Unintended Consequences [ Tento | Armina ]

“Hmmm”. At the utterance of Armina's words, Tento's left eyebrow gave a soft rise in doubt and disbelief. The circumstances of her offer were far out of the way of a likely good one. A fight was a fight.The challenge and thrill was what he looked for. In the end it did not matter where it came from; friend or foe. Spar or an intense fight pushing one another. If anything, he preferred an intense fight. He did that all the time with Hanako when they were still in school together. It was how they pushed each other and themselves. There was an uncertainty that Armina would not take the chance to seriously hurt him, but this was a good chance to get what he wanted before. Hopefully though, there would be some restraint. “I do wish to spar with you. I can take your offer now. However, weren’t you about to go off and do some, bonding?”.

In comparison to the recruitment Tento faced versus Armina. It was not a pure night and day. While he simply had to go through the challenges of studying in Shino before applying and hoping to be accepted into a Gotei division after becoming a soul. Armina had a rough life in the lower districts and a ruthless way of survival before adopting the student life. While Tento had trials by missions to prove he deserved a chance in the division. He had sparred with plenty of people when he was new, it was easy to tell that everyone wanted to check his marks given the fact he was given the 20th seat right after graduating. But the whole…making out during battle was not something he had done, yet. That was a whole different level that he hadn't obtained. He was a make a pre sweat then post sweat type of guy.

Be as it may, they were similar in a way. At least from how Tento saw it. They pursued strength, like fine women, and wanted those they cared about to be protected as well as protectors. “Yeah know, good point there. Well, I would definitely day the path to trust is easier now. We aren't in a bloody lawless land like the founders were. And we aren't in an endless wave of wars and in fighting like the Gotei were”, Tento said thinking back to pieces of history gone over in his shino classes.

Fought then made love with her recruiter. Well dang then Armina had a wild time on the first day. “I don't know how much it is ‘handed’ out though. After all, when you fight back to back to someone and save each other lives over a long time. I don't know what's another good way to earn it when you are facing death against stronger foes than before”. Tento said giving a pause before asking. “Why do you feel that it is handed out?”, he said before beginning to turn and walk to one of the training grounds. “Not everyone are like those girls. But perhaps a very small group under specific conditions is better than a bigger branch in the end. The more friends you have the more blind you can be. And the more you can hold onto". Tento said catching a hitch of hunger in her voice that seemed more desperation against live than last. Power and control. What really was inside this women's head and heart at the end of the day??

“Yashima huh?”, ya know the more Tento and Armina talked about that woman. The more Tento began to think that she did know what she was doing. And was fully intent on letting him flirt with her back and forth just to draw the wrath of a certain someone. It was sure funny how ‘honor’ was talked about as if he spat on it. All he did was talk to someone, and they talked back. It was a bit self-righteous and misguided. The prescening thing that he would wait to see was how she would act given this opportunity. Her dry tone had it hard to read, and he only had her reputation, the small talk he had before, and the minutes ago wrath to go off on. Would she just fight him hard, or would she try to do much more? It would impact his trust to her as one of his superiors either way.

“I never thought mistakenly flirting with someone could be considered so dishonorable, I will have to be more considerate in the future”. Tento let out in a soft hum taking her words in. “But I guess you are more referring to the latest issues I have heard lately of new guys being too ‘handsy’ and forward before getting a yes. That is frankly revolting and I hope no one thinks thats going to be just let go without a word”. From his voice one would hear a rare showing. With how new their rapport was, perhaps Armina would not have noticed right away, but the usual calm and composed voice was transformed. Becoming strong and deep in a different resonance, carrying a weight that demanded attention and respect to the topic he was speaking to. Subtle in intensity of his tone and an unmistakable firmness that left no room for doubt. Controlled and with dignity that was not loud but had it own gravitational pull to the ears.

“Blue and purple skin, or an icy description I wonder?”, Tento said in a calm shift back to a goofy and relaxed voice. Cracking a joke in between the silence towards the grounds. Ears open, Armina next points would be something that he had to disagree with. Things were not quite black and white like that, although there was some depth to consider.

“I suppose that is easier for some of us than others. Not every division gets a majority sent out for combat. There is us of course when things get bad, then 2nd to a degree, 7th, and 6th”, Tento said thinking out loud as he gave thought to some of them. Kido corps was always bound to get called in during fights. Specialized healing or a need for the Shinigami arts due to abilities. The 7th was the go to for anything on Earth, when things were bad enough that was when the 4th moved out. And as of late that was very often of a cross section. The sixth realm enforcement was the inverse, if chaos was going on within thew spirit world, they were in charge and the 4th would be there to help. “Oh, and the 8th I guess. Since they are all over the place. But given it all, we get the toughest fighters, and those challenges gives the more pressure to bind together or fall separately”. Tento said adding in the last division.

“It is not as pressing as fighting not to die, but any job you do day in and day out with people. You are bound to get closer to some and bang heads against others. Trust is built through many lanes, and they have theirs in the end”, Tento turned his as her last point, given colors and not earning it, peaked a bit of his interest. “I would say they have. You have to be accepted into the Gotei, not just join. Just because you go through Shino and apply for military does not mean you will be accepted. I do think that is just because of your passed life. Now, that distrust may be good at times/ Colors can be betrayed; Aizen and Ichigo for example”.

Tento gave a soft hmm filled with happiness. If she spotted it as he turned his ehad back forward. She would see a bright smile filled with positivity hearing that, a soft contentment. There was safe for only one person he would do that for without a second of doubt. But she was inactive and not involved in any harm as of now. It helped avoid a lot of worry for his sake. “Blessed be the few that have such a thing. You are a lucky lady Armina”. He would say as he stopped, standing in front of one of the barracks training grounds before turning to face Armina.

Tento knew that the 4th had a bit of a… ‘type’ reputation. Heavens know how such a label came to be with how Hanako handled stuff when she was Vice Captain. Maybe it was the new blood like himself that was causing such a name, after all, it was the newer recruits causing that type of trouble. On the other hand, the combat division always had its odd balls and troublemakers. As much of a veteran Shinigami they were, Shura and Armina did not have a clear or clean rap sheet either. One way or another it was here, and it had to be gutted. That type of action was simply crossing lines drawn.

“Kill? You are as bloodthirsty as I guessed. Death sentence from flirting in group training. A few smacks on the head and several hundred miles run would do fine”, Tento said raising an eyebrow at the surprise and concern at how ready she was to do such a thing. It was a bit of a bloodlust indeed. “No officer would approve wasting time, but I do not feel like the Captains or the Captain Commander would accept the loss of personnel over such a thing like that in the grand scheme. It is good they cut that out though. Hopefully it will be for the last time”. He said curious as to what Menka did.

Hearing her side of things, Tento had to give a degree of merit. “One can only know when it happens. So yeah, it is easier to trust someone who has seen fight first hand when it comes to battle. Just like it is easy to trust them with legal matters because that is their speciality. I do not think it makes them unable to think. But like you said, that is your opinion and you have a right to it. I trust you not to cause issues over personal opinions like me and Shura”, he said with a shrug. “As long as we all come together when the time comes. And get it done, that’s what matters. Trust or friendship means nothing when worlds may end”. He said thinking back to the many lessons involving the history of Shinigami. He doubted they were all friends and got along. They didn't have to. They needed to be soldiers, warriors. Balance seekers. The harmony that the current Gotei had was a boon cherished, and should be valued. After all it made fracturing a lot less of a possibility.

“I would say so. What else do you think from people like Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hisawaka, Headmaster Ukitake, 5th seat Furukawa, Vice Captain Arima, and many others. All of them are great teachers with even tougher classes. There are more hands-on focused classes too after all as well. Guided missions isn’t the same as in the field. I will grant you that. My first mission with the former 3rd seat was something else…”.

With a slow motion, Tento drew out his blade as Armina stood with a natural comfort in his eyes in the training grounds. If it was not for the fact he knew she was just waiting to pound him into the ground, he may have given her a compliment about how beautiful and strong she looked as she held her weapon. Tento lowered his stance as he held his blade out at center level, his back foot raised at heel level. “Alright then Armina, ready to cut loose?”. As soon as he got the hint of her readiness, he would fly forward in a quick series of steps, shifting his sword forward into three vertical overhead chops at a laxed level of his speed to test how she would react before hopping back to their previous distance.

It was true that wanting to kill someone and actually doing it was different. People hate or dislike others everyday but not everyone acts on those violent or hostile inklings in their minds. However, when it came to Armina Tento wondered how much of a line there was for her. Firm was a nice way of framing how she wanted to do it in his opinion. He had no idea how the other divisions worked internally. Let alone the Captains and Vice Captains. Perhaps others acted like Armina wanted, perhaps not and it was a unified style of leadership led by the Captain Commander’s recommendation. For what it was worth he thought the 4th was fine, good even, for the most part. He had no history with the Captain killed by an ally, or the replacement Captain before Captain Kanae took over. There was only the lingering influence that Hanako managed to put together acting as the temporary leader. Kanae was doing good so far at least, what was expected and the standards of what a Captain was.

It was not often Tento got a chance to fight a lady so tall, the last time he did so was years ago in the academy with Hanako. She handled his probe as well as he expected, with a calm ease she blocked each of his strikes. In her return she let loose threw of her own, the striking having a devastating amount of power that boomed with power as they clanged against his blade. He let the first two strikes clash against his sword as he side stepped, letting the force glade away from his blade. As the third strike came Tento stepped outward, using his speed to further himself out of reach before swinging his blade down, hoping to crash Armina’s zanpatuko to the ground before bursting forward, striking out his left hand to a punch to her center.

Both of them were far from getting started. This was a warmup to the warmup of what both of them could do. Both of them held a mountain of strength even compared to their fellow 4th division members. This was sure to be an exciting experience that pushed Tento in one way or another. And hopefully he will be able to give Armina a different type of thrill. His jab blocked by her arm in a last-minute defense. Tento's assault succeeded in putting a moment of pressure on Armina however fleeting it was. Softened but he was sure he did do something there all the same. It was hard to see from the ousting though due to the solid defense and trained temple that was her body. Nothing less expected from his superior officer.

With a few grunts and counter struggle, because Tento most certainly not going to make it easy for her, she succeeded in pushing him back. “Aye there. Feels like you're starting to wake up!”. His feet shuffled as he back pedaled as a result as Armina swung once again with a Haymarket strike her blade. Tento shifted his fit again. Twisting and jumping away from the strike to the side as he brought it sword up once again. A clang ring out as Tento felt his arms ache from that blow. However it would not let that give him reason to wait for Armina to apply more pressure on him. From the side he would burst forward in a rush of speed. Dashing forward before unleashing a horizontal slash aimed at her mid section as well. Before letting his sword drop down to the ground before quickly bringing it up in a careening arched vertical slash rising to the sky before his foot would shoot his right leg in a front kick to her gut.