White Howl, Black Scales [Tento, Lerna]

The war with the hollows in Africa had come to an end. Asher was defeated, their forces divided and broken running amok as individuals once again. Not gone, but the threat to the human world is now far more reduced than the constant that it was for several months. Be as it may there was little celebration on Tento’s end. Homes were destroyed, lives, although they would be in the end saved and continue in their flow within the soul cycle. Had ended too quickly. The number of souls consumed by hollows or just created puts more work on the Shinigami's duty to guide and maintain a balance. Thankfully it was not in such a mass to threaten the balance of the realms but such a drag all the same.

That was just one issue that pushed at Tento’s mind. Comrades were lost, and he could not feel any happiness about his promotions. When it all started he was just the 20th seat, but now here he was. The 5th seat of his division. Once he had no shikai and only scratched the surface of what he had with his kido. But now he had grown in his relationship with his zanpatuko for more than he could ever comprehend. Once silent nights came whispered conversations to sleep. One there was no name, and now he knew them. He had connected to learn his swords name and even its true name. It was an unexpected growth that seemed inhumane to him in his mastery of his shikai in so little time. And yet, each time it was borne from a bitter taste in his mouth.

First it was just a desire to be of better use to grow. To enjoy the clash of wills and test himself. But soon it changed as more and more people fell, his comrades. He wanted to make fights such as the first wave a sooner operation. He needed to make a difference in people living another day. But in the end all he got were nothing but win-loses in his eyes. He may have clawed out victories from bloody battles. Enemies may have been forced to defeat. But he could not defeat anyone. He kept getting told that he prevented MORE people from dying, but it did not look like that case to him.

What good was the rank if you could not protect the people under you? Tch.

For one reason or another, that was his past and he had to move from it. Try to at least. Tento would continue to walk forward. Training, smiling, and laughing as he held things within. Trying his best to keep a good spirit for the sake of himself and others. Taking that chance on a rare of day, he decided to visit some divisions. The last on the random list was the seventh division. After entering the division there was not much going on. For a few minutes it just seemed he walked around adn talked to people. An average day, but soon he heard the familiar pounding of a training dummy being thrashed. Investigating the sight he saw a familar face going at it with, ice forming on the dummies. “Hey Lerna!”, Tento said in a call out waving his hand. “What are you up to??”.

It had most certainly been some time since Tento had seen Lerna. A lot had happened in the world at large and little bit in the small house that was the 4th division. If he had to talk about his familiarity when it came to the 7th division. Lerna was one of the people he had the most interactions with. He had spent a good deal of time on a mission with her. Tento had even gotten the chance to spend a good psr free evening hanging out with her and the other members of her division. Were they the best of buddies buddies? No, not at all in the short number of interactions, but in all regard Tento felt they had a good working civil relationship. At Least he would hope so with that smile she gave him.

“Like wise! I hope you been well and resting up. You worked hard out there”, Tento said, giving a short bow of gratitude before hiking up feeling he was being a bit too formal. “Oh? Kido eh. What are you working on?”, Tento said with a bit of curiosity in his voice. He did see her striking the bag as he walked in. What was she up to?

“Thank you, Lerna”, Tento said with a bit of uncertainty at her words. The sly smirk holding a bit of a judgemental view that made the man want to raise an eyebrow. And he half did. He stood off as she went over to the bench. His hands in his sleeves as he crossed his arms below his torso. “Well, I was looking for you actually. I heard you saved Shura in that fight. Thank you”.

“Seems like it. One thing ends and there's a little cool down before something else pops up. Some guys in the 4th say it has kept things from being boring but…”, he would offer a shrug at the end of his sentence.

Tento then gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck as Lerna spoke. It was true that he did better in hindsight than others. He did not die for one, and kept all of his limbs for a second. He had been involved in at least three fights worthy of reports and the first was by far the worst. Loss of inner hollow control to the point of being physically unable to move while the fight could still go on was not the WORST than could have happened. But it did mean that a great deal of bad things happened. The other fights against noticeable hollows he was able to put down did nothing to lessen that impact in his eyes. “In comparison to a lot of others, yeah. I still got myself handed at times though”, he said adding that it was not perfect for himself.

“Embarrassing as it may have been. You got out of there alive, AND someone else, against an overwhelming force. You are one heck of a warrior for that. Many other people would have died there ”, Tento said offering a light smirk. Before speaking more of a friendly challenging voice. “Oh? Trying to keep your junior in your rear view eh?”.

“Now don't start saying that. Once you do you have already lost”. Turning his head, he met the focus of her view. The training dummy with a melting piece of ice at its center. “Hakuda huh?”, Tento said, giving a bit of an academic look at the dummy from afar. “That looks interesting, are you trying to layer ice in your punches and kicks?”, Tento said, a few nods at her words. “You will get there in time. It has only been a week after all and you are doing something pretty complex on a fundamental level”.

“She is a…fiery person. Calling a retreat or covering her defense isn't something I am sure she would be super jazzed about it”, Tento said this in a very much so it was what it was voice. His comrade may not have been able to appreciate it. But as someone who had grown to at the very least somewhat like Shura, he did. “You don't say? Who have you been running into??”.

Tento could get her first hesitation at taking the positive from it. She got things handed to her, she got hurt pretty bad and was out of commission for a while from what he heard. If her condition was as bad as Shura’s when she got back that would have definitely been the case. Beyond that she still failed at the end of the day of defeating that hollow and ensuring that section was safe. People died and the balance of their side of the war was even more pressed. He understood that all too well.

Tento gave a look at her words. A bemused acknowledgement of her remark about being a rather strange Death Squad Member. What was it to be a member of the 4th division? For Tento it only meant that one was a fighter. They had the ability to fight as frontline soldiers, either through the blade, kido, or pure martial arts. They were the muscles the Gotei needed. If that was bloodlust, prideful, hot headed characteristic was nothing of the means to him. They were often found though, and needed. “Awwww thanks, it is a good way to keep people on their toes”, Tento mused back.

Hearing her words again after a snort, Tento found this side of Lerna cute. It was a surprise the first time he heard it earlier but now he was definitely not wrong about what he heard. Laughter told you about people.f]olor=#33ccff] “A healthy competitive spirit is not bad. I do not mind if you have me in mind from time to time” Tento start with his own light smirk. “As long as it helps you be a better you. I have a lot less experience than a lot of others here. But I can get it. People are still people after all. They want to be good, feel good, and not fall behind their friends”,[/color] Tento said giving a soft reminder to himself.

He nodded his head. “I see, well, given how strong you are it never hurts to have another tool in the belt. If anything, these waves of hollows has shown me how bad abilities can make the fight even if you are much stronger than your foe”. Tento thought back to a few fights that gave that as a hard lesson, one mainly the fight with the giant hollow that seemed to replicate and divide into smaller versions with each pierced cut. If it wasn’t for Igendai and Solomon, Tento was not sure if he would even be standing right now. “I always like helping people grow, and get an excuse to train. I am decent at it, so if you feel bored doing that once in a while hit me up”.

She may not need it though as he gained yet another snort at his words. Catching her movement his eyes looking with a plain follow at fire before growing into a lively interest as he heard the soft hiss pour out from her finger. The soft swirl and focus of her energy poured into the air before he witnessed ice form. Coiling in a precise motion into the shape of a bead of ice, the temperature dropping ever so slightly. “Oh you got a name for something already eh? It got me thinking you’ve been working on this longer than you say”, Tento said offering a bit of a compliment as he witnessed the ice beam shoot out before exploding in a frozen strike. It was quite the discreet move. “Fair enough, looks like you got something nice there”, Tento said letting out a short whistle.

As much as a goofball Tento let himself come off as. He tried his best to be a thoughtful and earnest man. Have fun, fight hard, and die at peace. That was all Tento could really plan for himself now that he was on this side of things. There were a plentitude of other things that could take up the stressful chambers of his man. Some things just shouldn't. Hearing her remark, he let out a chuckle.

“Oh I do huh?”, Tento said in response to Lerna's question as she made her way over to the dummy. A careful eye watching her as she began curling her fingers and focused. “I do actually. Did. For a while. I don't think much about it anymore now that I am actually working as a teacher aid and substitute”. He said in a bit of a bemused voice with the words leaving his lips. Just as her fingers went through a craftsmanship with the icy darkened fingers clawing through the dummy's surface. It was quite formed by what he could see. The form of her spiritual energy circulating was incomplete but stable. But as of now it seemed that it was only a physical change with a light layer of elemental impact; the claws at least.

Watching it made him think about his own development. It has been awhile since he really sat down with his Zanpakuto and attempted to channel his energy through it. The soft development he had against Captain Kanae was unexpected, and unpolished.

“I would say it is. Strength matters in the division. Our aim is to be the swords of the Gotei. As hot-headed, or imperfect we may be. Everyone wants the strong. And wants the division to be strong”, Tento said in a strong contrast to her remark that the division did not give the ‘help each other get stronger’, vibe. Which…he suppose it was not easy to see from the outside. But with each division which one was really likely that anyway?? His words came light in tone but strong in spirit. They may go by death division now as a moniker, a given one by others taken up by the receivers. But the discipline, determination, and dedication built by its predecessors was felt in full in different ways.

Tento looked down at the ground in thought for a split of a second. Leaning back on the bench in consideration before speaking. “I joined. Well. Because of someone. Rival, mentor, friend. At times I am not sure if they are only one or all. They would dislike it if I said it was my only reason. But, my first friend from when I became a soul here is in the 4th. I wanted to fight alongside and grow with them. Against them. Just like we did through Shino before they graduated ahead of me. I could have gone to a few places. Try at least. But…for some reason it…the thought just did not feel right”, Tento was quite sure of this reason. But that was a private matter that did not need to get addressed.

“I do like a good fight like all of the 4th tends to do. And hey, I can be flexible from a different view from where I am at so its still a win win”, Tento said looking back up with a rather relaxed smile. “Since we're on this topic. Why are you? I know you're a substitute but I don't believe you have to be apart of a division right?”.