...
Ichibe seated himself opposite Yamamoto, a massive grin on his face as he eyed the lower ranked, awe-struck shinigami currently pouring them tea. His eyes took on a glint as he took in the male shinigami's name, his grin straining the slightest as his power showed him how utterly worthless the spirit was.
"Is it just me, or is the Gotei 13 getting complacent?" Ichibe's voice rumbled, turning the earlier expression on the currently stiff Tea-Pourer before them passive.
Yamamoto didn't so much as twitch at the question, his hands mechanically taking a sip of the cup before him.
"Perhaps you ought to take after one of my captains and acquire a pair of lenses,"
Ichibe barked a snort at the words, his hand grabbing onto the kettle settled for him specifically and took a deep drink, his mouth savouring the, albeit shortlived, earthen taste.
"Speaking of said captain..." Ichibe locked gazes with the older-looking man, earning the slightest of twitches out of him. Yamamoto however merely placed his cup down and signalled for privacy. Every shinigami within hearing distance, of varying ranks, disappearing.
"...Which captain would that be?" Yamamoto questioned indifferently.
Ichibe held the urge to snort in. "Aizen Sosuke, who else?"
"Ah. I see." Yamamoto nodded. "I had a feeling it would be about him-"
"Genryusai." Ichibe cut in, his earlier calm disappearing as a glint filled his eye.
Yamamoto blinked once, his expression giving nothing away, before slowly lowering his gaze towards the cup before him, his hands once again mechanically going towards it. His reiatsu covering his fingers as the cup warmed to the touch.
"A week ago," Ichibe continued undeterred, even as he watched Yamamoto quietly take a sip, his reiatsu forming up behind, shadowy tendrils quickly taking the form of a single. One that once again, failed to earn any reaction out of the captain-commander. "This, was Aizen Sosuke's name," He continued, the name before them had a certain sharpness to it's edges, every dash and line that made up the name sharpened, it's font impeccably clean, almost reflective, it's swirls a work of art. Threads of reiatsu surrounded the name, their colour a pale blue, it's texture unlike the name, rough, the intricate designs running across each thread, looked worn. Uncared for even.
Ichibe flicked his finger subtly, though Yamamoto caught the action, even if he didn't show any outward reaction. His reiatsu once again obeying him as it came alive, a second name appearing beside Aizen's. It's font, much like the other, was unnaturally sharp. Though unlike Aizen's, Yamamoto's name's edge had a certain gleam to it. The very air around rising in temperature as the letters seemed to burn up. The threads, unlike Aizen's, were far more refined, intricate large designs showcasing clearly, almost proudly, as they swirled around the name. The speed incomparable in the way it seemed to almost create an afterimage of a ring surrroding the name. Above all, even amidst the storm of movement, it all looked controlled.
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow at the display. "If you're here to talk about his development-"
Ichibe raised a single hand. "Oh ho, he's gone way past development... Nor, is that where I was going with this." He lowered his hand into a pocket, taking out what looked like a sweet as he continued. His reiatsu continuing on with the show as it spawned a third name. Only, one that was covered in shadows.
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes the slightest at the feel of the reishi before him. His eyes unblinking as they took on the rampaging shadows that surrounded and hid the name before him. The chaotic vortex of energy passed out in every direction, akin to a sparkler, before it swirled around the name uncontrollably.
"A week ago, that belonged to him."
There were very few moments in his long life that he could recall ever seeing Yamamoto momentarily put speechless but, he was certain he'd never forget this one.
"This is it now," Ichibe remarked, one hand clapping the ground beside him, a shockwave of reiatsu rebounded off the ground as Yhwach's name split in half.
Yamamoto eyed the two halves, the chaotic vortex cutting itself off the Emperor's name, though a small thread seemed to still connect the two, and moving towards the left. He watched as an unknown name seemed to fill Yhwach's missing name. And to the man's shock, he watched as the previously unconfined, chaotic and most certainly uncontrollable energy settled down, it's sparks of energy reducing in both quantity and quality yet, instead of turning violent(er) as it should have given the weak vessel, it seemed to calm down entirely instead.
The name itself, while making absolutely zero sense to their eyes, looked rough beyond belief. It's tattered and tainted font a mockery of what a soul should be. It's unrefined, entirely barbaric style screamed primitive.
Yet, this barbaric, this primitive, rotten soul, had managed to contain The Almighty.
Had managed to do what the Emperor of the Quincy's himself had failed.
For while Yhwach had mastered the ability to see into the future.
The alien, for it most certainly was not of this realm, had managed to instinctively understand it.
Somehow managed to take in the chaotic nature that was the ever branching timestream and embrace it completely.
Ichibe watched, silent, as Yamamoto turned towards the other half of the broken name. Turned towards what should've been Yhwach's name and yet... "Don't bother," He remarked gruffly, a sneer on his face. "For whatever reason, I can't seem to see what happened to it myself."
Of course, Yamamoto simply ignored him, his eyes searching still, starting to and from the other half connected to it. Though just like every other attempt he'd made to look for any hint of a name, the thread seemed to cut off into nothing. Shredded bits of thread slowly connecting to the ripped? End of the thread. Still try as he might, his eyes couldn't discern anything but the slowly growing thread.
"Still, despite all of that, the Soul King approves of the changes, and that's that." He shrugged, Yhwach's split name disappearing as quickly as it came. "Far be it for me to contradict him." Ichibe's eyes narrowed. "Even ignoring the fact that for whatever reason, Hueco Mundo's name seemed to have changed over night... Because, again, for whatever reason, the Soul King approves." his expression strained the slightest, a vein appearing on his head as he gripped a hand. "I've heard the rumours of what he's supposed to be and given the changes I felt when he supposedly landed... I am inclined to agree with them. For now. His so far actions aside, his presumed achievements included. I'll congratulate him when he accepts his new position after he, and given he isn't currently here, or you answer a simple question." His eyes turned hard, Yamamoto's unamused expression not at all deterring him.
"How in the Soul King's name, did he manage to do this to his name?" Ichibe questioned. His reiatsu immediately shifting as it reached out to grab the current form of the man's name.
Yamamoto blinked as he stared at the thing that started to form before him. The name itself couldn't be seen at all, presuming it even existed in the first place, the threads of reiatsu from earlier long gone. His brow furrowed as he momentarily questioned Ichibe's sanity because he was fairly certain the Captain of the Zero Squad had summoned a piñata.
That was it. For whatever reason, whenever he made to reach out towards Aizen's current name, a single customisedpiñata made of reiatsu was all he received.
"I am not sure what's worse, the fact he figured out such an ability before me-"
Yamamoto sighed. Because of course, he'd missed it the first time, Aizen would be the one to figure out how to naturally, for he couldn't feel a single bit of taint of it, modify his own name... Or at the very least, as unusual as it was, form an outer shell to cover it in...
"-Or the fact he'd replaced the thing's head with mine..."
And proceed to use that power to put the head of the Zero Squad Captain on a Piñata...
...
If anyone's confused as to why Ichibe seems to be rambling... He's not.
He's simply speaking his mind. Giving his own thoughts on what he thought of the matter.
Yamamoto knows he isn't looking for an answer. More that, he's simply there to essentially give them no excuses if and when everything goes to hell. Because he knows it is.
He's also throwing a bit of a temper tantrum.
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