Connection [PM Chapters]

[too_lazy]

[SPOILER="plot volume wot?"]This thread will contain all my chapters for plot missions. I wasn't sure where to post this, because it wouldn't make sense if I posted it in the Gotei Field Reports, or in the Backstreet Slum Districts. >>[/SPOILER]

Ang Unang Araw: Kwento Ni Dante
[Tagalog Translation]The First Day: Dante’s Story

The plethora of buildings within Seireitei looked nearly identical. More or less they appeared similar in design. Architecture didn’t change much upon their bone white spiritron collective structures. There was one exception as the dawn heralded a new arrival upon on of their many rooftops, casting a soft glow of vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds in a shimmering display.

Out of all things to appear, in the midst of the chaos and bedlam involved with the current Sine Qua Non, a wooden gate materialized from thin air, forming a portal for the entry of one person. As the doors widened apart, revealing an eye blinding whiteness that rivaled the rays of morning, a shadow formed from its void.

First to emerge from the contrasting blackness was a foot, gently setting itself upon the rooftop. It tapped daintily with its toes against the firmness before it, as the rest of the form followed suit. An arm shot to his face in reaction to the unbearable light.

“Nakakapagpabagabag*,” Dante Espiritu grunted with a heavy sigh. At times he lapsed into his Tagalog, his native language, on pressing matters. “Why is everything so… shiny.”

Speaking to no one in particular, the infiltrating Vizard spoke with a slow and slightly annoyed drawl- how he commonly spoke. Accustoming his eyes to the other light about him, he stretched and yawned. Apparently he was still tired from his nap, along with the whole ‘travel’ through his gate. Scratching his rear, he walked to the building’s edge to survey his surroundings and try to get a grasp on where he was… normally landmarks would help orient him.

That is until he noticed that he entered Seireitei rather conspicuously- had anyone been within a good vantage point of his entry they would have noticed his appearance slightly amiss. Normally Shinigami traveled through Senkaimon, did they not? And wasn’t that at… their Division? Dante couldn’t remember if it was at the odd or even numbered Divisions though, and…

Nakakapagpabagabag! He easily got derailed by his own thoughts. His head craned to and fro to check if anyone had caught sight of him…

But actually the building he happened to arrive on was one of the tallest in the vicinity.

“Hmm, guess I’m safe,” he relaxed slightly but now began to scratch the silver locks on the front of his head. “Though, I’m not sure where I’m at right now…”

Shrugging it off, he decided to explore somewhat and figure things out with a simple journey.

Several hours passed of aimlessly wandering about Seireitei, and Dante still couldn’t figure out his actual location. He passed by numerous Shinigami but they were all in a rush. Something about ‘battle’ and ‘Sin… Quota… None.’ Whatever. In all actuality he wanted to find the singular Shinigami that gave him an incomparable feeling the last time he set foot in Seireitei. His missing… link… he guessed. But walking for so long began to take its toll on the lackadaisical Hybrid and he decided to take a seat.

The seat turned into lying down, and the space cadet soon found him gazing at the sky for the next hour enjoying a relaxing smoke, thinking of how nice the clouds looked today, and how the smoke wafting from his cigarette traced their way in elevation.

“Oi,” a voice interrupted his blissful idling. With a shift of his head, he noticed a pair of unruly looking Death Gods blocking any further view of the sky. “What are you doing… there’s an invasion going on.”

“I, um… well. Hmm…” Dante quickly thought about it, putting out the cigarette. He secretly wished he contained the Jonetsu ability of masking his presence entirely… it would have made situations like these avoidable altogether. “You see… I’m not specifically trained in battle. I’m from…”

He paused for a moment, scanning through all the Division specialties in his head. What were they again…?

“Heh. You’re from the Eighth, like we are,” answered the other Shinigami, scratching his short cropped mess of black hair, and then snickered. “We may not be specialized in battle, but we sure do know how to fight. You must be new around here… and a bit of a slacker. Avoiding our duty to observe and-”

“Oh, but I am observing,” Dante nonchalantly pointed up at the sky.

“Heh, smart-aleck, huh. No wonder you’re in our Division. But you must be new around here… thinking that being a Shinigami is nothing but lounging about, purifying Hollows once in a while, or mainly researching Kidou and the Arcane Sciences.”

“So is the Eighth close by…?” noticing how these Shinigami readily accepted the slow speaking man, Dante decided to ask them some question due to his ‘newness’. “I’ve seem to have gotten lost.”

“Maybe he isn’t so smart, ne, Izumo?” the other asked his friend, flicking his bandaged nose while winking. A devious smirk crossed his face. “Look behind you.”

The wall Dante was lying by housed an enormous sign:

8th Division Headquarters ----->

“Heh, yeah, Koutetsu, not too bright at all. But listen, newbie. You can’t just be lounging about like you’re on break. You better get to work.”

“Hmm, well, I think that observing the sky for irregular patterns, and the fact that we have invaders, is plenty work alone,” replied the Vizard. The shock of finding out his location was dismissed by the new change of subject.

“Nope. Not even close, friend,” Koutetsu laughed, winking at Izumo.

“Oh? We’re friends? I don’t recall meeting you before. After all, I am new,” said Dante earnestly.

Izumo held out a hand to help Dante up, with a big wide grin plastered upon his face. “Of course we’re friends! We’re Division mates! You know, we should help each other out. Just like how we’re helping you avoid trouble from the big bad Captain of ours. You ever hear about Fenre-Taichou?”

“I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never met him in person,” lied the Hybrid as he was righted to his feet. He forgot the names of half the Captains in the Gotei.

“Then you wouldn’t want to get on his bad side,” Koutetsu answered. “Trust me. So, what you need to do is…”

Throwing an arm over Dante’s shoulder, Izumo then thrust a small package into the Vizard’s chest with his other arm. “Deliver this to Tenth Division for us, friend. We’ve been swamped with duties lately, and why, it might be because people are slacking off like you.”

“Oh my,” he pretended to act shocked, but the careless Dante wasn’t a very convincing actor sometimes. “Then I’ll have to pick up the slack of our Division. I’ll make you proud.” Spinning on his heels, he began to take off in a direction. “Oh… which way is Tenth Division again?”

“Other way,” Koutetsu scrunched his lips together, with an enormous smile to match Izumo’s.

“Thanks! Koutetsu-san, Izumo-san, I really appreciate it!” with a courteous bow, Dante headed off.

Once he was out of sight, the duo began to bellow with such laughter, but soon stopped themselves for fear of their ‘friend’ overhearing. Izumo began to wipe his eyes, which started to tear due to his amusement. “Can you believe that guy?! What a newb!”

“Now it’s our turn to take a break. I sure as hell don’t feel like fighting today.” Koutetsu snickered, as the two walked off in a separate direction.

[Nakakapagpabagabag*= Troubling in Tagalog, or something along those lines.]

[1,230]

[too_lazy]

A Fleeting Dream: Tian Cai’s Story


[SPOILER="***"]***Continued from What Lies Beyond Looks***[/SPOILER]

____________________

The air was still. No noise could be heard. A faint red glow washed throughout the near endless culmination of buildings within Southern Rukongai. The same vermillion tone now stained a devastated market square, contrasting from the rays of the sunset. This happened to be the lost essence of two souls left within the area. A pool of crimson built upon one of the prone forms, the last of his life slowly draining away.

Tian Cai shallowly breathed, wheezing, feeling that same liquid find its way into his lungs. His body was wracked, bones were broken, his skin feeling as if it was set ablaze… and then pulped by an invisible vice. Maintaining consciousness alone proved to be a formidable act in itself. The only thing he wanted to do was close his eyes and rest…

But all he could see was him.

The image was such a strong, pulsing, vibrant one. Its sight burned heavily upon Tian Cai’s mind, with a heavier weight than anything he could possibly imagine. Everything that had happened to him in the shortest time frame that seemed to have lasted an eternity… was it even real anymore? He quickly succumbed to doubt, for all of this appeared to be a dream… or even worse, a nightmare.

He still couldn’t lose the sight of that man.

Who was he?

How was this possible?

Why… did he look like… Jin?

At least, in terms of facial structure that person greatly resembled him. Everything else was nothing like the Jinsoku he knew, the Jin from the Shinigami Academy, one of his best friends, one of his only friends. The voice, the clothing, the demeanor, all of it far too contrasted Jinsoku. But how were they related to one another? Was this a sibling? Relative?

As much as it would have made sense, given the fact that they shared a similar pulse of Reiryoku… it didn’t quite add up. Tian Cai knew that the person he fought was an Arrancar. That was for certain… the chitinous remnants of a Hollow mask were prevalent on the antagonist’s face, the tusks covering his mouth and across his face a glaring obvious fact. But even if this person were related to Jin, it still wouldn’t have made sense.

For if he were related, the appearance of him would never look like Jin due to the process involved with the birth of Arrancar.

This led the battered Keigun to believe that the only real reason for this would be the common knowledge that, despite the wide variety of faces, looks, and genetic make up in this world, there is always the possibility that someone could have the appearance of another, despite not even being related.

But that didn’t explain the traces of Reiryoku.

There wasn’t anything the quick witted boy could think of that would logically explain it. But was this Tian Cai’s fate, to be left to die by someone who had nearly the same face as one of the only people to befriend him? Everything that happened was surreal. Too tired to even move his head, Tian Cai slightly wished he could see Genki… but then thought twice about it, and suddenly preferred to watch the pile of rubble continue to smoke beside him.

The Arrancar hadn’t even lifted a finger, let alone moved- at least in Tian Cai’s eyes- but definitively ended his comrade’s life. All it took was several seconds. The first, wherein a deep sized hole had seemingly materialized into Genki’s stomach. It threw off the duo of Keigun, but Genki, the impetuous soul, charged in regardless. After all, that was what the promising cadet had wanted; he strived to make a name for himself and would take any matters to accomplish that goal. He even went against his superior’s, Tian Cai’s, words and rushed onwards despite the crippling wound.

Still in shock over what had occurred, Tian Cai was left to witness Genki’s head being shorn clean off from his neck. Still, the Arrancar appeared to have taken no movements whatsoever, no spike in Reiatsu, no release of Zanpakutou to be able to achieve such an unimaginable sight. Nonchalantly, its demeanor was still relatively cold, but warning Tian Cai of what they had stumbled into. The hybrid had an infatuation with sins… speaking of how the Gotei was being punished for their transgressions. It spoke of how that this would be a fitting warm up prior to his future endeavors.

Before Tian Cai could call for back up, the device around his ear was instantly shattered- no doubt by the same force which had ended Genki’s life so quickly. Unable to run, knowing full well that same ability of the Jinsoku doppelganger would erase Tian Cai from existence, he had to fight back. With his tactics, and knowledge in Kidou, it wasn’t even close to an even match for the sheer brute force of the Hybrid. Countless times Tian Cai was stopped by what appeared to be pressurized wind currents. But for each time the near motionless Arrancar had utilized that affinity with wind, he would then notice that something did indeed move.

The Jin imposter’s left hand, hidden beneath his robes, would twitch. This led the genius in Kidou to utilize countless Hadou in conjunction with Bakudou, to set up a trap and stop the Arrancar from creating the blasts of wind. It worked to no avail. For when the Arrancar did move, its speed was almost too much for Tian Cai to keep up with. And after a barrage of the Demon Arts and failed strategies with the Hybrid’s sheer speed, Tian Cai finally felt the technique of the Jin clone’s might.

Now lying in a pool of his own blood, the Keigun was left to die- after being thanked for the quick spar and the Arrancar’s disappearance. He hadn’t even the strength to attempt a life saving Chiyudou. Quickly losing the ability to even reminisce about what had transpired in that battle, the crimson colored world about him was now being dipped in darkness.

Though he caught an all too familiar glimpse before he would close his eyes for the last time.

An enormous canine, black furred, with piercing amber eyes began to lick his face tenderly while whimpering.

“M… Michi…?” shallowly whispered Tian Cai, though he tried to force it out.

“Tian Cai!” shouted a memorable voice, one in utter distress.

Unable to move his head still, the crippled youth chuckled lightly, until he coughed up blood. “Cross? Now I know I’m dreaming…”

All of these coincidences, these meetings, these happenings. They were all connected, tied by the invisible strands of fate. Before he could hear a response from his other friend, the darkness finally completed its consumption of Tian Cai’s world.

[1,130]

[too_lazy]

Of Hotdogs And Hazing

***Continued from this Chapter: The First Day: Jin's Story ***

Jinsoku awoke from his sleep, surprisingly finding himself well rested. Although his dreams were another matter in themselves; he constantly envisioned himself in that same world wherein he fought his Excelsior comrade Gankou. However, what looped constantly through his head were the ‘separate’ entities of himself, the doppelgangers and shadows representing different shades of his being. He couldn’t understand why he dreamt that of all things (usually he found himself in naughty situations with various femmes of the Gotei), but there was one thing for certain nagging him once he was fully conscious.

He had felt a deathly presence emanate wildly amidst Seireitei once he came to. What was curious about this feeling was that it was… horribly similar to his own. Unable to explain the full rationale of how the likeness of that presence affected him, there would be no other alternative but to seek it out. The rogue just worried if there were any other Shinigami prowling around, waiting to pounce on the former Captain. Unfortunately there was no other choice but to proceed onwards; he would more than likely run away if he encountered any further ‘resistance’ from his old allies and accomplices.

Note to self: Remind me to bop Rei later for having such a dumb Division, smugly thought the silver haired man, as he exited the storage room and set out on his new journey. Despite his well rested invigoration, he had awoken rather early- a feat that he wasn’t quite used to. He faced the breaking of twilight; shards of blue were cracking through the ebony eve and heralding the dawn. If he moved quickly enough, he could sneak around easier around Seireitei and maneuver through the multitude of shadows created by its magnanimous buildings.

A crisp breeze billowed, chilling the warm blood pumping through his veins. It howled, leaving no other tell-tale trace of sound or activity so early… at least not yet, or where he was. Perhaps he had slept in one of the storehouses that contained hotdogs for the Academy Cafeteria- that old and useless. Shuddering at the thought of eating and sampling the wieners before, his mind switched back to his feeling surging about him. Jinsoku took to the mid-ground, not too high to be easily detected, and not too low, whereas others would make their daily rounds.

Creeping about the shadows, until the rays of sun had finally speared their way brightly upon Seireitei, Jin had luckily encountered no resistance blocking his path. Several hours must have passed, for in his rapid paced running and alternate bursts of shunpo, he grew slightly weary. That and his stomach was rumbling, nagging him to sustain himself.

“Aiya,” he lightly jabbed the source of the complaining growls, using his other arm to down his gullet with sake. “This’ll tide you over… dang… maybe I should have checked that warehouse if it really was a hotdog place…”

Slumping over in a slightly darkened alleyway, a short rest seemed suitable. Too many things were working against this break though. The empty stomach, the incomprehensible feeling rattling its way down to the core of his soul, the chance that any of his old Division mates could be seriously harmed by this invasion… Why did he even care about them so much? They weren’t his concern… **** his sentimentality. It seemed as if this rest was soon to be cut short.

Answering his thoughts completely, a pair passed by the alleyway he was in, then stopped completely.

Shimatta! Jinsoku knew that he was caught; if he tried to escape, it’d look even worse on his part. And he couldn’t just injure people he was trying to help; it was too counter-productive to his overall mission. Sighing, he said nothing and remained in his lazy position against the very back of the alley’s wall. He’d wait for them to make the first move and act accordingly.

They whispered to each other, and cracked wide grins. That didn’t mean a good thing. Slowly the duo of men approached Jinsoku, their smiles not ceasing, a malicious intent present upon them. The Excelsior member’s muscles tightened; perhaps he really had to use force this one time to avert a potentially dangerous situation. Tension swelled up quickly in the narrow corridor, its walls seeming to cave in any moment due to the sheer pressure. A rapidly thumping heartbeat, followed with the echoing of the Shinigami pair’s footsteps was all that could be heard.

“Ohaiyou gozaimasu~” crooned the silver haired Shinigami with a bright beaming smile, his once clenched fist spreading open to a friendly wave. He couldn’t help it! Standing against pressure like that, the unorthodox Jinsoku didn’t know what else to do. It was all up to the Fates to decide what would happen.

The moment Jin greeted them, the pair of Death Gods halted completely in their tracks. They looked at one another, befuddled, before rupturing the once tense alleyway with laughter. In the darkened area, once they tilted their heads to the sky to laugh like that, Jinsoku caught what they looked like. One had long and messy, very thickly clumped spikes of black hair, with a bandage covering his nose with narrow eyes. The other was wearing a bandana, with shorter hair poking out, large and dark brown irises catching the glint of light.

“So what happened after that errand, newbie?!?” chuckled the one with the bandana, placing his hands on his thighs and bending over to gain a close look at Jin.

“Yeah, did you get hazed by the Tenth Division after we had you send that package?! You look like a wreck! Your hair, clothes… looks like a blind person gave you a makeover! That and you reek like liquor!” the bandage nose man bellowed with laughter, crying out so loud, that he had to lean an elbow and some weight of his onto his bent over comrade’s back.

Kweh?! was the Velox Argentum’s only mental response; he had never come across these Shinigami ever in his life, yet they spoke to him as if he were a cadet. So long as they didn’t find him as the Rogue that had a warrant out for his arrest… Hey! They insulted his look! What was wrong with it?!? Jinsoku’s fists clenched again; perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to knock these two clowns senseless. But the fact that they were confusing him for someone else became more and more intriguing; no doubt this was tied to his sensations of a ‘similar’ presence emanating in Seireitei.

“I heard that ever since their crazy former Captain gave some initiates bad hazing, I heard it was commonplace over there! What a bunch of drunken louts at the Tenth, it’s really quite sad.” The man with a bandana slowly shook his head in dismay.

“Do you even remember us? Probably not, after such a traumatic experience. You probably want to kill after that errand we sent you on turned into a nightmare. I’m Koutetsu; the other guy’s Izumo. No hard feelings, ne? We didn’t think that you’d end up like that.” Koutetsu tried to keep a straight face, but soon exploded with a deep chortle. It prompted Izumo to follow suit.

The pair didn’t have time to stop their laughter and continue the conversation. With an uncanny speed, Jin had rose to his feet, and trying not to hit them with all his might (for it would no doubt render them incapacitated for quite a while), he sent a backhand to the Izumo, and spun around for a knee into Koutetsu’s gut. They asked for it! Their first strike was for mocking his appearance, then how he ran his former Division, and lastly, laughing in his face for being mistreated (though he really wasn’t, but that was still a horrible thing to do to a person overall, particularly a new recruit).

Izumo’s body lifted effortlessly to the skies like a rag doll, before skidding for several bounces to the mouth of the alleyway. Koutetsu managed to splinter the wall behind him, making a spider’s web of cracks to line the walls, before he crumpled in a heap.

Oops… think I hit them too hard… Jin’s face sneered in shock. “You okay?!?” he screamed, hoping that one was still conscious to hear him.

“Ugh… yeah… remind us not to… mess with ya…” huffed Izumo, writhing along the ground, holding his hands around his injury.

Koutetsu said nothing, but coughed harshly, the wind knocked completely out of him.

“Maybe you ought to think more carefully before you speak,” Jinsoku scratched the back of his head whilst laughing lightly. His stomach whined in a deep rumble. “Though I got one thing to ask you before I go. You know where there’s a good bite to eat around here?”

“Y… yeah, but…” Izumo exhaled loudly. Apparently he found it difficult to talk with a near dislocated jaw. “D… didn’t you pass… by the old h… hotdog storehouse?”

Jin mentally slapped himself. He knew that awful stench he slept (perfectly) through was familiar! “Give me a break. I ate that nasty food before; now tell me where some palatable grub is.”

“Shut up… Izumo. C… continue a little ways… down this path…. There’s a n… nice ramen booth…” Koutetsu groaned before trying to cough up his own lung by the sound of it.

“Thanks, and remember, be a little nicer to new recruits around here… because even at the Tenth, they never did anything bad like this,” Jin whistled, strolling out the alley with a big grin upon his face.

[ 1,597 ]

[too_lazy]

Karma And Chance Reunion
(A.K.A. A Man And His String)

A great burden had lifted itself off of Jinsoku’s shoulders after dealing with the two ruffians he had just met. Perhaps all these building emotions could only be released through its fist. Sadly, that was the only talent he could use to express himself; the silver haired Shinigami seemed to be only capable of fighting and hardly anything else. Although he really didn’t want to injure some of his old comrades, the long story short was he thought they were jerks. And after all, wasn’t that his duty in the Excelsior? To do what was morally right?

It was as if he received a bonus in justifying his actions. To think so much good came from violence. In fact, the earlier heavier weights of sensations involving the presences in Seireitei, how his Division was, and how tired he had felt had all vanished without a trace. Riding purely on good vibes and jovial emotion, Jin spared no time wolfing down countless bowls of ramen, ignoring the shop keep’s warnings of the spicy bowls, and why a Shinigami would look and dress the way he did.

The humble and elderly fellow continued to babble on to Jin about the olden days, and other invasions, and how Shinigami like Jinsoku were rare, and the silver haired Rogue half-heartedly listened in midst of his feast. For a solitary moment, he wondered why there wasn’t enough Shinigami in this area during a siege, and why this shop owner would still be out as if nothing was going on. Offhand, Jin noticed that all the hair upon his head had somehow migrated to places all over the rest of the owner’s body- arms, ears (particularly nasty), almost… everywhere.

Still in his ecstatic happy-go-lucky attitude, Jinsoku also noticed a pair of odd sunglasses at the stand. Seemingly made out of paper, each lens held a plastic-like shade of blue for one side, and red for the other. Cooing like a child, he snatched the pair of glasses without the hirsute ramen booth owner even noticing. Things were grand at the moment. One by one he devoured bowls as if they were grains of rice, and his stomach would not allow one portion of itself to remain that empty again. For all his deft voraciousness, surprisingly, he made little a mess overall. The bowl count was unknown.

With a hearty belch that seemed to rock a several mile radius with a howling gale of storm like concussion, he yawned, patting his belly. At the end was the geriatric booth keep, enormous smile plastered upon his façade, and a palm outstretched for money.

“Ano… chotto matte, ossan,” were the first words Jinsoku spoke other than ordering food, as he patted the multiple areas of his body which housed pockets in a desperate attempt to find anything. Scrounging through them, he ultimately found in his splayed palm:

One ryo, a string (that brought him great ways to pass the time), pocket lint, something broken and indiscernible in its shattered fragments, a hardened and irregular shape of already melted chocolate, and… a ball that seemed to be inert. A slight giggle of embarrassment escaped his lips as he realized he was nearly destitute; that and he left his money back in his other pants pocket along with a ball that wasn’t inert.

“Heh… think I can leave that it on those two guys’ tabs that passed here not too long ago?” cheekily asked the rogue.

The vendor’s face soon turned sour and his once sweet voice turned bitter. “Those guys owe me more money than the bill you just racked up.”

“Oho?” without warning Jin shiftily glanced about, his head moving to and fro, as if he were hearing and searching for impending danger. Like a secret agent unable to tell anyone of his true agenda (which was kind of the case in his part), he bolted from his seat, taking off in a fevered dash. Behind the wake of dust, his shout came to the old man’s hairy ears, “I’ll pay you back when you know that I helped save Seireitei! Believe it!!!!”

Surprisingly the ‘dine and dash’ worked. In most areas of Seireitei booths and shops were rigged to take down even a person of Captain level stature. Perhaps the old man really believed that Jin was after an adversary that didn’t exist… either way, he remembered the ramen cook’s face well, for he would pay him back… someday. But for some reason the blue and green eyed Shinigami kept sprinting, as if he were afraid that the old man had set explosive ramen to detonate just in case of these occurrences.

Though in his escape, a cramp soon came upon his stuffed innards, and he stumbled over his own two feet into a crashing heap. Could this have been just an example of the ramen keeper’s explosives?!? Jin hoped not, but soon found himself unable to move- the pain was that great. Crawling to an area that wasn’t wide out in the open of Seireitei (and where an angered booth owner could find him), he miraculously found yet another alleyway that had enough shade in it. Something about being shady fit quite well with these surroundings…

Sighing, he hoped the ramen wasn’t drugged either to chemically shut down his system unless you paid for the bill and received your after dinner “mint” (a.k.a. antidote) at the end. Though he was slightly more particular to cinnamon candies now for some reason…

Interrupting the overactive imagination of the rogue, a trace of Reiatsu flared up brightly within his extrasensory perceptions. Answering to his mock display earlier at the ramen stand, Jin finally understood that Karma had come back to retaliate in the harshest of ways. This is what he got for beating up Koutetsu and Izumo, then trying to place the bill on them. This is what he got for insulting the hotdogs at the Academy. This is what he got for stealing that sweet pair of glasses at the ramen stand. This is what he got for dining and dashing.

Slinking like a worm upon its belly, he finally managed to reach the shady alleyway. Once again his heart raced at the thought of him possibly running into an enforcer of the ramen booth owner, or something far worse- say for instance like an Arrancar, or those white robed fellers that wished to do Seireitei much harm (he honestly forgot what they were called again)…

A lump of rock which was really him trying to gulp down his impending fate followed as he could feel the spiritual pressure come closer and closer. Eerily silent, he could hear nothing, save the labored breathing of his. Was this fear? Weakened, did he know his time would end? He soon began thinking of things he’d like to do, things he wished he could have done. Used the string in conjunction with a potato chip and some other homemade products to create explosives, build another sake brewery in Rukongai, tell Yuri he loved her, things like that.

And the time came. He could see a shadow looming at the edge of the corridor, moving ever so slowly, as if to antagonize him.

The next second was a blur, as he felt himself become pinned to the ground with a great force, his insides being pulped within.

“You really need to learn your way around here,” the sweet sing song of voice rang through his (non hairy) ears, for it was all to recognizable. A bark came from above him.

“Michi!?! Cross?!?” cried Jinsoku in disarray, as he finally could smell the canine upon him, and get a long hard glance at the woman coyly smiling at the end of the bright alley.

[ 1,290 ]

[too_lazy]

Pursuit, Peck, Pervasive, Promise

Cast:
Louhi
Dante



At first, Dante had an inexplicable joy in finding out that he had a task to perform for his rather busy Division mates Koutetsu and Izumo. To see the smiles on their faces and the reciprocating feeling involved with aiding them, for once, the man felt the motivation and invigoration to actually accomplish a task- something he had never quite felt before. It was an odd sensation, really. There were things hardly worth making important in Dante’s world, though now, he found himself running through Seireitei in an attempt to deliver this package to the Tenth Division.

Though by the end of the day, he found himself tired. And lost. Not sure where the Tenth Division was anymore, an idea came to him:

Why was he helping out these clowns anyway?!? He wasn’t even a Shinigami!

Exhausted, the Vizard threw the package down. For some reason, the thing felt like it was getting heavier and heavier. He wondered why Izumo and Koutetsu didn’t have as much trouble carrying this around; or perhaps they knew it was this heavy and decided to throw their heavy burden at Dante instead. Possibly the two were strong, far stronger than Dante…

Curious as to what the blazes was in the parcel, he had half the mind to just open and reseal it. But who knew what could be inside, and whether or not it was safe to open it, or who was receiving it, hell, maybe even Koutetsu and Izumo destroying him… too many unknown variables to throw in and further make things troublesome.

The Hybrid decided to lie down for a while and gain his bearings. The rest eventually turned to a nap. And the nap, well, eventually became sleep. For when he came to, he found the dawn ahead of him, and the package as a pillow. The masked one stared at it angrily. Blasted thing tired me out… and for what. Feh, I should be looking for him…

Picking up the parcel regardless, he decided it would be a good enough excuse to explain his unwillingness to take part in the battles spread across the Gotei. After all, why would he fight or do anything for people that he hardly knew?

Shrugging it off, Dante continued his trek towards Tenth Division, where he’d hopefully come across the person he was looking for.


The morning sun was just cresting over Seireitei's bloodstone perimiter, casting a warm glow over the scenes of rampant violence within. The sudden change of light almost caused Louhi to lose sight of the man she was pursuing, his white uniform now blending into the bright surroundings.

There! She spotted the top of his head disappearing behind a row of sloping roofs. With a triumphant grin on her face, the girl scrambled over the incline in a haphazard dash and leapt over the edge, intending to land on her foe and tackle him to the ground. What she captured instead was nothing but a puff of smoke.

How does he keep doing that!? Frustrated beyond belief, Louhi picked up the trail again, determined that this SQN wouldn't make a fool of her again.

Maboroshi was nearing his limit to keep running. He'd tried nearly every diversion he knew, and he knew a lot, but none of them had shaken that horrible girl off his back. He could practically feel her breathing down his neck. He'd tried to fight her at first, but it didn't take long for him to realize that was a far too dangerous altercation. So, of course, he made a run for it. There were so many of his comrades crawling through the city, he thought if he just got out of her sight she would simply move on to a less slippery opponent. Instead, he was getting a much too personal taste of the Hunter-Killer's tenacity.

One more trick; that was all he had left up his sleeve. It was a good one though, if he could just find some unwitting shinigami to deploy it. His hopes for that were wearing thin. He must have picked the absolute worst direction to run to, this area seemed to be completely deserted. Just when the wily rogue was certain his luck had run out, a perfect candidate appeared before his eyes.

A rumpled and dazed looking shinigami, his silvery hair jutting every which way as though he'd never heard of a comb, slouched his way directly across Maboroshi's path. It could only be divine providence. Not that he believed in stupid stuff like that. I'll never let it be said that I ever wasted an opportunity, he thought, and pulled a small pouch out of a fold in his uniform.

Hardly breaking the stride of his flight, he scattered the powdery contents of the bag over Dante's head as he ran past. A haze of smoke swirled around the vizard, distorting his image with a mirage so that he took on the appearance of the fleeing rogue. As soon as the smoke cleared, the illusion would be gone, but Maboroshi had already mustered up his last burst of speed and made himself scarce.

A second later Louhi came skidding around a corner, and seeing what she thought was her adversary, she immediately hurled herself at the man in a running dive. At last, she felt the impact of a solid body under her! Victory! However, something didn't seem quite right... this reiatsu had a vaguely familiar feeling, but it was definitely not the one she was after.

"Come back here, ya shameless coward!" Louhi yelled after the vanished enemy, but her resolve to continue the chase was utterly gone. Embarrassed by the defeat, she hadn't even looked at the real identity of the fellow she'd landed on.


“Heh?” a weak smile of confusion followed Dante’s façade while an enigmatic person in white whizzed by him. Too groggy in the morning to stop a random assortment of flurries invade his cranium, a plume of mist soon scoured his vision. Due to inhaling the mystery smoke, the Vizard began coughing vigorously in an attempt to force out the badness now invading his system.

The next moment he found his body being forced to the ground, the air further losing its way from him, as he was slammed to the ground viciously by a fleshy bodily mass. Suspecting it was another enemy, he was very close to gripping the clothes tightly of this person and wrenching the form off of him- but his vision came to, his breaths made steady, and was now fully conscious.

What a rude wake up call.

Though now he found himself face to face with a woman. She screamed after the person who had probably sprinkled this fairy dust on Dante, so, he set these grievances aside to let her properly explain herself. Even if she was an enemy, Dante had problems with hurting women. It didn’t seem very gallant. But if she was someone who intended far more than a tackling, she’d be in for a harsh surprise.

“Nakakapagpabagabag,” he grumbled, locking his bright blue eyes with her icy azure ones. Though he couldn’t help but give a slight snicker and a smile, because he noticed her missing a tooth, and the frustrated look on her face made her look… cute. To further lighten the mood (and hopefully her weight pressing against him) Dante joked, “So do you tackle everyone you meet for the first time?”


The sight of Dante's face when Louhi finally set her eyes upon it caused her to blink slowly several times, wondering if an illusion were still in place. The resemblance was so uncanny; she nearly called him out loud by the name that he reminded her of so much. She shook her head. There were plenty of differences in the details when she looked closer; she'd really never met this man before.

A slight blush crept into the girl's face at his last comment as she realized she was sitting rather awkwardly on top of a total stranger, the heat from his body radiating into her own frigid temperature. He looked so much like Jin though, it was confusing her reactions and she couldn't bring herself give him the usual rude treatment she served up to just about everyone else. As if it was any better to be toyed with.

This guy seemed almost as guileless as Jin as well, Louhi thought. It made her curious to see how far the similarities went. Instead of disentangling herself from the doppelganger, the slender shinigami propped her chin up on her elbows and studied his features. The riotous spikes of his hair caused her to smile especially.

"Hmmm, sorry. I guess I mistook you for someone else. Now that I'm lookin', though, I think yer probably cuter than him. You haven't got terminal sake breath either." She still didn't get up, but waited to see how he'd react, since Jin went into nosebleed mode so easily. It might be the same kind of entertainment in store.


Noticing the woman inspecting his features rather than plainly getting off of him, Dante raised a furtive eyebrow in her direction. At least she wasn’t a potential enemy. At least. Not that he couldn’t take care of himself in a scuffle, just the fact that it was all too troublesome in the long run. That and hitting women…

She accepted his apology and commented on his facial appearance. At least the Vizard passed in her examination, so that was a good thing. Though she seemed to have had a case of mistaken identity for a slight moment (thus explaining her reluctance to pry herself off of him). That also was the reason why she wouldn’t get up, though it was slightly bothersome that he could hardly move. Usually his encounters with women didn’t result in this kind of situation, no less them talking about his looks. Not sure how to react, Dante just blinked several times and replied as honestly as he could.

“Yeah, umm, I don’t drink all that much,” he said, yet remained still. Her smile was at least comforting. Unfortunately, that was the least of his worries at the moment. The way she was laying on him was starting to give him a cramp in the hips. Giving a light squirm of his lower extremities with a nervous laugh, he continued, “As much as I’d like to lie down all day, would you mind…”


Rather than relenting to Dante's half hearted plea for release, Louhi found his demeanor increasingly infuriating. Out of all the possible responses, someone failing to react to her attention getting tactics would set off her temper worse than anything else. Suddenly, the fleeing SQN was nearly forgotten, and the third seat's attention focused to the new challenge on her hands. How dare he act so nonchalant? She would definitely get a big reaction out of this guy, no matter what it took to procure one.

Shifting her weight slightly, the girl positioned herself to pin down the man's squirming body more deliberately now. Her smile broadened a bit, in a way that wasn't quite pleasant.

"Would I mind what...? Just who d'you think you are, tryin' to tell me what to do, huh? What division are you with, anyway?" She demanded, grabbing the edge of Dante's gi and pulling it up slightly.

Hmm, maybe there is somethin' suspicious about this guy, he's got no kamon there where it should be... He could just be pretendin' at being a clueless chump. In that case, I'll just hafta make him snap, right?

Without acknowledging that she'd noticed anything amiss, she waited for an answer which might confirm her suspicion, though she was determined to harass this person thoroughly regardless of whether he turned out to be an enemy or not. Now that charming resemblance to her friend simply made it more fun, when she considered what sort of things she might do to him.


“Gomen Gomen Gomenesai,” a loose but forced smile came from the quick to apologize Dante. Apparently this vibrant woman must have had a high seat within the Gotei- either that, or a very abrupt demeanor. It was best to apologize now and let this lady have her way, squishing the Vizard underneath her while manhandling his robes, rather than make a big commotion and land himself into a predicament he wouldn’t want to deal with.

“I’m from the Eight Division, ma’am,” said Dante, adjusting his lower extremities a bit to avoid further cramping- although the girl managed to pin him in the right position! Though he could have easily plucked her off of him, she might find it as sexual harassment and have him tried or something.

Who is this chick… How in the world did this happen anyway… Why the sudden interrogation, when she’s the one who bumped into me… But then again, things could be a lot worse. Nakakapagpabagabag.

Veering his gaze away from her cold stare and slightly creepy grin, he noticed the package beside him. Perfect! A great excuse for getting this quizzical yet awfully… eccentric Shinigami off of him.

“Yeah, and I have to deliver that package over there to the Tenth Division. But… since I’m pretty new around here, I got a bit lost along the way… do you think you can tell me where it is? Because I think I’m a bit late in delivering it.” His forced grin soon turned to one to evoke sympathy. With these earnest answers, who wouldn’t take it easy on the poor new guy?


"Oho?" Louhi's interest perked at the story, and she couldn't quite hide a predatory gleam that flashed through her eyes.

As a practiced liar, she quickly recognized this person wasn't telling the truth, though she could have told just from the looks of him he didn't belong in the 8th division. Even worse, he was trying to make her feel sorry for him and that stupid smile of his actually tugged at her for a moment. Unforgivable!

He really was cute. Annoyingly cute. Could he really be one of the invaders? One of the Sine Qua Non or even a Ryoka? If that were the case, she should behave responsibly and try to apprehend him... but then again, if he was one of those people, he should have fought back rather than letting her just sit on top of him for such a long time. He didn't seem to be enjoying it much. Still grinning, she wriggled on top of him in a rather lewd manner.

"So you're from the 8th, huh? That must be pretty awful, being one of Junko Shigenhiroi's subordinates. Ya know if you're looking for the 10th, you're way off," Louhi snickered. "I could maybe tell ya how to get there, but what's in it for me if I do?"

She wondered about that package, too. If her captive was really a criminal of some sort, it could contain something dangerous, even though it looked quite small and innocuous. She'd have to get her hands on that at some point.


The way she stared at him, the way she smiled, the way she ground herself further into his bottom half began to make Dante worry about what this Shinigami had in store for him. Was this the look of someone who suddenly had a spark of carnal lust? Surely that wasn’t it, despite the way Louhi was wriggling about like that. Besides, the Hybrid wasn’t much for dealings with the opposite sex and seeking a love life. Who needed those- they sounded too troublesome in the end.

Did she know he was lying? Could she possibly have noticed something amiss with him so that would lead to his revealed identity of one of the intruders in the Gotei’s midst? That couldn’t have been it. This pig-tailed girl was acting too nonchalant and far too… “playful” to do that. Unless she was like a cat… and Dante didn’t care much for felines…

Before he knew it, the Vizard’s mind had wandered off again and came back the moment Louhi began speaking.

“Oh, I never got the chance to meet this… Shigenhiroi-san… or…” he paused for a moment to remember the name of his “Captain”. “Fenre-Taichou, for that matter. I’m quite bad with names,” he added the last sentence quickly at the end.

“But… if you could help me, I’d be eternally grateful, and in your debt. Once I finish delivering this package, I’ll be sure to help you with almost anything you can think of. I want to make a good impression for my Captain and my Division.” Nodding furiously at that statement, Dante wasn’t sure if this “new guy” persona was working or not… until it occurred to him.

This wasn’t a part of his mission! He was supposed to be searching for a Shinigami whose presence nearly mirrored his own! D*mn the Gotei and their quirky soldiers, and their inquisitive dispositions! But all of this couldn’t be helped. Ah well, he had plenty of time to investigate- and learning more about how these Shinigami performed in daily life wouldn’t be so bad.

Flinching his bottom half one more time, he glanced back up, his sky blue eyes shimmering with a desperate plea, quivering his lower lip ever so gently. From what he knew, women were suckers for sympathy. Or so he hoped.

“So will you help me, please? Miss…?”


It wasn't very common knowledge, and those who had witnessed it certainly knew better than to talk about it, but Louhi had in fact a very sentimental side to her hidden away somewhere which surfaced from time to time. A certain susceptibility to cute things, among others. This was the part of her which rescued baby birds and baked cupcakes for her sweetheart and made her jealous of how much prettier all the other female shinigami were. And usually it only caused her a whole lot of trouble.

If only his eyes hadn't sparkled quite so widely, or if his bottom lip hadn't quivered exactly like that, she might have resisted it. She knew he was lying, and manipulating her, and probably very dangerous. But so adorable! The sinister grin was quickly disappearing, replaced by a look of bewilderment nearly equaling Dante's.

She should keep interrogating him, she told herself. Find out his real intention; tell him such underhanded tactics would never work on an experienced trickster like herself. Instead, she was temporarily caught by the vizard's beguiling gaze like a deer in headlights. What's the matter with me? I can't believe I'm fallin' for this crap. I hafta shut him up somehow... And that rebellious, sentimental side was telling her exactly how to do it, with such a good excuse. Why not?

Heart pounding nervously, the girl slowly bent her head lower until the tip of her pale nose was almost touching Dante's wider, curving brown one. When was the last time she'd actually kissed somebody?

Oh, right. Louhi froze as the memory of her first and only kiss flooded back with a sudden vividness. That time even mirrored her posture now almost exactly. For a second, a blood streaked and sticky eyeless face from the past overlaid Dante's in the present. Would it always have to be like this?


The moment the devious smile of Louhi’s faded Dante thought he had won his intellectual match. Rarely did good things swing the Vizard’s way, or so he thought, or remembered, or whatever. Though he could have sworn through trial and error, he had failed against women countless times. So for once he chalked up a personal victory (albeit small) to his learned experiences. A small amount of pride warmed him over, and it was an odd sensation overall- for little things, little feelings such as this hardly warranted a blip on the Hybrid’s “care” radar.

So I am good at this acting gig… I wonder if the Mortal Realm needs any of my talent… though that sounds like more trouble than weaseling my way out of these messes overall…

Before the daydreamer could continue his inner monologue, the pig tailed Shinigami refused to budge.

Hey. I thought I won… Umm… she’s supposed to get up now… his façade attempted to continue its pleading appearance, despite the pain shooting throughout his hips and legs, her pressure building upon him. Those feelings immediately shot down his pride, as a more literally pressing concern came to his physical well being.

Her cool blue eyes became larger as she slowly inched her way towards his face.

No. No. No. That’s not supposed to happen… What are you doing… Dante began blinking rapidly, not quite sure what Louhi was up to. His throat became constricted for some odd reason, as if the closer she became, the more she tightened an invisible vice about his neck. Women never acted this way towards him; and the girl seemed to spark a note of unease to light up briefly. He shuddered slightly for this rush of sensations had never worked on the insensible Vizard ever.

You were supposed to get off of me, rid me of this annoying cramp swelling up my bottom half, and gleefully escort me to the Tenth, where I would more than likely do a menial task for you in return, and I could finally get to my mission… Though that was his original plan, it was going horribly awry with a deft melting. Unfortunately he never saw his plans with women go this far through their course. Louhi’s pale skin became so close, so incredibly close to his darker tan, and now he could feel her breathing on him, caressing his lips gently.

But the pain below soon became excruciating; far worse than any other wound he had been dealt before.

“Kya-” Dante’s shout was cut off midway, as his entire body moved instinctively upwards to avert the crippling cramp flooding through him. His lips met Louhi’s while he pushed her face away with his motion, planting a hard smooch on the Shinigami.


There was a moment's time in which Louhi could have reacted and prevented the accident, but the finely tuned reflexes which usually served her so well seemed to abandon her completely for some reason. So the moment passed and the accident went ahead and happened. It was certainly shocking, no matter that she'd been contemplating the idea of kissing him on purpose, and to have it happen just like that was... for a split-second, a little bit thrilling, but that excitement was swiftly eclipsed by a more typical furious reaction.

With her own strange psychological reasoning, the girl quickly determined that Dante had in fact played the whole thing out and that he was the one trying to molest her, and not the other way around as it had actually been. Finally dislodged from her seat, she jumped to her feet and smoothed her somewhat bloodstained clothing back in to order, waving a finger at the still confused looking form of Dante on the ground in front of her.

"OOOOH! You perverted little upstart!" Louhi scolded triumphantly, "Is that any way to behave towards a third seat officer of the Gotei?" It really didn't sound all that impressive. If only she could have said 'Vice Captain'... Not that anyone would buy such a ridiculous fiction. "Ehhh?" She demanded, stamping her foot dangerously close to the poor vizard's hand.

"I oughta have you court-martialed for such inappropriate behavior! Really! I can hardly believe such a thing," she shook her head sadly, brimming with a smug feeling of moral superiority. Of course she didn't see herself as being hypocritical in the least. There was still an investigation to undertake, she remembered, spotting the small package out of the corner of her eye had reminded her of it.

"Someone like you, I can see, you can't be trusted with even the smallest of tasks. I suppose I shall have to unhappily escort you to the Tenth Division myself," Louhi sighed, although inwardly for some reason she didn't mind, what she really wanted was a chance to spend more time and pick apart this fellow. To make him crack, she reminded herself again, that was what she meant to do.


Grateful that the woman was off of him and the overwhelming pressure finally released from his legs and hips, Dante let out a billowing sigh, as if the air had built up inside his lungs as well. While the veritable balloon of a Vizard enjoyed his freedom and fresh air, it was interrupted by the woman screaming at him. He hadn’t even time to think about the unintentional kiss he just gave; her loud reprimanding didn’t give him enough time to let his mind wander.

Dropping his jaw, he merely blinked repeatedly in reaction to this bizarre Third Seated Officer. To think that someone was at this high a rank- Did she just nearly step on his hand in her frustration?! He half-heartedly listened to her screaming and concentrated more so on the fact that all of this was her doing, the fact that she wouldn’t get off of him, and the fact that she was the one who leaned in to kiss him (or whatever).

Once again, before he could drift off into thinking how someone like Louhi could gain such a high rank in the Gotei, she finally offered him what he desperately needed to do. How this reminded him of one of those old adventure books he read… One task leading to another. Nakakapagpabagabag in other words.

“Really?!?” scrambling for the package, Dante shot up to face her. The ridiculous weight of the parcel meant nothing now that he had found help in sending the blasted thing back to its owner. “That means a lot to me, and I’ll make it up to you in any way that I can.”

No you won’t… hopefully she’ll forget about owing you by the time this is over with.

“Well, I’m sorry for causing such a distraction to you, since you’re a highly seated officer.” He bowed over and over again to show a sign of respect, and hopefully get on her good side- or else this journey wouldn’t be a pleasant one. “I didn’t mean to take up your time like this, but as you can see, I’m in a bit of a bind. I’m pretty sure I’m late in delivering this package, and I just want to thank you. Your generosity shows know bounds, and I can see why you have this rank… Miss…?” he tilted his head slightly, stopping his compliments to wait for a response.


This whole situation was just so suspicious. Why was this so-called shinigami bowing to her in apology after the way she'd treated him? By the most logical reasoning, it had to be an act, yet Louhi found herself placated by the demonstration. Even the bowing which would have normally irritated her under even the best of circumstances, instead it made her want to laugh.

I wonder if the drugs are finally getting to me? She tried to envision herself becoming entirely hippie-like and strung out, spreading messages of peace and universal love. Nah. I'm not that crazy.

Returning to reality, she realized the man was trying to ask for her name. Well, that was perfectly normal, right? She wasn't that well known in the gotei, apart from her own division and the third to some extent... But of course it was all part of his act, pretending to be helpless and ignorant and cute. Cute? Why am I thinking of that again? She blushed inadvertently, remembering. That conniving pervert!

But then, being so insecure about herself, the next conclusion Louhi arrived at was that he certainly hadn't wanted to, rather he was trying to beguile her into doing his bidding, or put her off her guard, something like that... Over thinking so much that she couldn't consider the possibility of an honest mistake.

"Hmm, I think you're lying to me and flattering me on purpose so I'll help you, even though you're probably thinking I'm really detestable. I said I'd do it anyway so you can cut it out with that crap, okay? It's not 'Miss' anything. Just Louhi Ilpotar. Go ahead and gimme whatever fake name you're plannin' to use, so I got something to call you at least. And lemme see that package..." The pigtailed girl motioned, tilting her head to the side so she could read the label on the small parcel.

Oh, great. It's meant to be delivered to Goro!


“Wakarimashita, Ilpotar-san,” nodded Dante with a grin while Louhi inspected the parcel. Though the Vizard instinctively regretted saying that afterwards; this woman probably wasn’t too fond of having honorifics attached to her name. With a momentary pause after mentioning that, he continued, “The name’s Dan-”

Her words were true; he stopped from giving out his full name, for it would reveal too much about his true identity. “Hajimemashite. Douzou yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”

Yet Dante continued with his politeness anyway. Were he to keep this façade going, he had best stay true to this humble nature.

“My last name’s not important…”shifting the uneasiness regarding what he had just done, and this time, smoothly without skipping a beat. “But yes, I could see your reaction after looking at this package… perhaps you’re acquainted with the future owner of it?”


”Yeah, Danny.” Louhi frowned at the continually polite manner. “Names aside I sure hope that ain’t your real personality either, if ya act so polite it just makes you more suspicious. I sure can’t trust someone who calls me ‘san’. C’mon. I’m not even Japanese.”

That business with Goro was interesting though. It meant perhaps this man was in fact tied to Jin somehow, were they related? It seemed like too much of a coincidence, but she’d never heard of Jin having any family, certainly not any in the Gotei. This whole mystery was making her burn with curiosity the more she thought about it.

“Kazuki Goro… Well he’s really a terrifying guy. You better stick with me ‘cause you’ll be screwed if you try an’ show up late with that package by yourself. I know how to handle him,” Louhi hit her stride of lying cheerfully as she began leading the Vizard back in the direction of the 10th division. Fictionalizing always had a positive affect on her mood. “Otherwise he’ll probably eat you alive, literally. He was nearly convicted once for cannibalism, got off on a technicality.” She added, making a nasty face.

When she could only see Dante from the corner of her eye, she could nearly imagine she was walking alongside Jin, a nostalgic feeling which reminded her of the times she’d gotten in trouble with him. He certainly never commanded the respect of a captain, at most times he seemed like a simple blundering drunk, even when he was fighting. She didn’t blame him for leaving, but it still pissed her off.

Was this ‘Dan’ fellow here possibly looking for that blundering drunk, without knowing he’d left? Louhi supposed she’d have to stick with him to find out. There was still plenty of time before she needed to be back at the 12th…


“Well, I can’t help but be polite to you; you are in fact a seated officer… but I’ll drop the honorific anyway if that makes things better for you.” Dante was right in his assumptions. Louhi was easier to read than an open book for the most part- though trying to figure out what the eccentric woman would say next was a completely different matter. Though he had to admit, she had a certain “charm” to how she carried herself; never before had he met someone like her.

Like this information on the recipient of the package. Though her tone sounded meaningful, why did all of that information Louhi give seem like pure and utter malarkey? Shrugging it off, he continued to play the helpless new cadet. And a part of him wanted to poke away that devilish look she cast and opt for a smile.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here to accompany then, ne?” he beamed a grin, the light hitting his teeth just right to catch a sparkle. “I don’t know what I would have done if I faced him alone, or even found my way there! You’re amazing, Louhi! One day I hope to be as nice and caring and strong as you.”

… Now Dante was sounding just as bad as Louhi was. Even he couldn’t believe the babble frothing from his mouth. Hopefully they’d reach their destination soon so he wouldn’t have to keep this pantomime of his going much longer. Even cracking silly smiles like that was slightly irritating him.

Though I don’t see how they’d let a cannibal still roam freely about their ranks like that…


That last proclamation caught Louhi off guard. It was so completely and obviously false, but the delivery of it was somehow hilarious. She snorted, clapping a hand over her mouth at first, and then gave up and laughed maniacally for what seemed like several minutes.

“I thought maybe yer a criminal mastermind or somethin’, but dude, yer seriously the worst liar I ever met. You can’t be up in some nefarious plot; you’d never pull it off. Geez.”

The patch of blue stained skin between her eyes crinkled as she tried to keep from laughing again, realizing the man’s helplessness hadn’t been an act at all. He probably really had no idea how to get to the 10th. That package might even be a real delivery someone had foisted on him while he was pretending to be a cadet.

“Do you even have any idea what you’re doing here at all? Honestly.” She had to restrain herself again, this time from ruffling the vizard’s already disarrayed hair.

Her eyes shifted to the package again, unable to contain the impulsiveness any longer. “Gimme that,” the girl demanded, snatching the object away without giving Dante a chance to comply.

Unfortunately, the items contained within, intended for the former captain of the tenth, had been activated by Dante’s remarkably similar Reiatsu and when passed to Louhi’s grasp, it became immensely heavy.

“What the crap!?” The Shinigami exclaimed, dropping the package in surprise. Unfortunately, it landed on her foot.

“Awwwaaaaahhh!” She howled, grabbing her injured toe, shooting an accusing look at Dante. “What kinda trick is that?? How the hell were you carryin’ that thing so easily?” I’m stronger than him, aren’t I…?


Dante just blinked several times at Louhi’s laughing, until she found him out. Well, not quite. Her suspicions were dashed by the ridiculous actions of him. Could this guise work against anyone, or did he luck out with her? Or maybe he was actually good at playing the clueless type… Hell, he hardly knew what was going on in the Army of Masks. Not that he cared much; they called him when they needed him. It was as simple as that.

He was going to reply back in his “new guy” routine but she had plucked the package from him without a moment’s notice. But when the Vizard saw her hands take all of the parcel upon them, he was about to warn her of its ridiculous weight.

Too late.

With a crash as the box slammed upon her feet, she screamed at him for trying to deceive her. Oh the irony. Despite how badly he wanted to laugh at the situation, he continued being ‘Dan, the bright eyed cadet from the Eighth Division’.

“I’m sorry! I should have warned you, but you grabbed it out from my hands right away! I’m sorry, so so terribly sorry! Forgive me I’m not sure what’s in here… but it is quite heavy, even for me. It seems like a pair of training weights or something- but a really ridiculous and overweight set.” the Hybrid picked up the object with a grunt, before casually carrying it like before. Bowing several times, the only thing he could give out was a nervous grin and slightly coy giggle.

“I guess I’m… stronger than I look? Do you… want me to help you?” he offered his free arm to the injured woman.


The small pain that throbbed in Louhi’s foot was ignored quickly enough. Narrowing her eyes to a squint, she pushed away Dante’s arm. She wasn’t willing to play this game with him any longer, even if it was tempting and fun. They were in fact quite close to the destination now; the peaked roofs of the elemental division were just in sight over the top of a maze of walls separating them. There was simply no way any cadet could carry such a weight as far as he had, carrying it as if it were just a bundle of scrolls.

If this guy is a threat, he’s gotta be a dangerous one. I can’t just let him go like this, right? If something bad happens to the tenth it’d be my fault for letting him go… Kotori’s there, and all that delicious sake too. I hafta stop him. The third seat steeled herself to act, finding a rare chord of responsibility within herself.

“Yeah, I guess yer gonna have to show me just how strong you are. I dunno what you’re up to, but you aren’t any ordinary Shinigami. I can’t just let ya go about whatever nefarious business you got planned, not that I care about anyone in the Gotei or anything stupid like that. I’m just up for a good fight, anytime.”

Intently focused now, the girl braced herself with one hand wrapped around Kirjokansi’s coal-black guardless hilt. She didn’t think he would reveal his true self by any other means, but if she attacked him directly…

“Bakudou #13, Earthen Maw.” Louhi hissed, summoning up the rocky tentacles from under Dante’s feet in an attempt to entangle him while she surged forward to drive her blade into his gut, fairly certain he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen and was quite capable of preventing it. Still she wanted that undeniable proof.


Thinking that Louhi pushed his arm away because of her bullish nature, Dante overlooked that fact. But the next second she had him fully pegged as an outsider.

“W-Wait a minute there, toots, you don’t know what you’re doing,” was all that he could say, his once sheepish toned changed to one in dire straights- the Vizard’s sky blue eyes reflecting back into the icy shades of Louhi’s. The second she placed her hand on the Zanpakutou…

Nakakapagpabagabag… I didn’t want it to happen like this… it was all going smoothly until she picked up this stupid package. I don’t even know what’s inside it! Although he wanted to throw aside the package, for some reason Dante couldn’t throw it away. So instinctively he leapt backwards from this assault, and kept doing so.

This defensive positioning enabled him to harrowingly evade the earthen whips to try and capture his legs; the crackling rock whipped about in front of him. Though her attack didn’t stop yet- she thrust her blade in his direction, compensating for the missed Demon Art by leaping over it with incredible agility and staying true to her target.

“Nande ya nen,” he grimaced, pulling upwards on his Zanpakutou. Still in its sheath, the shizomikue (cane sword) lifted out from his obi sash, meeting Louhi’s steel straight on with a hollow clank of wood. As the duo slid across the ground, their edges still locked together, the Vizard sighed deeply.

“Listen… You found me out. I’m only here on recon. I’m not here to fight you; in fact, that’s the last thing on my mind. Let’s cut a deal, na?” A minor flare of Reiatsu flashed from Dante, pushing the woman back and displaying a hazy bright aura with earthen tones to wrap about him for a split second.

He continued his pitied look towards Louhi. “If you let me find the person I’ve been looking for- and no worries, I won’t do anything to this person or anyone else- I’ll leave you alone.”


The force of Dante’s Reiatsu was certainly more than Louhi had anticipated. What she had thought was merely a potentially dangerous person had turned out to be easily as strong as some of the captains. It was a disturbing thought, how someone so strong could just show up out of nowhere in Seireitei. Their security was really laughable. Nonexistent, even.

Frustrated, she wished that she were able to use a higher level of release with her Zanpakutou, then she might have a chance. If only that were the case. Somewhere within the complicated pathways of her psyche, it really meant a lot to her that someone had placed such trust in her to make her an officer. Trust that she could be relied upon in times like this, but here, what could she do?

“Ooh! Don’t give me that look!” The tattooed Shinigami spat, “A deal with the likes of you isn’t worth dog spit. I dunno why I played along all this time. I shoulda just went at you from the start, ya viper. Fine, tell me who it is you’re after, and why, or I’ll just keep fighting you and cause a big ruckus. I ain’t ever been intimidated by anyone just cause they’re strong.”


“That’s part of the problem, toots,” Dante swung the cane to his shoulder and began tapping it. “I don’t know who I’m exactly after. All I know is that there’s something about this person… it reminds me a lot of… me, you know?”

Backing off from her, he took several paces to get a considerable striking distance away. Catching a glimpse of how hot headed this rambunctious Shinigami could get, the Vizard was best off keeping it like that. He looked hard at Louhi, seeing if she would empathize with him for just a moment and understand where he was coming from. His heart began beating quickly. It wasn’t due to the fact that he was fearful of Louhi- that was far from it, although she was respectfully strong in her own right- it was because he was going to admit what he thought and felt to another soul. Yet… it felt comfortable enough with her.

“I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s like… feeling that you have family… or someone very close to you… and the fact that they’re right there- doesn’t that make you want to seek that out? Doesn’t that make you question your life and what you knew about it? Especially with an afterlife like this.” Now circling about her, he noticed that her attention was caught for the moment, and he could continue speaking. The words continued to flow out of him at a surprising rate.

“You know… I had to ask my superiors if it was even okay for me to come at a time like this- and trust me, I got some bad looks from the majority of them. But when I told them I just wanted to see this person, see if they were a missing link to a past I thought I knew… they understood.” The Hybrid stopped completely, lowering his Zanpakutou at a peaceful pace.

“So if you’d understand- and trust me, you might seem like one of those ‘rough’ types- I believe there’s more to you than you let on. And I think that you don’t know this part exists. Just like I am with this feeling I’ve had ever since I saw Seireitei for the first time. Please. I don’t want to hurt you or anybody here; in fact, I’ve grown to like you.” The last sentence came out unexpectedly; Dante for one of the first times in his life was expressing himself, for something he finally found interest in. And Louhi just happened to be one of those things. He shot a weary smile over to her, because within he had fought his own battle of letting his feelings go for this moment.

“I just want to see this person.”


Dante’s sudden outpouring was enough to put a damper on Louhi’s fighting instinct for the moment. Now, here was the real ‘Dan’, not pretending to be someone else. It wasn’t often that anyone opened up and spoke sincerely to the nasty, foul tempered girl. Of course she knew as soon as he spoke who it was he was looking for. That similar person, one who had also spoken to her in the same sincere kind of way.

She could understand, too. If she found some real clue to her past, it would be hard to let go of. The idea of finding one’s place in the world, of having a history, of belonging somewhere. Even if it might be an unhappy one, it was better to know, wasn’t it?

Some people might say that. I dunno. She shook her head. It was confusing, her feelings had been pulled in so many different directions since meeting this guy, she wasn’t sure what to think any more.

After all of it, she just wanted to trust him. She found she liked him too, not that she’d admit a thing like that. She wanted to ask more questions, find out his real name, who these ‘superiors’ of his were. Besides the Gotei, were there that many organizations of Shinigami? That was a Zanpakutou he’d wielded, no doubt about it. Somehow she knew she wouldn’t get an answer to such queries, though.

Finally, she slipped Kirjokansi back into his sheath and scratched at the back of her neck, a bit nervously. Why did he have to say he liked her? It was weird and embarrassing.

“Hmmph. You couldn’t a hurt me that easy, even if you wanted to. I pretty much never lose in a fight,” Louhi boasted, feeling a need to defend on that point. “I know who it is yer lookin’ for, I almost mistook you for him at first. I don’t need to worry ‘bout that ******* either, he can look after himself.” That wasn’t really true. It was surprising Jin even managed to dress himself in the mornings. On second thought, he probably just slept in his clothes.

With a sweep of her arm, Louhi pointed over at the roofs a short distance away, “The guy you’re after is Jinsoku. He used to be captain of the tenth, but he left a while ago. Technically, he’s a wanted criminal or somethin’, on account of leaving like that. I ain’t heard from him in a while though,” she shrugged, a bit sore that he’d never even said goodbye really.

“So I dunno where he’s at now. You might as well just go give that package to Goro,” she added, grinning as she pictured the poor scribe struggling with so much weight.


And just like that, Louhi had understood his feelings and sympathized. Although he thought she wouldn’t have at first, she let him off the literal hook and sheathed her Zanpakutou. A calm relief flooded Dante as he mimicked her, letting out a sigh. Thank goodness he’d avoid a troublesome battle- not because of his indifference towards fighting, but his superiors would give the Vizard even more trouble. An even more welcome surprise was that she knew the person he was looking for! What a coincidence, at that, that this person would be at the Tenth Division as well… or used to?

“He’s here… I can feel it,” the masked one answered resolutely. “And I’m sure he hasn’t talked to you in a while because he’s probably a busy man nowadays… though I don’t know why I’m defending someone I don’t even know yet.”

Which would lead to his next set of questions aimed at the pigtailed Shinigami:

“So you know what he looks like, eh? And how does he act… like personality wise?” his intonation peaked in excitement due to this startling revelation. This was another high point in Dante’s life where he was actually concerned about something. How did this possible family member look like? Was Jinsoku young, old, middle aged, hairy, craved hotdogs, quiet, studious and hardworking… the possible combinations of how this man that felt so much like Dante was almost endless. But he didn’t want to detract himself so easily when his goal was in sight.

With a shake of his head (which was secretly dispelling all the thoughts concerning Jinsoku), he glanced at the package he held tucked between his arm and side. “This thing… will it help lead me to him? I’m not here to see Gojo, or whatever his name is. I don’t want to waste any more time than I should, now that I know who it is I’m looking for.”

The Hybrid gave Louhi a mock look. “Because I’d rather not meet a cannibal.”


“Ehhh,” Louhi paused in thought, scuffing the heel of her boot against the ground. It was tempting to make up a ridiculous story about Jin for this guy, but the truth was probably just as surprising as any amount of fiction. “You’ll see for yerself, if you can find him.”

She frowned, considering if Dan really could sense the former captain’s presence. If he’s in Seireitei fighting the SQN too… He deserves to get his *** kicked for leaving. Stupid Jin. Why should I even care if he’s here or not. I bet he’s not even anywhere near here, he’s probably passed out in a gutter in some Rukongai slum and dreaming about marshmallow ninjas.

There was a rumbling from the south, intermittently, the sound of battles being waged as the rogue forces made their way into the city. Somewhat anxious, the third seat glanced over her shoulder, though she couldn’t see anything from here. She needed to get back to her own division soon, to fulfill a troublesome mission. This curious interlude was going to have to come to a close, as long as she felt assured that Dante wasn’t here as an enemy.

“Oh, the package…? Eh, I don’t care what you do with it. Maybe you should give it to Jin. Somethin’ tells me it mighta been meant for him anyway,” Louhi added, twisting her fingers and glancing back again.

She felt like she wanted to say something, a proper goodbye for this captivating person. She didn’t think she’d ever see him again after this, but meeting him felt important somehow. Instead, she found herself awkwardly staring at her feet. I’m really dumb, huh.


“So that’s how it is,” he muttered offhand, suddenly picturing this Jinsoku character as a moon bunny, smashing rice paste to make mochi. Mmm, mochi… haven’t had that in a while. Wonder if he makes mochi… though I doubt he’d be something like that, though verily fun.

The rumbles and quakes from further south snapped him out of his daydreaming. “Oh… then I’ll take your word for it and give it to him. You know… you’re a much better sounding person when you’re not habitually lying.”

Shivering in sheer excitement over these future prospects, a warm sense of elation filled Dante. A warm smile filled him as he went to turn about and race off for his impending meeting- though he noticed Louhi still standing there. Blinking several times he found her now looking at her oddly mismatching bright pink boots… the Vizard thought they looked cute on her and were a nice brand.

Though what was really important was that didn’t Louhi have matters to attend to too…? After all, she was a highly seated officer. And a very unique Shinigami at that; definitely someone he’d remember, regardless of whether or not she helped him in this “mission”.

A cool breeze sifted between them as he caught one last look at the pigtailed girl. Something brewed inside of him, something unusual yet settling at the same time. Was he feeling sentimental and emotionally attached to this bizarre person? Would he ever see her again? Too many weird things were happening ever since he felt this Jinsoku’s presence for the first time. He was actually starting to… care.

With his back facing her, the corner of his lips turned upwards for a smirk. “Thanks, Louhi. I meant it when I said ‘I owe you’, ‘Dan’ or not. Maybe I’ll see you around.”


Better sounding when I’m not lying? What kinda crap is that? A flash of temper threatened again, and she nearly opened her mouth to yell at the Vizard again as he left.

When she looked up though, the picture of him standing there, looking back at her and thanking her was enough to change her mind. The light colored front part of his messy hair contrasted brightly against his tanned skin, leading her eyes to a slightly rounded cheek.

“Yeah, maybe.” She answered quietly, not believing it. “So you better keep your promise and not hurt anyone.”

How could she trust someone so easily, someone she’d only met a few hours ago and he’d been acting for most of it? It didn’t make any sense, but there it was. Maybe it was just that face of his that affected her so much. She couldn’t help it.

At the last second before Dante turned away, Louhi closed the distance between them and lightly pressed her lips against his cheek. It was like diving into a cold lake, just rush in and do it without thinking too much. His skin felt even warmer and nicer than she’d imagined. She couldn’t look back at him again as she ran off towards her division, giggling furiously, but that little gesture was worth a hundred times the embarrassment.

Maybe… next time Imma find out your real name.


Before he could leave the sudden tap of slightly moist, smooth, yet firm lips planted themselves on him. For the second time the two kissed, though this time it was on purpose. And for the first time this was when a woman meant to kiss him. The only thing he could do was stand there with his jaw dropped and watch as the random girl giggled off into the distance. He placed a hand up to the cheek she graciously adorned with her lips; it felt a bit too warm over there for his comforts.

That Louhi was too much for him overall. She was loud, disrespectful, tactless, a habitual liar, violent, and off her kilter. Perhaps that’s why he accepted this kiss and took it as a sign of someone actually liking him. That Shinigami was unique all right…

No… I wouldn’t dare go back on my word. Besides, fighting is troublesome. Just like dealing with girls like you…

Tapping a cigarette out of his pack, he gripped it with his teeth while flicking a match off of the bottom of his tabi. He’d have more time to mull over what the hell just happened after he accomplished this mission of his. As he lit the smoke and inhaled deeply, he started off to finally end all of this.

Jinsoku… I’m coming, brother.

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[too_lazy]

Shiranui's Return and Tian Cai's Fate

***Continued from: Karma and Chance Reunion***

“You really need to learn your way around here,” the sweet sing song of voice rang through his (non hairy) ears, for it was all to recognizable. A bark came from above him.

“Michi!?! Cross?!?” cried Jinsoku in disarray, as he finally could smell the canine upon him, and get a long hard glance at the woman coyly smiling at the end of the bright alley.

__________________________________

“Who did you think it was, baboon,” the red and purple haired vixen calmly strutted down the alleyway to her fallen comrade, never losing that silly smirk of insult. “I don’t think anyone’s as dense as you are when it comes to these things.”

“Shup,” groaned Jinsoku, as he made a grimace towards Cross while shifting underneath the mammoth canine on top of him. If he were to comment properly, he’d best deal with his dog. “Michi, get off of me already, you’re probably unaware that you weigh more than you look.”

With a soft whine, she lowered her ears and slowly trotted off of her friend. Tail between her legs, it seemed that Jin’s comment had offended her. She too had feelings and the subject of how large she was became a sensitive and taboo subject. Nuzzling Cross’s leg for emotional support, the dog hid behind the Onmitsu Kidou and kept quiet.

“You’re really insensitive, you know that? I’m surprised that Michi hasn’t left you for a more suitable companion.” Cross bent down to lovingly reaffirm that Michi was indeed a prime specimen of her own worth. As usual, the woman with the cross tattoo over her eye spared no time in constantly delivering insults to one of her good friends. It was as if she took great leisure in noting how imbecilic the man could be. Though she always did wonder why Michi chose to stuck around someone like Jin…

“Che, she knows I didn’t mean it like that…” Jinsoku stood upright, brushing off his clothing. Despite the trio’s reunion, he was more so focused on trading quips with the girl than anything else. For some reason, the two always had it like that- no matter what the time or place, things would always be the same between them. Grinning, he extended a palm to Michi to disapprove Cross’s original statement. “She knows how important she is to me, ne, Michi.”

The overgrown pup blinked several times before making her way for him. But that walk was short lived, however, as a blur of ivory streaked through the alleyway, spiking its way for the silver haired rogue.

“Kweh?” was the only thing Jin could mutter before he was tackled by the white mass, knocking him back down to the ground. Just like moments before, a great weight placed itself upon him- though this time on his chest, crushing the air out of him. As his eyes shifted focus, the blurs immediately revealed the perpetrator of this pounce… along with the stench of decayed meat looming in front of his face.

“You?!?” a shocked look came to him. Glaring fangs dripping with saliva, pattering his chest. Staunch muscles hidden underneath a glossy snow white coat that seemed to contain a lustrous sheen. Icy blue eyes that sparkled in the light of the alleyway. It was the white wolf who had accompanied him during the Gotei’s attack on the Valley of Ultimo Crepsculo, a mysterious creature whom for no reason decided to aid Jinsoku and Michi in the midst of that chaos.

And before that, a similar white wolf had always been lurking about Northern Rukongai, performing random tasks of aiding the populace when Jinsoku had lived there with his mentor Mamoru. Whether this was the same canine or not, it was eerily intriguing as to why the animal had decided to help and follow them around randomly in the first place. Somehow Michi and this wolf had a relationship together… or so it seemed. Was the wolf merely protecting Michi in defense because of Jin’s harsh comments?

Growling, its hackles lowered when it heard Michi utter a yip. Creeping off Jin’s chest warily, the wolf gave a huff of disdain, as if it were saying “You’re not even worth my time.” Nuzzle to nuzzle, it rubbed against Michi before yawning and lying down lazily.

“What are you all doing here anyway,” the rogue finally got to the point as he dusted himself off yet again, his eyes carefully paying attention to the wolf. “And just how did Michi and that vagabond get here?”

“You mean Shiranui? He’s a sweetheart; I don’t think he’d appreciate you calling him that.” And to reciprocate Cross’s statement, the white wolf growled lowly at Jin.

“How the heck do you know its name? Or did you come up with that bright name yourself?”

“That’s what Mamoru and the others nicknamed the wolf around Rukongai. Besides, I received a letter from Mamoru stating that he didn’t see Shiranui around… and that he was heading towards Seireitei.”

“Oro?” Jin snapped his head towards the woman, looking at her suspiciously. “Since when did Mamoru send you letters?”

“Oh…” the multihued irises of the Onmitsu Kidou averted their gaze. “Well, it was directed towards you…”

“What?!” bellowed the rogue angrily. “You’re not supposed to be looking through my mail!”

“Hello!” Cross jabbed his chest hard with a finger. “You went rogue without telling hardly anyone! On top of that you didn’t even leave a means to get a hold of you! Hell…” she folded her arms and continued to look away, her voice growing soft.

“You didn’t tell me.”

“I… I’m sorry…” Jinsoku dropped his anger and replaced it with guilt, about to place a reaffirming hand upon the woman’s shoulder.

“Just remember to tell others who care as much as I do,” she shrugged her shoulder away, before continuing on. “Anyway, you brought up a good question though… you see, it all started off with me checking in with Tian Cai. Since he was patrolling the Southern Gate outside of Seireitei, I decided it would be a good idea to keep tabs on him. Since you know, apparently our South Gate seems to be the favored weak spot of all our intrusions. But when he didn’t respond… I got worried. When I came outside of the gate, I found Michi and her boyfriend. They led me to where Tian Cai was…”

Cross gave a deep sigh, as she could see the eyes of Jinsoku widen with her tale. “And when we found him… he was in pretty critical condition.”

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