The Rotator

Seireitei has been officially stabilized, for now, though there's plenty of work to be done. The extra duty on the updated schedules is mandatory, but so are the off-hours; we've lost a few people, and we don't need to lose any more to sheer exhaustion.

I'm requesting that other divisions share their current statuses and injured rosters so we can arrange adjusted assignments to the living world in order to compensate. The souls there still need to be looked after.

What a wonderful birthday.

[Private to Captain Ukitake]

Sir, please look after yourself. I've been keeping track of how little you've slept worried. You especially should take the time to rest now that we've enough time to relax.

[Filtered to division captains and ice-captains plus bananaphone friendlies]

After performing our duties in the living world under the new procedures for around a week, I thought it prudent to issue a status update, based on squad leader reports given to Captain Ukitake and our own observations.

Once we were able to reach the living world, the main problem was the large number of souls that could not be sent here by our 'substitutes'. Instead of just being a bureaucratic headache, large concentrations of Pluses served as lures for Hollows; this was and continues to be a problem, especially in the most densely populated cities.

Many officers, especially those with experience being stationed in the living world, are fully capable of defeating Hollows without shikai, even if they cannot be purified, but the more powerful Hollows present some difficulty. Additionally, if we devote more resources to fighting instead of soul transfer, the backup won't get much smaller and will continue to attract more Hollows than usual.

Thanks to the quick work of the Twelfth Division, the manual escorts through the dangai are proceeding mostly without incident, but they're slower. To be completely frank, it's much easier to perform konso on an unwilling soul than it is to drag them through an ominous-looking tunnel. When it comes down to making a choice, that is technically an option, but it's not the ideal choice, and it still slows us down.

Right now, our plan is to continue focusing on the soul transfers and dispatch as many squads as possible to hold back the Hollows until we can reach a balance point once more. If our fellow officers and captains have ideas for procedure improvements, please direct them to me and Captain Ukitake will review them.

[Private to Ichigo]

This has nothing to do with the rest of what I wrote. Mostly nothing. I saw your father the other day, and I came away wondering if you really ought to have a talk with him.

The quarantine continues, but Captain Unohana and Vice-Captain Kotetsu, if you've got any updates, I'd be grateful for them. Especially about my brother. Captain Ukitake is resting in bed today, but I want to assure everyone that it's simply a bout of his normal illness and no cause for alarm.

[Private to Ichigo]
Check the assignment board when you can; I've updated your schedule for the next week or so.

[Additionally, Byakuya will receive a hell butterfly today in which Rukia explains her reasons for not coming to see him yet and expresses her concern for his health. All very politely, of course.]

Captain Ukitake, after taking some time to recover, I've finished the report on our expedition to Hueco Mundo and left it on your desk. I tried to make it as informative as possible, but please let me know if you have further questions.

Additionally, one of our officers currently on assignment in the living world has reported strange disturbances with the hell butterflies she's sent, both as messengers and konso. It's as if there's some barrier or instability in the spiritual particles of the area that's preventing proper transmission to Soul Society. With permission, I'd like to take a team to investigate the matter myself.

[Private to Ichigo]
I know you've got Nel to deal with now, but if you can afford the time, I'd like you to be part of that team. This sort of problem is well out of your area of expertise—I think it would do you some good to be part of solving it. But it's up to you.

[Private]
I've been trying to keep a brave face for my friends and focus on the fact that Inoue's freedom is what really counts, but all that planning and secrecy and for what, if they didn't want her anyway? How effective are we if our greatest efforts mean nothing to them?

A quick notice to the Thirteenth—I'm sure word has circulated by now, but the large, quiet man who recently moved into the barracks is a friend of Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki's from the living world, not a rookie; I expect all of you to treat our guest with courtesy.

Captain, I've submitted the report on those from our division who collaborated in the kidnapping of Yadomaru Lisa. It's as thorough as I could make it, but if the need for future questioning and reports arises, I'll be happy to do it. This act will have serious consequences.

Let that be a lesson for all of you.

[Private to Ichigo]

Up for your lessons now that things have calmed down a bit? We can't have shinigami in the Thirteenth who might blow themselves up, after all.

A note to anyone who might be looking for me today—I am in, but I've moved to the spare office with no windows for today, and I'm keeping the lighting low, so you may not realize it's occupied. Any squad leaders who need to speak with me should look for me there.

God, my head hurts.

[Filtered to all captains and vice-captains]

This may not need saying, as I know you are all people of character, but Kurosaki Ichigo has been one of us since his first appearance in Soul Society, and he has had his Hollow under his control for nearly as long. I can personally vouch for his loyalties and abilities. If he hadn't become a Vaizard, I wouldn't be here now.

As with Captain Ukitake, I am open to questions if you don't feel comfortable speaking directly to Ichigo. Although I would hope you do.

[Private to Captain Ukitake]

My apologies for the impromptu relocation, sir. But on a more important matter, it seems Inoue will be making another visit to Seireitei later this week. I would recommend she be debriefed regarding the experiments that Szayel Apollo has been performing on her abilities. Aside from increasing our own knowledge, it's important that we know what the enemy knows about her powers.

[Private to Ichigo]

I don't really remember much about getting home after the bar, but I didn't wake up rolled into an alley with no money, so I'm assuming the credit for that is yours.

Thank you.

Good luck to all candidates participating in this week's taishu. I may not have the wisdom to know who should lead the divisions, but I feel certain that the Gotei Thirteen will be better off with your guidance and leadership. These holes have existed for too long; all four leaderless divisions have great days ahead.

[Private to Renji via interoffice mail, not jigoku-cho]

// No writing, just a bunnified drawing of a smiling Renji wearing a captain's haori //

[Private to Arisawa]

Are you seriously training with Captain Soi Fong? That's. Well. That's very impressive.

~To Captain Ukitake Jyuushiro, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, and Vice-Captain Abarai Renji via hell butterfly from the Fourth Division~

Due to recent injuries she has sustained, Vice-Captain Kuchiki will be spending a few days in the care of the Fourth Division; as she is currently unable to use the jigoku-cho, she has requested that we alert you to this. Please come visit her at your convenience.

[OOC: ...yeaaaaah.]