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[The feed turns onto a face that may be familiar to some. Her hair is much shorter, her eyes larger and her cheeks fuller, but it’s unmistakably Yoruichi, even if she only looks about nineteen right now.]

[She looks rattled, but determined not to let her recent arrival get to her all the same. Still, her words are hurried, betraying her obvious distress.]

If there’s anyone out there from the Onmitskidou, or the Gotei 13, or Seireitei...or Rukongai, I guess, can you let know? And if you know why all these humans can see us--

[She stops and pulls in a deep breath, her face firming]

I got an explanation but it doesn’t make sense. Since when are humans even capable-- [the last is a mutter, almost to herself] So just. If this thing’s working and you have some information, it’d be a big help.

[She bites her lower lip, then reaches out to turn off the device]

(ooc: Backdated to earlier today.)

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[ You would think all those times finding himself locked in a wrestling match -- CQC or whatever he called it -- with the likes of Big Boss all those times in Attollo would have left Cas more cautious about who he sneaks up on.

Nope. ]

Nngh!!

[ Doubling over, the angel reaches blindly out to his side to grasp at a wall, a railing, anything to brace himself while a vein stands out in his forehead and he grits his teeth in pain. Sure, a normal guy punching him in the face might result in a loud clang and little more than an annoyed look, but Yoruichi is anything but normal, okay. It actually hurts. ]

[Yoruichi is primed and ready to throw another blow, but when he doesn't move to retaliate, she calms down enough to recognize the arrival.]

Castiel?

[She relaxes slightly, scowling at him as her voice climbs up the register.]

What is wrong with you?!? You scared me!!

[And for good measure, she stomps forward and smacks him on the shoulder, this time just enough to show her displeasure and not enough to really hurt.]

...A-apologies.

[ He grunts, straightening up with obvious effort on his part. A hand is placed gently on his sternum, doing his best not to wince as he looks back at Yoruichi and failing miserably.

The smack on his shoulder earns her a put-upon glare, though. KNOCK IT OFF, PRINCESS. ]

Surely there is a reason you asked to see me other than to rebuke me physically.

Well I wouldn't have had to if you'd just showed up like a normal person.

[She bites her lip, guilt flashing clearly over her face; she hasn't yet learned the self-composure of her older self.]

...sorry. I can heal it, if you want.

[She's not great at healing yet, but she'll feel bad if she doesn't try.]

[ The angel shakes his head, the perturbed expression deepening for a moment as he refuses the offer... then stops. There's more changed about Yoruichi -- the one he knows these days -- than just the slight differences in physical appearance and mannerisms. ]

That won't be necessary.

[ He'll suffer the bruise and mainly because of his own wounded pride is sore enough, thank you very much. ]

...I suppose asking your age would reveal little, but it would appear that you are somewhat inexperienced now than you are when we met here.

[Yoruichi still looks guilty, but is eager to put this awkwardness behind them. Even if she has been trained as a soldier, she's still young enough to worry about the impression she makes on people.]

Okay, if you're sure.

[She blinks, then shrugs]

I don't know how old I was when you met me, but I haven't even been out of the Academy for a year now.

[ Castiel waves away the offer.

Aside from some subtle differences, it's impossible for Castiel to guess her age. If what he's heard from her is any indication, her kind could be older than their appearance lead one to believe and so really he would have to gauge her by skill alone. Skill that he likely hasn't seen the extent of to any degree that would help him now. ]

...Do you recall a place called Attollo?

[ Doubtful, but worth a shot. ]

Edited 2013-02-18 03:54 (UTC)

[By now she's not too much older than she actually looks, having only recently gotten to where her aging started to slow down. She is still very young, though, no older than the equivalent of eighteen or nineteen.]

[She frowns, pursing her lips at his question]

No, but you mentioned it earlier, right? I've never heard of it, though--what kind of place is it?

[ Other than the fact it was where they first met, he wasn't sure if detailing the kind of place it was would be entirely appropriate, but... ]

A vast experiment. [ He finds himself explaining, because some part of him still considers her a friend, despite the fact she's so different now more than ever from the woman who swept the bar while he collected empty bottles from the tables. ]

An island separated into four settlements, with these were the locals and the marked -- you and I were among the latter. Over time, these marks would darken and signal the locals to urge us to participate in these social experiments through coercion and other forms of control.

[ He keeps some details out, but it makes this place sound tame by comparison... but they were not forced into fighting another's war in Attollo either. ]

...It was not unpleasant, so long as the marked performed to our wardens' expectations.

[Her face holds equal parts dismay and horror as he speaks; for someone so averse to constrictions, to anyone controlling or directing her actions, a place like that sounds like hell on earth.]

That's...that's awful.

[Her voice starts to climb, and her reiatsu begins fluctuating wildly with her anger. There's a prowling, lashing quality to her spiritual pressure, like a half-grown wildcat still coming into its strength. It's nowhere near strong enough to make someone as strong as Castiel uncomfortable, but it's definitely noticeable.]

Who are they to do that? People aren't toys or puppets or--ugh!

[Unable to stay still, she begins to pace, her fists clenched.]

Why can't people just...let people make their own choices--live their own lives?

Obviously, they felt differently.

[ Castiel is ready to answer with I don't know, but even he knows that answer -- despite being accurate -- was something of a cop-out. ]

I suppose there are some who believe that free will is wasted on humanity. However, I suspect that our wardens sought to unlock a secret.

[ The angel watches the shinigami stalk around the room, his head leaning to a curious tilt. He can feel her -- feel that strength in a more raw form than before. Tingling like static but not yet sharp enough to bite with a snap of electricity, and not as smooth as Yoruichi's more refined energy that he's used to. ]

Our wardens... seemed to be utterly devoid of emotion, yet their experiments seemed focused on eliciting an emotional response.

[ At this point, despite how he still believes himself to be too disciplined to give into emotions, he can no longer claim to be emotionless. Not when he himself was considered to be worthy of experimentation. And certainly not after what he's felt and experienced in the last few years. ]

You and I were not subjected to any particular experiments together. We were... coworkers.

That's bullshit.

[She snaps, although it's clear her anger isn't directed at Castiel--and in fact is due to something much more personal, only tangentially related to the conversation at hand.]

People like that are just miserable. Gods forbid you manage to be happy doing something they don't approve of.

[She crosses her arms over her chest, almost visibly huffing, before turning that glare on Castiel.]

I'm glad you got out of there.

-- I'm sorry you didn't.

[ Dean did, but as far as he knows, Yoruichi was taken by the Initiative before she was brought to Attollo. ]

...Do you believe that all things that make you feel 'happy' are good? Even if that thing was forbidden or discouraged?

[ After all, serial killers confess to never having felt more alive than when they ended a life. This, no doubt, registered as a happy sensation to them. Although it's hardly a fair comparison. ]

[She frowns a bit at his reply]

I'll get out. Nobody can keep me anywhere for long.

[Despite her bold statement, his question causes her to look pensive.]

Well, I mean, you shouldn't get to do whatever you want if it means hurting people. But if you're not hurting anybody, it's not fair for someone to make you act like something you're not.

[She steps closer to him, limbs full of nervous energy.]

You know what I mean, right? I don't want to hurt anybody, I just want to be myself.

[ Her determination is admirable... and something he can relate to. It's just... complicated. Actually getting out has proven to be typically difficult, but wanting to even moreso. ]

Some would argue that a selfish desire is harmful in and of itself.

...Even if it seems to be... natural.

[She crosses her arms again, her frown edging dangerously close to a pout.]

But why? No one can ever answer that, they just spout the same old stuff about propriety and tradition. Who does it hurt if I smile at the servants or make friends with lower nobles, or even commoners?

I don't have to have a stick up my ass to be capable, so why do people insist I do?

[ As Cas seems to permanently have one lodged in his ass, he's probably not the best one to ask that. ]

Perhaps your role is one of leadership? There are... benefits to having the appearance of an elevated position.

[ Look at him, playing devil's advocate. ]

[She scoffs again, clearly not convinced]

Ukitake-dono is the nicest person ever. Shunsui-dono is always either drunk or asleep, or pretending to be drunk or asleep, and they've been captains for thousands of years or something. They couldn't stay captains if nobody listened to them.

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[video]

action;

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action; AND I RETURN FROM VACATIOOOOON!

action; /clasps you to my bosom

action; /motorboats affectionately

action; /iyan~

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