[video]

[goneonenight]

[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.)

Comments

action;

[gained_a_level]

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.

action;

[goneonenight]

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.

action;

[gained_a_level]

-- 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. ]

action;

[goneonenight]

[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.

action;

[gained_a_level]

[ 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.

action;

[goneonenight]

[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?

action;

[gained_a_level]

[ 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. ]

action;

[goneonenight]

[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.