Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ryan slid open the door that was set into one wall, coming out of his small sleeping space and pulling his haori on over his standard human clothes. He was wearing those all too often now...oh well, they're comfortable. Looking over to the door, he saw..."Aerin Itonami, my new fourth seat." Taking a seat behind his desk, he looked at some papers he'd left in his drawer regarding the newcomer. "Recorded as extremely proficient in your first three months, and I've kept my eye on you ever since...even though we've had substantial confusion over the past few years. You brought a lot to the table in your training battles, from what I remember - it made me revise a few specific battle strategies that were taught in the Academy."

Ryan looked back up at Aerin. "Did you ever wonder how your training opponents were so quickly able to counteract your variations in the strategies you were taught? I always look for those who analyze strategies and put their own spin on it...some students are able to make their own minor variations, but when the variations become particularly effective is when it catches my eye." Reaching into the same drawer, Ryan placed the basic standard-issue Field Combat Analysis Device (( it's like a scouter )) on his desk, looking at it than at Aerin. "That is why you are here, Aerin. It is the 11th Squad's job to carry out the main combat...and it is our job to guide them, and to guide the rest of the squads. The Gotei 13 is like the human body, and we are its brain - more specifically, we are the frontal lobe, making the decisions and orchestrating all parts of the body to work effectively and in order. Other squads may claim their importance..."

Ryan unlocked a drawer below the one he had taken the papers out of. Inside of it was a rolled-up sheet, and Ryan placed this on the desk, unrolling it. It was a scaled map of the Sereitei, with arrows, symbols, and positions written all over it. All the arrows pointing inward branched from 12th Division, and from there there were alterations, revisions, places where some arrows had been scribbled out and rerouted, other places that had been circled and marked. This was something Ryan would keep for study - it was his own personal copy of his grand strategy, the strategy that had re-taken Soul Society from the forces of Las Noches.

"...but none are more important than us."

"Confusion..." Ryan looked at the map, then at Aerin. "No, that is not confusion. This strategy was a successful one - the confusion you see is the reality of battle. A strategy is constructed on ideals, but one must always be prepared for the unexpected, for combat is hardly controlled. Some units may be slow, some may require redirection, sometimes the enemy might change something up on the fly. In human combat, it may be more inconsequential...but in this sort of combat, a rearrangement can be nearly instantaneous. I jab, my opponent parries. All one must remember is a famous quote from a famous singer: you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need."

Ryan then stood, stepping around the desk. "As for a challenge...perhaps you should be introduced to the sort of things you will face as a member of the Gotei 13. The first thing you should have is your shikai release...though, did they ever tell you at the Academy how that is obtained?"

Ryan simply tilted his head slightly, walking past Aerin. "Perhaps...it depends on what you mean by difficult. The path to obtain shikai could also be seen as quite easy, especially when compared with other paths...but the exact path..."

Ryan took another step toward the door. "I will show you. Follow me to the training ground and you will learn what is required of you."

(( Exit to training grounds. ))

((I am terribly sorry about this but I was wondering if this squad is still active. I am interested in joining but don't really want to spend my time rping with myself...))

@ Mazar

Yes, the Squad still exists, I'm the current VC at the moment but due to computer troubles that haven't been resolved yet...nor do I know when they will, I can't exactly be online often enough at the moment to make the Squad go anywhere. Thank you for your interest though! Your best bet would be to send Lord Setar, the current Squad Captain a PM on the subject. He should be able to get to your PM fairly quickly.