Panic and pandemonium || Open

Mina was frantic. She had just been informed this morning that Unohana was missing, and she couldn't do anything. She was completely lost, and had no idea what to do. Everything Unohana had ever told her had been forgotten, and she was franticically trying to remember what to do. Her breathing was rapid like she was running, and she heard her name being called. Akiyama-taichou, Akiyama-taichou!! Mina willed the voice to go away, she couldn't be the Captain. This wasn't happening to her. It wasn't happening.....

Mina sat straight up, cracking the top of her head against the jaw of one of her Squad members. She had fallen asleep at her desk again, and had the reoccuring nightmare that she hadn't been ready to take over from Unohana. Giving a soft sigh, she looks at the young man, and gave him a smile. "I'm sorry, what's the matter?"

He gave her a smile in return, and then spoke. "The fukutaichou asked me to sit outside your office when they realized you had fallen asleep again, and I was to wake you up if you made noise. You were...ah....talking in your sleep Akiyama-taichou." He seemed embaressed to tell her that. "Thank you for waking me. I think I'm going to head to my quarters after making a round. Inform the Fukutaichou for me please?" She asked kindly. The guy gave her a nod, and then left. Mina let out another soft sigh, rubbing the top of her head, and looked at the Haori hanging up by the door. She wouldn't wear it though she was entitled to.

Her footsteps led her out of the room, locking it behind her, her captain's symbol sewn onto her back. She'd make her rounds and then go to her Quarters. Perhaps she'd have less troubled sleep there.

Lightning's aura was one of intimidation as she walked briskly down the corridors of the 4th division barracks, she was frustrated and angry at the current situation the soul society had found itself in. How on earth do so many people, of all ranks just simply up and disappear in the middle of the night?! She wanted to know and it had been eating at her as she searched the barracks for any of the so called 'missing'. She didn't want to believe that so many...and so high ranked officers had simply disappeared. She knew deep down that what she was doing was no more than a gigantic waste of time, the spirit king would not have informed her if he was not positive. Perhaps this was her way of dealing with the shocking news? Perhaps searching for those that were missing before officially accepting the fact was her way of coping.

She had a look set upon her facial features that read to all as 'don't get in my way', Lightning was not used to the barracks anymore and was probably walking around in circles as she thoroughly searched the 4th divisions barracks. Perhaps the missing were simply here? in the 4th division barracks being treated for a stomach upset they got after some bad food last night? Stupid....that thought was so stupid, she knew that there was no chance of that being true. But still the hope was there in the back of her mind.

Lightning's frustration and anger was growing as she had just checked yet another area of the barracks with no sightings of any of the missing people. So far she had searched all otherbarracks and areas of the soul society and rukongai, with no luck. She felt herself becoming close to breaking point as she saw yet another empty room before her. Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth Lightning finally accepted the fact that they were indeed gone....that Byakuya Kuchiki was gone. Her breathing was heavy like that of a bull ready to charge as she stood in the doorway of a room, a clenched fist leaning on the doorframe supporting her and her head lowered with her eyes still closed and teeth clenched. A gentle breeze blew in through the open window of the room before her, her red 'cape' that draped from the back of her shoudler on her highly customized shinigami uniform rustled behind her in the breezes embrace.

God help any poor person that bothered her right now.......

Making her rounds sometimes was more tiring then actually treating the Shinigami. And when she saw the acting Captain for the 6th Division she knew it might just be a while before she found her own bed. Rolling her shoulder a bit she walks towards the other woman, she leans against the wall, and spoke softly. "What can I do for you Lightning-Taichou? You haven't been in here since we've had to set that bone in your leg." she said, watching the other woman. It had been tough on them all, and everyone was dealing with it differently. Some good, and some bad. Mina wasn't sure where the two of them fell in it. Most Divisions managed to keep going like nothing happened, while others thrived better, and others fell apart. It was tough time for them all. Mina wanted to sigh a bit, but she knew that it was going to be healing everyone else, mentally as well as physically first before she got her own time.

A voice interrupted Lightning's thoughts, her head turned to face the woman to whom the voice belonged. Pushing off of the doorframe and folding her arms Lightning turned so her back was leaning against the wall also. She lowered her head slightly and stared at the ground as she watched the feet of a 4th division member briskly walk past. Her aura had that effect on most lower ranked shinigami, especially when in a bad mood. The breeze blowing past ruffled through her hair as she took her time to answer the woman's question, she had to try and remember the woman's name first....

"I see Unohana has also gone missing.....this is more of a problem than i first thought" So many people had disappeared without a trace, so many important people with them. A scream sounded out from a room down the hall of the barracks and Lightning's gaze ventured down the hall towards it's location for a moment before returning to the rather spotlessly clean floor. Pitiful, a grown man, a warrior at that screaming in pain like a young girl. The standard of warriors was dropping if you asked Lightning, or was it simply remaining the same? was she the one that had changed? Lightning would never be caught dead screaming like that not even if she was in such pain.

Lightning refused to believe the rumour that had been circulating through the lower ranks that the missing officers had deserted, she could not vouch for all that had left but she could for Byakuya Kuchiki. The man that upheld duty above all else would never do such a thing, part of her wanted to catch the ones responsilbe for spreading the rumour and snuff them out like the vermin they were...But judging by the amount of people here in the 4th division there was more then enough patients for the healers to contend with.

Mina nodded softly. This was a bigger problem then they all wanted to admit to. Most of her Division was terrified of the woman who stood with her, and truth be told, so was Mina. Mina heard the scream of pain, and caught Lightning's look of disgust. Giving a soft smirk, she looks in the same direction. "Not all men are like the 11th Division and incapable of screaming in pain. It's a rare man that can last that long under our ministrations without screaming for something. I have less patience then Unohana-taichou did. I'm Mina Akiyama by the way Lightning-taichou." Mina supplied her name, since she knew that not everyone was as good with names as she was. "All of our Captain and Vice Captains have Disappeared as well as many of our seated officers. Should the Espada, or the Hollows attack now we would be sorely pressed to defend ourselves."

((OOC: i removed the posts of cyphers as he had posted he was leaving and i didn't want people to think he was captain commander if they read this, but it turns out he was hacked and well yeah....boy do i feel like an ass anyway i suppose we should continue))

Lightning could feel that the woman was uncomfortable around her just as any other member of her division was, she couldn't decide whether she liked that fact or if it was indeed annoying. Sure it meant people stayed out of her way and didn't annoy her but it also meant that she would become a disliked person.....meh who needed to be well liked any way. "I would not worry anout the espada attacking, they have been effected by this as much as we have. As for hollows, i believe even in our current state we could drive of any assaults those mindless creatures would send our way." Lightning knew in truth she should have been afraid of these events but she wasn't. To be honest Lightning hardly ever felt fear, many could argue the pro's and con's of this trait and be correct. She also knew that the woman was probably looking for a gentler reassurance than the one she gave, but that was not her way. She was not gentle.

Mina looked in askance of the woman. How could the woman know about the Espada having the same problems as they have had? This was part of the reason that Lightning disturbed Mina so much. "Lighting-taichou, how do you know about the Espadas?" She asked in her soft voice. Mina wasn't that scary of a women, but when she spoke, people listened. It wasn't often that Mina had to raise her voice, and it wasn't often that she needed to make sure she was heard.

Mina never got angry. She never needed to. Plus, she was physically incapable of it, so mad, anger, and rage were unknown to her. "I've got patients to attend to, and Shinigami to train Lightning. I'm barely managing to get by right now because I don't feel right appointing someone to Vice Captain's position to assist me until we know what's going on. I'm not ready to take on more Shinigami to fill our ranks, let alone injured Shinigami." She said, crossing her arms over her chest in a slightly defensive motion.

((OOC: sorry it is short and bad but as you can see i did alot of work on the site today))

Lightning closed her eyes as she held in a sigh, "You truly do not believe that investigations would not have been done now do you?" Lightning knew that perhaps the other captains of the Gotei 13 had not yet been briefed on several importants reports but surely this women did not think that investigations had not been done. She gently moved a piece of hair from her eyes before stretching her hands out in front of her and interlocking her fingers to stretch her joints.

"These things you speak of, they are problems created by your mind and your mind alone. We were not devastated in a war, there are practically no injured right now...they are missing. You need not to fret about boosting numbers at the current moment." Lightning tirned her head slightly so her eyes could catch the woman's response. "Would you not agree"

Mina hadn't thought of that. Because she had been a little too emotionally distraught with the loss of her Captain, and surrogate mother. "I haven't had a chance to really think about it Lightning. The first few days were hetitic, and I've been trying to deal with the fact that Unohana has disappeared."

Rubbing her face with her hands slightly, she looks at the other woman, who didn't seem tired, but looked more exhausted then Mina felt. Perhaps, she was seeing things, and perhaps Mina needed to get more sleep, but for now, she was having a conversation with the 6th Division Tiachou. "Of course Lightning, you are right. It has been all just an imagining of my own mind. Between the regular injuries that the Shinigami get while training, and just various Souls coming to see us we haven't been busier then we normally are." Giving a soft sigh, she looks out the window that was near them. The sun was up at it's Zenith. Midday, and most of the Division would be breaking for lunch now. "We're about to head to lunch Lightning. Would you care to join us?"

Normally Lightning would not agree to be in sociable situations, they made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. But today as her stomach felt as though it would beat her senseless if she refused the offer made by Mina she agreed to go. Not to mention it was food.......she could rarely pass up food."My stomach would have it no other way" She gently pushed off of the wall with her foot and stood up straight with her arms in the air stretching. This whole day was definately wearing her out faster than most. But it would soon get better...food was coming.

(OOC: sorry it was short xD not much to write)

Mina smiled softly, and led the way to the eating area of her division. Perhaps she'd be able to get a couple other people to sit with her so that it wasn't just her trying to converse with Lightning. "Well I'm glad then that you've decided your hungry. The Shinigami here can cook rather nice meals. Lunch is usually a quick affair, though. I hope you don't mind. We need to get our people back out into the rooms to watch over the patients." Opening the doors to the dining area, Mina's heard the chatter fall off for a moment when she entered, and the chatter stop completely when they all saw who was with her.

Holding back a sigh, she looks skyward for a moment. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please get back to your meals. We all have duties to attend to, and we're here to eat." Mina said, before heading to the side where she could get two tray of food. Everyone was getting the same thing, which was a bowl of soup, with a variety of small sandwhiches. Even though it was simple fare, it was filling, and good to keep every one going. Holding the tray out to Lighting, Mina waits till Lightning gets a hold of it, and she leads her over to the corner of the Dining hall to sit down to eat.

Lightning was rather used to the reaction she received from those already eating and chatting in the dining area, although she didn't really know why. Sure she was a royal guard but surely not everyone here knew that, maybe it was just the stranger they saw amongst their ranks that changed their behaviour. Eaither way the hall had fallen somewhat quiet as those that dared to speak whispered to one another in hopes that Lightning could not hear them...in the end their attempts were futile. Lightning could still hear the feint murmurs regarding herself, but in all honesty it did not bother her one bit.

She took the tray that Mina offered her, it was indeed different to how she was used to eating. It was reminiscent of the academy in a way, boy how time had flown by since those years. Although the food provided could have been labeled as simple Lightning had no problems with what she was given, after all as her parents would always have told her "waste not want not" that was one of the few memories of her parents that her mind clung to like a small girl would her favourite teddy.

Taking a seat in the corner of the area Lightning immediately missed the soft and almost too comfortable chair of Captain Shuhei Hisagi's office. She would have to see about getting a chair like that for her own office, then again that could be a dangerous thing.....it could lead to her never leaving the darn thing.

Mina lightly blew on her soup, giving her eyes a slight rub. Her day wasn't quite over, even though she had been up all night to do a fair amount of work. But the bright side of this entire thing was that she could just relax tomorrow because she had a night shift again. "Lightning, how much do you want to see of how the Division is functioning? Because I can take you around on my round after lunch if you would like. We've got a few patients from the sixth Division who would probably like to see you." She said, thinking back to the three gentlemen from the sixth Division. So far the 4th Division had managed to keep the disappearence under wraps, but it would be better to let them know before they left the 4th Division.

"Unless of course you'd rather to have these gentlemen cause trouble by accusing you of killing Kuchiki-san." Mina said, taking a bite of one of her sandwhiches. The day was not done yet, but her paperwork for the moment was, which was a weight off her shoulders for later.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at Mina's statement, accuse her of killing Byakuya...that could be interesting. Part of her wondered why on earth they would jump to that conclusion first of all things but she decided not to say anything on that matter. "I need not to inspect your division, i merely was checking on the status of things. Seeing as how you have things under control here i am relieved. As for these division members i will visit them." Lightning had things to tell them and she wondered just who these mebers would be, were they anyone that would remember her from her captaincy? If so that would have made things easier, the respect would be there and she wouldn't be speaking to people that doubted her.

Taking a sip from her glass of water Lightning's gaze wandered around the room once more, not many faces from her time could be seen seated. Had it been that long? or had they merely died? or left the soul society? perhaps she was drawing to much into it, perhaps they were not eating right now. Or perhaps there never was that many faces she remembered to begin with.