TREASON was WAY more important then defending against imaginary enemies who probably didn't care. To think anything else, and let this psycho slip away? It wasn't even just irresponsible. It was MORONIC.

Hideki absolutely slammed his hand down. "Not the time?! Excuse me, but we have a captain who is more emotionally distraught then the departed's actual FAMILY, but is somehow at the same time not only hiding something about that distress, but hiding something so deep that he was trying to pressure Interim Soutaicho Tsukino into IMPRISONING him so that he would be able to avoid bringing it up."

He took a step back, gripping the stand in front of him. "If his distress over Setsuna's death is legitimate, what would he have to hide?" Phrasing it like that, there was only two possible answers. "The only possible explanations are either that he is upset at her death for some reason OTHER then affection for the departed, or, and I doubt this but it is a possibility, if he had some role in her death itself." Well there it was.

"These are serious accusations you are accusing Captain Ishimura of, Captain Nishimura." Alexander remarked as he stood up, straightening out his uniform and haori. Of course, he had noticed Jurobei's stare earlier, which he met with a stoic one of his own. Ah, so that was it.

"Being recently promoted to your position, I understand your eagerness, but as the humans say Rome wasn't built in a day. There are rules and conduct that must be followed. An investigation should be undertaken and if enough evidence is found, the accused should be brought before a proper council to stand trial. We cannot exactly just start a lynch mob and throw another Captain in jail without proper evidence of their crimes." He simply stated as began to walk out of the room. He appreciated Hideki's intuition and quick thinking, but as he had said, accusing someone of treason was not a light matter.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave." The R&D Head said as he nodded towards the new Head Captain and others before leaving the Meeting Hall.

It was about damn time that Lakshmi showed at least a little amount of grief during all of this. Jurobei didn't know to what extent he had helped induce it, but it proved that the weakness was not his own. He knew it in the way she tried to mimic her grandmother's voice and eyes, and despite her tone, the plea to be excused reeked of desperation. He wasn't all that surprised either when Norma brought up an apt general description of his character. Setsuna would have probably agreed; Jurobei was a pretty good liar, but one couldn't lie that well against nigh omniscience. It almost seemed like a defense near the end, but Jurobei liked the idea of allowing shinigami worry about other things like an invasion. Hideki was the most vocal and emotional now, something Jurobei had a mixed feeling about. Jurobei obviously didn't want to be caught, but Hideki's spirit to press for the real truth, and not just the surface truth, was admirable. Hideki was definitely asking the right questions, and Jurobei was only too satisfied not to help him find the answers. There were limits to Hideki's powers and his accusations because, as others had already said, there was not enough evidence to back up his claims. Jurobei stood up calmly, and turned his head back to Maki.

"With your permission, I will divert the task force in charge of the investigation of the nuclear explosion on Earth as well as the majority of my division to strengthen counter-intelligence measures in the case of potential enemy aggression, and have a detailed report delivered to you in less than an hour.

If there is nothing more, I will also take my leave."

"You do not get out of a case that you yourself brought up with a, "Anyways, I'll go do my job now." As head captain I ask Captain Des to escort you to the Psych ward until you can get a full psych eval by Captain Lakshmi. In the case that you are determined to be psychologically healthy we will hold a trial to discuss the accusations that have been laid across. Until further notice, the Vice Captain of your squad will take over until this issue is taken care of, Captain Jurobei." Maki stood up, "Everyone is dismissed. Hideki, stay here for a moment, I wish to speak with you."

Maki would wait until the room was vacated before addressing the young man.

Des hopped up with a smile and pulled out a set of handcuffs from her uniform. "Alright, hands behind your back as a safety precaution for both you and me. These will be removed once we get to the psych ward, understood?"

Ignored. She had the most time served as a captain here, and her opinion was just being ignored. Treated as if she was some silly old woman, who had no idea of what she spoke. Norma was furious, but she was going to keep her mouth shut for now. She was going to leave when Captain Des left with Jurobei. She was going to make sure the younger captain handled the older man respectfully, even if he didn't deserve it from his action here today.

So Maki did want a trial, but on what grounds? Acting suspiciously from his grievances over the previous Head Commander? That wasn't enough justification, even with Hideki's book shikai. What would the charges be? All Jurobei could think of was Conspiracy, a blanket charge at best with no real substance, and very hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

If he passed the psychological test, he would be judged. If he failed the psychological test, he would be judged. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, Jurobei would still be defamed. Jurobei hoped Norma saw the inherent legal bias in that. It would make sense to remove political opponents; that was what the martial law he quoted was designed to do in case of war.

It did show Jurobei, however, Maki's priorities, and he would also bring it with Norma at a better time if he had the chance. Norma's concerns were legitimate, and to have Vice Captain on duty for counter-intelligence matters against a real enemy simply wasn't enough.

"She said escort, not arrest, Captain Des." Jurobei said solemnly. "Unless the Head Commander remands her order to include cuffing me, I have the right to refuse you."

"Captain Jurobei has the correct of it, Captain Des. A loyal captain of the Soul Society wouldn't dare attack another captain. He is aloud to walk unrestrained." Maki stood stoic, but inside she was being worn down already. She didn't ask for this, that damned Setsuna. Still causing problems this far into the future. Maki would have to meditate on Setsuna's memories tonight. She didn't normally have a problem with instant recall, and in bankai it was effortless, but with someone who has lived such a long time, and in her unreleased state, it would take some time.

"Maki Soutaicho, may I speak to you privately for a moment."

Norma wanted to trail Captain Des and Jurobei. She knew what kind of person Jurobei was. He was crafty and underhanded. She feared he would try and get out of this by means of escape.

"It is urgent."

"Hideki, wait for me to get back." Maki walked to the exit of the meeting room and nodded for Norma to follow her. She took her down the hallway to a few doors down, and went into an empty office. "What is it Norma?" She looked a little concerned.

Norma followed Maki until the entered the empty room. Maki looked concerned, and she should be. This was a serious situation no matter how you looked at it.

"Captain, I've known Jurobei since I was young. I think if he is going to be escorted freely, he should be tailed. Jurobei is intelligent, too much so. He's also feeling cornered. We both know what happens when you corner a frightened animal. Allow me to use my shikai to follow him and Captain Des. I don't trust Jurobei with the freedom you've allowed him. As smart as he is, I fear he will do something irrational and make things worse for himself."

"Do it. If he does something irrational, he has shown his colors. I trust in your judgement to handle the situation." She turned to the door, "I'm going to head back to the meeting room. I'm sure you know how to tail someone so I won't lecture you. Go." At that Maki would head back to the meeting room.

After everyone but Hideki had left she would speak to him. "Assuming Jurobei doesn't do anything stupid, I have a job for you hon."

Norma nodded to Maki. She immediately released her shikai, and flash stepped from the building. She waited outside, around the corner of the building until she knew Jurobei and Des would be exiting. The air was filling with her pollen, so it would only take one breath of air for them to fall under her spell. Then she could follow them without being noticed.

Des let out a snort and resisted the strong urge to just sock the mouthy captain directly in the eye. "I wasn't fucking arresting you, you would definitely know if I was trying to arrest you. But what the fuck ever, lets go. You try something I will not hesitate to shove a taze grenade into your spine." The captain said as she nudge the captain forward.