Advent of Destinies: A ****** RPG (Begins)

[Draco Malfoy]

Advent of Destinies​

+​

Chaos begets order, order bets chaos. It has always been that way since the beginning of time. A fragile balance, an unsteady equilibrium, a balance that must be kept. Hollows, Humans and Soul Reapers. Once enemies, aid from all three must come for now an ominous entity threatens to destroy the equilibrium and lest anarchy run free...




???? Dawn



A shrouded figure was walking solemnly in the dark hallways of the pristine fortress. The shrouded figure stopped at a large door with ancient but sinister markings over it; creating patterns of forgotten tragedies. The figure paused then opened the door. Inside was an ominous man of tall stature; he wore a ******-white cloak over his black attire. His brown hair was swept back into a stylish hairstyle. The sunlight was leaking through the windows but it stopped as if even the sunlight itself was afraid to touch him. In his thin long fingers, he held a small mauve sphere. It radiated magic and wretched power. He quickly turned around as soon as the figure opened the door.

“Yes, my servant?” he asked. His voice was warm, but underneath the warm welcoming facade, was a cold brisk tone hidden. The man was a force to be reckoned with. The shrouded figure opened his mouth to speak.

“Aizen-sama, the demons have captured District 12 of the Rukongai, We are getting closer and closer to the Seireitei. All we now wait for is for your word of command. Also, the word has come that the Masked Five have finished preparing the Locater. Soon, the location to one of the Mannen Bussekimaru fragments will be known. They are waiting for orders, Aizen-sama”

“Excellent. I knew the Ambassador would be a very useful addition to us. Tell her to that she may do what she knows she must do. Launch the attack as we planned, we are all ready.”.

“Hai, Aizen-sama”

The man pointed his finger at the door. “Leave”

The shrouded figure walked obediently out of the room and he closed the door behind.

“Soon the Soul Society will be no more and I, Aizen Sosuke, shall crush the last resistance and be victorious. The Spirit King will be no more...”

He smiled grimly, his sinister laugther echoing through the air as the new day began…


-----


Karakura Town [06:05 AM]


It was a snowy morning in Karakura Town. The chill seemed to slice through one's bones as the cold breeze gently wharfed across the city. His surroundings were beautiful. White crystals balled together in miniature hills. Snow-capped alpines stood proud and starkly among the hills, swaying gracefully in the breeze. The wind whistled a silent song as it softly hustled through the barren branches of mountainous trees. Shadows of angel wings floated in the misty air. It was winter.

On top of a single telegraph pole from the top of the mountain, a young teenager stood, surveying the city through a pair of binoculars. He was a neatly dressed boy. His skin, as white as the silvery pearls of Styx, bathed in the iridescent light of the morning sun, gleaming in an almost inhumanly pallid sheen. He wore a crisp, knife-edge ebony-black teeshirt, with a matching ebony-black army-style combat vest, black gloves, black tabi boots and black cargo shorts. Everything he wore was a dark forbidding black. A kabuki-esque mask hit his face but his sunburnt-brown hair swayed lightly in the breeze. Clasped in his hand was a small elegantly old-fashioned pocket-watch with a silver chain. It was beautifully Victorian, complete with Roman numerals and intricate dials.

"I knew I'll find you here, onii-chan."

The masked boy turned aroundto find a pre-puberescent equally masked boy. The boy wore an ebony-black teeshirt, but he wore a navy-blue army-vest, cobalt gloves and matching blue shorts, tobi boot, and sswamp green baseball cap backwards, with a pair of large ski-goggles strapped to the cap. The younger boy's mask resembled a light-brown smiling kitsune, with small curves for eyes with no mouth, while the older's was a white Hunter-nin's- complete with no nose or mouth, just thin lines for eye-slots and red stripes in the cheek areas. The older said nothing as the younger continued.

"Hee hee, Dos-san and Cinco-senpai were fighting over the hair-straightener again. I still don't know why Cinco-senpai needs a hair straigthener but he is unnaturally obessed with his hair. Onii-chan, are you even listening to me?" giggled the young boy, as he figured with his goggles.

The young boy's voice then lost its cheerfulness as he suddenly adopted a serious tone. "Uno-nii, there isn't a need to worry. The Locater should start working soon and then we can just get this job done and over with."

The older boy nodded, glanced back at the watch again. The dials then started to glow in an unearhtly light, as the handles of the watch started to spin rapidly and erratically, the pocket-watch and chain glowing in a plethora of visual colours.

"It seems like the wait's finally up- the Tracking Kidou is finally working," muttered the older teenager, as the younger nodded.

"Nii-chan, it looks like the Locater you're holding will give us the coordinates to the location of the closest Mannen Bussekimaru fragment in around forty-five minutes," the goggled boy said, peering at the glowing pocket-watch. "It looks like Tres-san and his Kidou save the day again."

"Cuatro, I want you to take the Locater with you and find Cinco. Bring Cinco and with the Locator, destroy and then collect the fragment. I have some important business to deal with right now," said Uno blankly, handing Cuatro the glowing Locater. Cuatro then nodded.

"Okie dokie, I understand. See ya later then, onii-chan," smiled Cuatro as Uno nodded, as he flashtepped away, leaving a smiling Cuatro. The young boy sighed as he toyed with the Locator, looking at it with bored wonder, sighing loudly.

"I guess I'll be here for a while... Hm, I wonder what's for dinner today? Eek, I hope it's not fish!"




(OOC. Okay, you know what you have to do. Urahara will explain the rest. Everything will come clear. Start posting away!

Post ahead! And don't forgot to check out the Discussion and Information Thread!)

 

[The Doctor]

Yet another Hollow.

Why is it that despite there being so many shinigami about there's always the same three words, spread across the cell phone's GPS map, in bold flashing red letters: HOLLOW DETECTED.

Yet another Hollow.

Tenrai was, chronologically, one of the oldest shinigami serving the Soul Society, but he didn't look older than 18, his youthful face noted for its handsome, almost foxlike features, blue eyes always gazing out into the world with a cheerful light. He was there long before Kuchiki Rukia, Abarai Renji, Ichimaru Gin (or as he liked to call him, "that bastard"), to name but a few. Yet for all his experiences, he would give his kingdom just to stop being called for those goddamned Hollows. Still, this is the only work he ever got, being just a lad when killed, and at the end of the day, everyone did their job.

Tenrai materialised, as a black butterfly practically indistinguishable to all but the spiritually aware, into the Sakurabashi district, standing on the titular curved bridge in the middle of Tsubakidai Park. Yet there were no cherry blossoms; briefly, Tenrai wondered if Kuchiki-taichou would be disappointed by the distinct lact of pink heart-shaped petals on the trees, which stood as barren ugly skeletons in the midst of snow. The river under the bridge was little more than a large spread of black nothingness that threatened to consume all that dared to step on it for a joke. Tenrai was only touching the ground in this different environment that only spirits could dwell. Like the young brown-haired woman in lilac business clothing screaming at the top of her lungs, running in distress.

"Always the women," Tenrai sighed. For this woman was being pursued by a bipedal creature, its monstrous body jet blacked and hunched on all fours like a gorilla, a skeletal mask with vibrant designs and beady yellow eyes peering out of it. The woman had no chance against this heartless beast; hence why Tenrai was about to dispatch it. It would be quick and it would look easy.

Leaping gracefully from the bridge with remarkable height, Tenrai arced downhill from his jump in a somersault, drawing out the katana hanging at his waist, hands wrapped tight around the golden hilt; he was coming to the end of the vault, and would be positioned between the monster and the woman. In one swift moment, a flash of silver as he drew the katana lit the wintery air, and a spurt of crimson signalled the horizontal severing of the creature's mask. The beast gurgled briefly, before its whole body dissolved into mist, its blood and mask completely wiped. The woman stood there, frozen; Tenrai had still kept the sword in the air and was swinging it towards her. She screamed-

But there was no pain. She looked up to see the end of the hilt being drawn away, and a strange feeling of euphoria and peace settled around her.

"Wh-What's going on?" She asked the blond shinigami. He merely smiled cheekily.

"See you on the other side, sweetheart." She immediately turned scarlet.

"S-Sweetheart?! Wait a minute, how old are y-" But her sentence was cut off, for she had disappeared in a flash of light. Hollow eradicated and Soul Burial completed. Excellent. But just as Tenrai began to consider moving, the phone beeped again.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, not another Hollow!" He spat angrily, flipping it open, but there was no alert. Instead, there was a new message sitting patiently in the Inbox. Puzzled, Tenrai read it.

Kenkaku,

This is a direct order and you are not to question it in any way. I am told you are to be sent to the Urahara Shop in Karakura Town. This contains a former shinigami who is identified as trustworthy. You are to report there immediately under new orders. DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM URAHARA-SAN. THIS IS OUT OF MY HANDS.

Kuchiki-taichou.

 

[Golduck the Gallant]

Several Days Ago - 9:05 P.M.

Katashi Tsushima proceeded slowly up the shadowed staircase which lead to his fifth-floor apartment in downtown Tokyo. Even in his gigai, which he had yet to grow completely accustomed to, he didn't make a sound as sneakered feat traversed each step at an impressive rate - his braid swaying back and forth with every movement. On most occasions Katashi would have chosen the elevator, yet earlier this evening he had picked up a faint, familiar Reiatsu coming from the general location. It bothered him, seeing as how he'd spent a great deal of money on Urahara's alarm device, which he was guaranteed would alarm him of any intruding spiritual beings.

So he proceeded, utilizing what stealth and haste was available to him in Gigai form, he ascended the five stories in roughly ten seconds and paused curiously on the platform outside. Thin fingers grasped a cold steel knob and opened the the rather heavy door leading to his hallway, giving him a small slit of vision of the shadows beyond. His violet eye stared on, catching sight of his apartment, which was purposely located close to the staircase in case of emergencies. Satisfied that no spiritual presence, nor anyone else lingered in the hallways, he heaved the door open and traversed the ten or so feet to the entrance of his studio.

With the swipe of a keycard fetched from his back pocket, and on cue with a blinking green light, he opened the much lighter door quickly, casting a sweeping glance over the one-room apartment with a sigh of relief - it appeared exactly the same as he had left it. Katashi took one step in, his shoe landing on something that surely wasn't carpet, which gave way under his foot inevitably causing him to fall backward and crash into the hallway behind him, catching glimpse of the envelop he'd slipped on just as his head smacked against the ground.

With several choice curses and a thud that likely stirred the attention of his neighbors, he gathered himself quickly off the floor and slid into his studio apartment, closing the door quickly behind him. Despite the fact that he'd been completely alone, his cheeks flushed with embaressmant, as he quite simply felt like a klutz. Such emotions were compressed as he approached the envelope which had caused his slip-up, which had no doubt been pushed through slit under his door. With a wavering, exhausted elegance, he crouched low and scooped the letter from the floor, sliding a finger through the paper and quickly retrieving the note within - something he had perfected in his years of filing Shinigami paperwork. To his surprise, it was old fashioned parchment more befitting of a scroll, and contained only three words in bold black ink: See me now. Beneath the extremely nondescript text was an intricate flower design, which apparently the ex-Shinigami had recognized, as his brows furrowed worriedly.

He stripped the plain white dress shirt he'd donned for his performance at the club that evening, splitting the buttons from the cloth in his haste, and slid the garment off from his right shoulder. As he had expected, the same small flower had been tattoo'd upon the flesh of the Gigai he'd inhabited, a trait he hadn't had in true form, and therefore a mark of the false body's creator - Kisuke Urahara. An explosion of questions erupted in his head as he was ever curious of the brief note, and the ex-Shinigami wasted no time in calling the various establishments he'd scheduled performances with, promptly canceling each and every one.

Urahara has never contacted me before, he thought as he shed his Gigai, lifting it with much relative ease and tossing it in the single walk-in closet, This is important. Without a second thought, he slid open the large bay window that had quite a view of the sprawling city beyond, found a hand-hold to support himself upon, and slid out while closing it behind him. In another instant, he blurred off in an impressive display of flash steps for Karakura Town, a place he had not visited in over a decade.

*****

Karakura Town - Early Morning

Katashi's image, adorned in the obsidian garments of a Shinigami, became visually discernible upon a low residential rooftop in Karakura. He was situated in a low crouch, one arm pushed between his bent knees, fingers pressed against the protective tiles to provide sturdy support. His mis-matched hues scanned the perimeter as he took a moment's rest, his chest heaving noticeably in result of his expended energy. It had taken him much longer to arrive then he had expected upon departure, having encountered four Hollows along the way - three of which had ambushed him just outside the Karakura limits. They wouldn't have posed much of a threat had Katashi not pushed himself beyond the limits of consecutive shunpo, exhausting himself well before reaching the small town - but he managed to handle the accordingly.

The ex-Shinigami was regretting that he didn't bring along his gigai, as it would have permitted him to enjoy a hearty breakfast to replenish his energy. With his stomach grumbling, he became utterly aware of how accustomed he was to human life, just as the silhouette of a bi-pedal creature was visible in his peripherals. Just as he turned to gaze upon the Hollow, which was but a small black shadow on the horizon, it seemed to evaporate into nothingness. Alarmed, Katashi's form disappeared in utilization of another flash step, which brought him down into the shadows of an ally roughly one-hundred feet away, still panting in relative exhaustion.

Damnit, he thought, crouching down on a knee once more, This was a bad idea. This place is crawling with Shinigami, how can Urahara live here peacefully? Katashi rose and immediately started off toward Urahara Shouten, eager to arrive at what he hoped would be a safe haven amidst a place that was dangerous for him. He was endangering himself for the first time in his fifteen years in the real world, and it made him wonder why he so eagerly rushed out to respond to Kisuke's summons.

Several moments later, he stood outside the small shop that was known by few as home to Kisuke Urahara. A morning breeze tossed his shinigami robes, as well as his braided black hair, in a dramatic manner, causing an extremely subtle flapping sound that broke the silence. A hand clad in a thin leather glove rose to adjust the obsidian scarf that wound loosely about his neck, bringing it rest upon the bridge of his nose - effectively concealing his lower facial features. Mis-matched hues stared on, exhausted looking and narrowed, as he expected the eccentric man to come bursting out of the domicile at any moment. Without any other choice, the ex-Shinigami padded quietly up to the door, and considered how he might gain entrance. "Hey!" he screamed, irritance heavy in his voice, "Urahara!" With a sigh of relief, and his exhausted frustration ventilated in his highly audible call, he waited for the man to answer.

He better answer...

 

[cdra1617]

Hueco Mundo. Such a desolate, dull place, the quartz-trees standing like pathetic ghosts of true trees, the kind Alba remembered from the real world. From atop a large stone even, one could see far into the Hollow world, over the depressingly flat desert. Its perfect plane was disturbed only by a few boulders, such at the one Alba had mounted, and some mountains to the far distance. A castle sat somewhere in that distance, in some direction, but Alba had so tried to loose track of it that she had only a vague idea of its location.

The Arrancar woman glanced at the dull purple sky, her ice blue eyes matching its dullness. Such a depressing world... but she had to stay here in order to keep herself "fed", for she did not want to eat the souls of humans if at all avoidable. In fact, Alba didn't want to kill anyone who had done her no harm; that was her mindset for the time. But as volitale as she was, that may change on a dime. At the time she felt more pulled against Aizen-sama, yet Alba could not make herself truly want to oppose him. Confused, she looked into the distance blankly as the mild wind of Hueco Mundo made her ponytails lift and flow behind her, a vestige of her Hollow wings, the ones she had lost when she became an Arrancar.

But in the midst of this dreary, silent landscape, Alba suddenly felt something unusual. It came suddenly, causing the Arrancar to look suprised for a moment, turning sharply towards the sense. What appeared before her resembled a Garganta opening, yet there was something... different about it. Panicking that another Arrancar was on her tail, Alba sniffed the air, an old Hollow power that had never truly left her, only to find that the scent was by no means Arrancar. She leapt to her feet, poised atop the rock she had mounted, slightly defensive at the strong spiritual energy coming through the near-Garganta.

The woman who stepped out looked somewhat human, but Alba now recognized that she was a shinigami, or a former one at least. Before the Arrancar stood a dark skinned woman wearing an orange shirt and tight black pants, plus another tight black shirt under the original orange. Her long purple hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Alba remained defensive, yet curious as to why this woman had shown up. She pointed sharply at the new arrival. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The woman was perfectly calm and straightforward, but her seriousness was slightly unnerving. "You are to come to the Urahara Shouten in Karakura Town with me. A force is rallying there."

Alba was suprised. What what she saying? What sort of force would be meeting in Karakura Town... but one that would oppose Aizen-sama? She looked shocked, still incredibly tense. A shinigami asking her to come along... it was almost unbelievable. Yet it was happening. Alba tried to laugh it off, like it was some sort of joke. "You're kidding, right? With you? You're asking me, and Arrancar, to come with you?" her laugh was hysterical, fearful, and most of all confused. Yet in Alba's disbelief, the woman just stood stonelike, looking seriously at her.

Restraining herself, Alba stopped laughing, though she was still tense and definately still in shock. She took a moment to calm her mind and think. Something was pulling at her heart, like this was something she had to do, something that -- even though Aizen-sama may denounce her for it -- she wanted to do. She became serious as well, her expression mildly usure and nervous. "...when do you want me there?" she said, her voice unfaltering.

The purple haired woman smiled slightly, as if she had accomplished her mission. Her tone remaining serious, she replied, "It would be best that you come now." Alba closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't quite sure how this was going to go, but she knew she had to do this. Karakura town had become her second home, where she had watched students and thought of how happy her life had been compared to being a Hollow. But would she... would she have to work with shinigami? How awkward. Alba wasn't sure about that part of this little escapade.

The Arrancar nodded, slightly nervous. "Fine. I'm not busy." The other woman nodded back and walked into the almost-Garganta; Alba followed quickly in order to remain undetected. It wasn't very different from a Garganta, she observed, but it wasn't the same thing either. This was made from something other than an Arrancar... it was manufactured by some other force. It was only an instant until the hole opened overy an obscure spot in Karakura Town.

Alba and the woman stepped out onto the roof of a small, humble little shop. Suddenly, the Arrancar spoke up. "Hey, this thing involves shinigami, doesn't it? Whatever those fake bodies you guys use -- don't think I haven't seem 'em -- I need one. I'm not going to show myself to a bunch of shinigami with my mask on... they'll kill me on site." She was very serious about this; Alba knew well that Shingami didn't really accept Arrancar. She didn't want to be lead into some kind of trap, so she felt that if this woman wasn't tricking her she'd help her out on this matter.

The dark skinned woman nodded. "Come with me," she said, going to the side door of the shop and knocking. Alba followed and watched as the door was answered by a very large and imposing man. Alba looked mildly frightened by him and simply followed the woman from before, watching the man has his eyes followed her. She walked quickly around him as her leader did, very obviously unnerved. Alba kept behind the serious woman as she walked into a room where a man with a hat waited.

"Wait here." The woman stated as Alba entered the doorway. Unable to go anywhere, she just stood and watched as they spoke, then the woman beckoned her and Alba hustled over to them quickly, though there was no respect in her haste.

The hat man looked at her, serious but much more light hearted than the woman from earlier, and said, "So... you need a gigai?" He seemed rather odd, wearing a green and white striped hat plus a matching dark green robe hanging open over a green tunic and pants. He held both a cane and a fan and had short blonde hair.

Alba nodded silently, looking him in the eyes. "Yeah, if that's what those false bodies are called. I'd rather not get attacked by overtly hasty shinigami."

"Oh?" the man said, fanning himself. Alba looked dully at him and nodded again. "Well, I can lend you one, but you'll have to pay for it..." he held the fan up near his mouth, covering much of his face. "And since you don't have any money, Arrancar-san, you'll have to work around the shop to pay for it."

Alba was obstinate. "Wha-what?" she scowled slightly. "No way." she had no intention of working at the shop! She wasn't really sure what she was doing here in the first place! This mindset was too brief and shortly after blurting that out she thought of something, that maybe even if she wasn't going to stick around it'd be nice to get them to trust her somewhat. Shrugging it off, she glared at him.

The man continued to fan himself and tsk'd. "Whatever will we do then... you can't go out in front of them without a gigai, no?" Alba grumbled something. He continued, "I'll make you a deal then. If you can answer my riddle, you can have a gigai for free. If you can't you have to work in the shop. Is that fair?" He was taking all of this as a joke...

Alba grinned. She could agree with taking the risk; she was fairly confident she could win a battle of wits. "Alright, fine." she crossed her arms and listened.

"Forewards I am heavy, but backwards I am not." Alba scratched her chin in thought. She closed her eyes, so she didn't notice the exasperated expression of the purple haired woman and the smugness of the blonde man.

After a short time she seemed struck by and idea and said, "Gravity!" The man shook his head and Alba looked flustered. Dang, she thought, I've lost. "No way." she said, hoping he was just joking with her.

"The answer is 'Ton'." he said simply, closing his fan. Alba scowled.

"Well f***." she said under her breath so that no one could hear her. Knowing she had lost, Alba threw up her hands in a motion of surrender. "Fine, get me a gigai and a broom then." She seemed mildly upset, but the man just smiled, easygoing, and went into the back.

A short time later, Alba was in her new gigai, sweeping the shop to get used to it plus pay for it. This would all work out for the better, she figured; she could get them to trust her this way. The Arrancar mumbled as she cleaned, flustered that she hadn't been able to get the riddle correct. With no mask, no hollow hole, and no purple dots on her face, Alba felt a little strange. It was odd to have so many things about her missing. However, she did find that the simple oversized black hoodie, situated over a bright blue shirt, and jeans she had been provided with were very comfortable. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad... Alba sighed as she continued to sweep, grumbling and waiting for the other arrivals the hat-man had hinted at.

 

[Draco Malfoy]

Suzume Suzuki



Karakura Town [06:12 AM]



Snow gently fell in light feathery flakes, drifting softly to the ground, as a young sixteen-and-a-half year old girl flashed stepped from building to building. The girl then paused to take out and look at her mobile phone. She blew a stray strand of auburn hair out of her eyes as she tapped numbers into her neon-pink cell, sighing as she did so.

Suzume was, chronologically, eligible to apply for a pension in the real world due to her age, but she didn't look older than sixteen and a half. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled in dim light of the cell phone, her youthful face and its baby-doll features scrunched-up in a frustrated expression. Suzume Suzuki, the self-proclaimed "The Pwnage Super Ninja Girl" who could contest Yachiru's title as "the highest consumder of jasmine ice candy in the Seireitei", was on a stupid pointless mission to catch an elusive traitor shinigami known as Katashi Tsushima, or Tsushi the Stupidly Elusive, as she prefers to call him. As an esteemed shinigami of the Covert Ops and a Seated Soul Reaper of the Second Division, Suzume's main talent was tracking, stealth, and more specifically, hohou.

Suzume prefered using zanjutsu over hakuda (she would rather not get her newly polished nails broken in some gungho karate huzzah, thank you very much) but hohou remained as her favourite activity and shinigami skill. As the 4th Seated shinigami of the 2nd Division, she was expected to set an example to all aspiring hohou enthusists in Soifon-taichou's division and serve the Soul Society with all her heart.

Of course, Suzume wasn't some freaky sociopathic patriot like her obessed taichou, in fact Suzume didn't like what the Soul Society was doing that much these days. The only reason she was serving the Gotei 13 was because Suzume had her bestest friends in the Seireitei and she was fiercely loyal to her taichou anyway. As much of a ninja-bitch Soifon-taichou was, she had her heart in the right place and she did know how to kick some major male butt.

But just when Suzume was enjoying some leisurely and easy paperwork duty, that stupid 3rd Seat Takeshi Natsuna just had to take his annual holiday break, leaving her, the next Seated officer available, to take care of the frustrating job of tracking down Tsushima. Suzume never understood why Soifon-taichou was so obessed with catching the guy and castrating him with Suzubachi. The stupid ex-shinigami left decades ago, why should the Soul Society even send people to look for some long-dead ghost when they had more pressing matters at hand, such as the Aizen Crisis.

But here she was, Suzume Suzuki, missing out of tonnes of candy, the monthly Seireitei Bingo Night and her weekly Friday night poker games with Yachiru, Zaraki-taichou, Hisagi-san, Kira-fukutaichou and Rangiku-chan. All because of some lousy long-dead shinigami runaway. Just her luck.

Suzume then sighed and closed her cell. It was pointless- with so much reiatsu activity in this stupid town, trying to find and discern Tsushima's aura would be like trying to find a needle in a flea-infected haystack. The young chocolate-brown haired girl then flicked her ponytail away from her shoulders and shunpoed away towards the Sakurabashi district. Suzume sensed Hollow nearby and she might as well abuse her current situation and train-up her skills through purifying Hollows.

"Always the women."

Suzume giggled as she looked at the source of the voice. It was a young blond-haired shinigami she had seen at the Seireitei before. She grinned as she mentally unclothed him with her eyes.

He's not a bad catch... Lithe, cute, and not to mention blond. Yep, he's scoring quite high for me, thought the pretty and hyperactive girl, sighing to herself.

The young girl sighed as she continued to watch the blond boy, giggling or grinning every now and then. In moments like this, Suzume was so happy she was good at masking her reiatsu and at stealth. She didn't want the boy to think she was some kind of stalker-freak. Even if she was.

Suzume then saw the boy look at his cell phone, and make a near inaudible gasp. She wondered what got him flustered, as suddenly closed the bell and shunpoed away towards to the east. Suzume, considering she had nothing else better to do, decided to follow the blonde, keeping her distance as she stealthfully stalked him.

Suzume then rose a gentle eyebrow, as the boy suddnly stopped.


The Urahara Shouten. How interesting...

She remembered the Urahara Shouten. How oculd she not when her taichou was grumbling saying things like "that oaf Urahara and his primitive shop do not deserve Yoruichi-sama and her presence" and "Maybe if I poisoned that sandal-hat, I could rendez-vous with Yoruichi-sama at the shop! Then I could buy it, and sell it, and adopt many little black cats with the money! Anything for Yoruichi-sama". Suzume first thought Soifon-taichou was going crazy, but then she realised that Yoruichi must be a very handsome man, and Urahara some blonde ****ty woman- it sounded like that from Soifon-taichou's mumblings.

Suzume then gathered her courage as she saw the boy open the door to the Shouten and walk inside. Suzume then heard a cry of a young woman and the suprised and angry shout of the hot blond boy.

It happened very quickly. The boy was pushed out by some kind of projectile from within the shop, with a white-clad woman running out of it, ready to make her next move.

Arrancar... thought Suzume, touching her zanpakutou. What is an Arrancar doing here? I must help the hottie fight emo-goth!


And with that Suzume cried, "Tayasu, Kajinhakaisha!"

Her zanpakutou burst into a shine of bright light, transforming into its shikai, a long katana with an shining luminous sapphire blade that seemed that be blinding to look at, with an azure hilt. Suzume then lauched herself into combat, as a surprised blond boy and female Arrancar braced themselves.


---

"You gave the Arrancar that gikon dispenser, didn't you? You knew this was going to happen."

"Ah, I might have. I'm glad she managed to figure out how to use it though. Suzume-chan's fighting too- she got here earilier than I thought."

"Don't you think we should intervene and stop them fighting? They're meant to augment and help each other, not gorge each other's brains out."

"Ah, Yoruichi-san, there's no need to intervene! Let's let these youngsters have a bit more fun before we actually step-in and stop them."

"..."

"We WILL intervene in five minutes. I mean, we don't want them to hurt each other TOO badly."

"You're a strange man, you know that don't you, Kisuke?"

"Of course."

 

[Mimori Kiryu]

[Karakura Town – 6:15AM]

Early mornings in this town were the same as anywhere else in world, especially during the frigid time of winter. It was just the same for students during this time. It was even more so affecting a young girl who was currently crawled safely under her warm blankets in her home. Waking up and getting dressed for school wasn’t something that she wanted to do at this current time, but she knew that she would have to be getting up before her father came in, pulling off the blanket in one move. That action froze the girl like no other and it would probably be worse since it was winter. When the girl finally pulled the blanket from out of her face, she looked over at the calendar. Her face lit up with a bright smile. It was Saturday. The girl curled under the blankets again, prepared to sleep for at least another four hours. That was until a certain soul appeared next to her.

He was garbed in a traditional male kimono; a dark blue shade. A beautiful sewn pattered of a garden of sakura blossoms was wrapped around the waist of the kimono with a golden dragon of amazing length mixed around within the flowers. It almost seemed to be relaxing around his waist as he stroked his kimono lightly. Lying just over his shoulder was his long black hair that was braided into a thin ponytail. He brushed his hair behind him; his curious blue eyes staring down at the girl in the bed. He was sat upon the girl’s bookshelf that which held all of her ***** and anime collection from plushies to DVDs. The bookshelf didn’t move when he jumped down and glided to the ground. He sat down on the end of the bed and even though he didn’t make the bed move; the girl sighed.

“Miyuki…it’s a Saturday. Let me sleep.” She said, her voice muffled by the comforter.

The soul smiled, his teeth showing brightly. “How did you know I was here, Ms. Campbell?”

“It’s not that difficult to feel your presence anymore, Miyuki. And for the last time, my name is Julia.” Julia said, pushing the comforter off of her face. The samurai soul was shown to the girl’s glassy blue eyes. She reached up to her dresser and grabbed her glasses, pushing them onto her face. Julia sat up, brushing her hair out of her face. “Why can’t I sleep for a little while longer?”

“Something’s going to happen today. You need to get up and get dressed.” Miyuki stood up, gliding over to the closet. He rested his hand on his sword that was against his side as he looked at the girl’s clothes. He pulled at one of the articles of clothing, an elegant blouse with a kimono like top. It was a red shade with a large cherry blossom on the left breast pocket. The rest was a plain shirt. Everyday, Miyuki was always trying to convince Julia to wear this shirt. “I think this would look beautiful on you with those trousers that your mom bought you yesterday.” The clothing fell out of his hand as Julia walked up next to him, pulling the shirt out of her closet.

“Fine, fine. I’ll wear it today.” Julia said, reaching into her dresser drawers for her undergarments. She walked into her bathroom across the room. She closed the door behind her and thought about Miyuki’s comment about something happening. ‘I wonder what he meant by that. Stupid Miyuki always knowing about things that I don’t.’

----

[Karakura Town – 11:56AM – Julia’s Living Room]

Julia sat down her bag as she walked inside, Miyuki gliding next to her. She shivered from the cold, taking off her jacket quickly since it was covered in the light snow that was falling outside. Julia sometimes was envious of Miyuki’s inability to be hot or cold.

She walked into the kitchen seeing her mother cooking lunch. Her mother was a short statured woman just about the same height as her. The woman turned to her daughter, her black hair brushing out of her face.

“Honey, I’m glad you’ve returned. Was your trip to the library an adventure with the snow?” her mother asked.

“Freezing.” Julia said simply, sitting down at the kitchen table. Looking to the pile of papers on the table, she saw a letter that had been addressed to her. That day’s date was labeled onto the top as she ripped open the letter. Miyuki looked over to her, his eyes full of curiousness and knowing knowledge. Julia pulled out the parchment inside, seeing the neat scribbling over the page in a script like font.

“Dear Ms. Julia Campbell,
Your presence is requested at a meeting this day at one ‘o clock. You will meet with me at the Karakura Train Station for me to take you the rest of the way. The location of the meeting is the Urahara Shop. Please do not ignore this matter. It would also be in your best interest to bring Miyuki along with you.

Ryuuken Ishida”

‘Miyuki?! How does this guy know about you?’ She turned her head to Miyuki and the samurai simply shrugged. How did this person she’d never heard of before know about her and about the spirit that inhabited her necklace? Julia thought the name sounded familiar, but she knew that no one that been told about Miyuki. Ever since he first appeared to her, he had been a secret to everyone. ‘I guess I have no choice but to go.’

She stood abruptly, grabbing both her black jacket and her bag, tossing it casually over her shoulder. “I’ll be back after a while, Mom!” She didn’t hear her mother’s response as she strolled down the street toward the train station, the letter from the mysterious Ryuuken Ishida still clutched in her hand.

“I told you today was going to be interesting, Julia.” Miyuki told her as he glided along beside the hurrying girl.

 

[Knightblazer]

Ichibou Towairaito [Lucifer Leonheart]
Karakura Town - 0618 hours

Asterisk
Kaze ni omoi wo tsuki ni negai wo

A wish carried on the wind, a request from the moon​

Chikara aru kagiri ikiteikunda kyou mo

to live as fully as possible, day by day -​

Bokura no omoi mo itsuka dareka no mune ni

So that our wishes, too, will be in someone's heart someday;​

Hikari tsuzukeyou ano hoshi no you ni

so let's shine on like that star​

​

Morning rose over the quiet town of Karakura, basking the quaint town in the warm golden glow of the rising sun. Sure, there were a few early birds here and there, but otherwise the place was relatively desolate. The dawn chorus was clearly heard alongside the call of the morning sonnet, crystal-clear chirps and cries dancing merrily in the wind as they waltzed with the swirling leaves of the morning breeze. A tabby cat lay dozing peacefully along the quiet street, purring contently in its sleep… at least until a sandal-wearing foot accidentally stepped on its tail. With a painful yelp, the feline woke up, hissing at once at the ignorant intruder – although suddenly stopping when it noticed the brilliant shade of red blocking its vision. Frightened, the cat half-hissed, half-screeched and scampered to the back alleys of the town, leaving the human in question wincing.

Ichibou Towairaito – otherwise preferred to be known by his alias, Lucifer Leonheart – continued to wince even after the cat had ran away. It was just times like these when it did not pay to be in a freaking gigai. Of course, the fact that most humans wouldn’t be able to see him sounded rather prospective too… Nevertheless, he was in a gigai, and that was that. In any case, the boy whistled softly in admiration as he took in the sights of a town he had never returned to so long ago.

Man, its only about three decades since I’ve last seen this place and now it looks freaking modern… the redhead couldn’t help but think to himself. He remembered just how pretty ancient this place was when he was here half a century ago, when he was found nearly dead by Hirako. And in thinking of that, the teenager-looking Vizard had his brain reeling back to his past, when he was just another innocent soul, another innocent pawn in a deadly game of chess…

Bloody hell, the lone Ichibou mentally cursed, I’d better stop thinking ‘bout that b*stard…

Of course, the boy had learned about the events that transpired in Soul Society a few months/weeks back from the other Vizards. Needless to say, he was hardly surprised – having experienced Aizen Sosuke’s treachery first-hand, he was not at all shocked; he could say that he was expecting it, having known what the cunning ex-Fifth Division taichou was actually doing in the shadows of the Seireitei. However, having heard that that man had actually made Arrancar that proved to be even a match for the other Taichous…

Towairaito just shuddered thinking about it.

Even so, the ex-Shinigami was not going to take any moves to help either of them. Sure, he hated Aizen, but then Soul Society was also to blame – to actually allow such a man to enter there, much less become a Shinigami and then a taichou… they really needed to choose their candidates better. Then again, I can’t entirely blame ‘em; it’s not like anyone could guess it was him that did all of those horrible things… the red-haired Vizard thought to himself. Sighing, the boy shifted his thoughts to other things before he seriously started to drown himself in those sorrows. Wonder how Shinji and the rest are doing?

Being the youngest Vizard in the group, Towairaito had yet to fully suppress his inner hollow. Even though he could crush it down, he was still unable to summon his mask, and that hindered and prevented him from unleashing Bankai, even if he could master it, given the chance. He would have to relearn Bankai in order to truly crush his evil side. The recent years had helped him hone his skills, the boy added mentally, maybe he should ask Hirako to help him in suppressing the annoying thing now, and he could quickly move to Hollow ability manipulation – those ceros looked pretty darn fun to play with somewhat. Just then, the teenager noticed a familiar figure in the distance standing there, waiting for him. Squinting his crimson eyes, Towairaito could discern the familiar hairstyle, the dirty blond color, that odd twinkling of eyes…

“Shinji!” the Ichibou exclaimed with a smile as he hurried to his savior-cum-mentor-cum-companion-in-situation (in that order too, mind). However, when the crimson-haired hybrid neared the elder, he noticed that Hirako looked serious. Way too serious. Instantly, Towairaito knew that something was up - and from the look on that face, it seemed pretty freaking serious.

“We need to talk,” the elder Vizard said in a serious tone.

Knightblazer ;262;​

 

[.:Lemon Tea:.]

Sorry for not posting earlier. I live in San Diego, and we have like 7 fires burning around the county. Check aol or google if you don't believe me. -___-
Anyways we were forced to evacuate our house, and we went to our aunt's house. And then, we were forced to evacuate there too. So now I'm in a friend's house, and we might have to evacuate. The only good thing is school is closed until Wednsday. But I might not be able to go on serebii for maybe 3-4 days, please forgive me. Blame the stupid fires. >>;;;

--------------------------------------------------------------



Two Days Ago-7:55 P.M.


It was chilly in Karakura Town. December was coming right around the corner and snow was already falling from the sky. It painted the landscape a pale blue and covered nearly everything it could and made the whole place sparkle. The sky was already black, and the bright shining stars covered the sky. Most of the lights in nearby houses were turned on, and the street lamps glowed a soft, comforting yellow.

A lady dressed in thick winter clothes walked down the deserted street leading to her apartment complex. She carried a bag full of groceries and snow was already covering some of the fruit and vegetables on top. The paper, brown bag itself was soaked, small water droplets were dripping from the bottom, and it was a wonder how it was still holding. The lady herself, despite the warm clothes she was wearing, was quite wet. Her hair had little fluffs of snow covering it, and her face was chilled and raw with no hood protecting her face. The red jacket with a furry collar had only a few dry spots on it, and her jeans were entirely soaked, the tough, leather boots were no different from the pants.

Nevertheless, the lady was smiling, an easy smile covered her face, and didn’t evaporate when she saw a young, blond boy perched on the stout, black metal gate that led into her apartment.

“Hello,” she said.

“I’m guessing you’re Mitosuki Izumi.” The youth replied, he was dressed in school clothes by the looks of it, and had a dark green jacket covering his top.

She gave a faint laugh, “Is that how you greet someone?”

The boy sighed, and from his hand, he showed her a picture of her in the Urahara Shouten, “Sorry, but I’m in a hurry.”

She raised an elegant eyebrow. “Hm?”

“I’ve been asked to get you by Urahara-san.”

Her smile got wider. “I’m guessing he needs a big favor if he sent someone to get me.”

“How did you know?” the boy said sarcastically in his Osaka dialect.

“Well, what is it?”

“You’re not shocked?”

Now it was her turn to sigh, but she never lost that sly, cheerful expression she had, “Its Urahara, nothing really surprises me when it comes to him.”

“Well it concerns Aizen.”

“Aizen?”

“You don’t know about him?”

“I’ve been gone for around 250 years, my memory gets faint.”

The boy looked at her apologetically, “I suggest ya make a pot of tea when ya hear about this.”

Izumi nodded, “Might as well, but just wondering kid, are you still in your gigai? My neighbors might think of me as crazy, or more crazy than I already am if they see me talking to thin air.”

“I am in my gigai.”

“Great, than you can tell me about how Soul Society is, on the way in.”

The boy nodded and jumped off the metal gate. “I’m Hirako Shinji by the way.”

Izumi punched in her apartment password in a little, electronic box right on the wall next to the gate. It beeped twice and the gate opened.

“So how’s it been Hirako-san?”

“Not well, you see….”


Karakura Town-6:00 A.M.


A captain, no, three captains had deserted Soul Society. The news didn’t surprise her though. She always had known it would happen someday, but not in this type of force, or power. If they left quietly like her because they disliked the values of Soul Society would she have been able to let it go. But they left because they didn’t like the values, and because of a more horrible, frightening reason.

They left for more power. Power was one thing Izumi couldn’t understand why someone would want. She was happy to have been an eleventh seat. She didn’t need to become a taichou to be satisfied with her position. Maybe she never really cared about what position she was in a division. She just cared about happiness. And Soul Society didn’t make her happy, it took all the life out of her, and that was why she left.

But now everything in Karakura made more sense. The hollow-like creatures-Arrancars, and now she understood why there were more Death Gods here. She would have liked to have been kept out of this, like Hirako or Shinji as he was called. But this would effect her too. And she wanted to keep that peaceful non-shinigami life she held.

But…desperate times called for desperate measures.
For the first time in 2 years, she went out of her gigai. The feeling was strange, but it felt good nevertheless. She was wearing her regular attire, or summer clothes as she called them now. The maroon shirt, and jean shorts and Kashinfuu, the ‘umbrella’ was strapped on her belt.

She decided to take the more scenic route than just doing a bunch of flash steps. She decided to jump on a roof and then another, feeling the fresh breeze as she went by. The coldness didn’t affect her anymore, since she wasn’t in her gigai. And it felt fun to jump across buildings without people pointing at you, as if you were a monster.

Izumi reached the Urahara Shouten in good time, around 20 minutes after she left her house. But the sight surprised her, and she couldn’t help but grin that lofty grin of hers. There were shinigami here, but she could lose them with shunpo if they attacked her. Anyways they were busy with an Arrancar-looking thing. All three of them looked outraged and she decided not to butt in and waste her energy. After all, it seemed that they all weren’t dangerous, since Urahara and Yoruichi weren’t helping anyone out.

“What a quaint place, you’ve got here Urahara.” She stated loudly and in an amused tone.

 

[Knightblazer]

Ichibou Towairaito [Lucifer Leonheart]
Karakura Town – 0623 hours

D-technolife​

So you will not break, you distance yourself from me​

kowarenai you ni to hanarete iku kimi​

Don't say words like you can't smile or you hate people​

mou waraenai nante hito kirai nante kotoba sou iwanai de​

Now it's BY AND BY, even if you cannot see, there's a meaning to everything​

ima wa by and by mie nakuttatte subete ni imi ga aru kara​

Shoulder the burden of the past that can't be erased; don't throw away your will to live​

kesenai kako mo seoi attekou ikiru koto wo nagedasanai de​

“So let me get this straight. You took in a new kid to help him control his hollow.”

A nod.

“And it wasn’t just some ordinary strawberry kid – it’s a teen who is still alive, and is supposedly the son of the legendary Kurosaki Isshin.”

Another nod.

“And now said teen dives into the Hollow universe to rescue his friend, and hasn’t returned.”

A third nod.

“And now Urahara Kisuke is asking for our help in some crackpot plan that will most likely having us in great danger or otherwise.”

Shinji nodded, the serious look on his face still visible.

Towairaito exhaled sharply before turning to look at his mentor. “Alright. When do I leave?”

Hirako blinked. “You’re taking this easily.”

The Ichibou Vizard only shrugged. “When you get backstabbed by your captain who proceeds to outwardly declare his betrayal to Soul Society, hardly anything else surprises me. Although know knowing that the Kurosaki Isshin actually having children is rather surprising news.”

The elder Vizard sighed. “If you must know, Ichigo ain’t like his old man. Isshin’s always that loony crackpot – Ichigo’s a lot more serious.”

Towairaito only made a small noise of acknowledgement. “So, I should head to the store, then?”

Shinji nodded again. “You should. There’s already another Vizard there, although she’s ain’t one of us. I’m trying my luck to find more, hopefully.”

The redhead sighed deeply. “And here I was hoping to get Bankai or control my hollow fully.”

“Hey, hey,” the dirty-blond haired, young-looking man said, “Don’t be so upset. I’m sure you can get some help with Bankai from Urahara or his other companions. As for your Hollow, I’m sure we can arrange for a timeslot soon.”

Towairaito grinned. “Thanks then, Shin-san.”

Hirako had what seemed to be a sad smile on his face as he replied. “Ya don’t need too – you’re going to need all the power ya can get, Leonheart.”

+++++++​

Karakura Town – 0631 hours

Truthfully, Towairaito really didn’t know a lot about Urahara Kisuke, former Twelfth Division captain – now exile of Soul Society. For one, the man had already been an exile by the time Ichibou entered the Academy. But of course, tales of his greatness and ingenious had been legends passed in the academy itself, and Towairaito had heard quite a number. Now fully knowing that it was this man who sent the Kurosaki teen into Soul Society itself to save someone else (the name quite slipped his mind) and then was somewhat responsible for the Vizard birth of him plus now being the creator of the item that would break the barrier of Hollow and Shinigami – the… well, something.

Anyway, with Hirako's promise that he would soon organize a session for him to suppress his inner Hollow entirely, the Ichibou Vizard set of with better spirits to the place where he was supposed to meet the others enlisted by Urahara’s other allies and then the man himself. From what Shinji had (somewhat reluctantly) enclosed, there would be a possibility of having Arrancar into their party. It was a well-known fact that Arrancar and Vizard were not the best mix, since both still had their divided loyalties. However, Towairaito himself had no real qualms about working with them, unless they proved to be a danger to others. So, after some time of traveling from the Vizards’ location, Ichibou Towairaito finally reached the destination of the meeting point: the Urahara Shoten, apparently a shop selling candy to the humans… and illegal contraband to the Shinigami. An odd profession for an exile, Towairaito mentally commented to himself as he entered the shop. Upon entering, he was greeted with an interesting scene.

There were four people at the front, one of them – a young woman - standing at the side with a somewhat serene expression on her face. Towairaito felt the woman’s Reiatsu, and quickly identified her as the other Vizard Shinji had asked, since he could feel the Hollow taint that all Vizards had in their energy. There was also another girl – a Shinigami, from the feel of her Reiatsu – dressed in some ninja-like attire who wielded a sparking sapphire blade – possibly her Zanpaktou. The other was a boy - another Shinigami, a blonde-haired person haired and was holding a sealed soul reaper blade. And the last, a white-clad woman, from the odd feeling in the Reiatsu, Towairaito decided to be an Arrancar. Well, at least Hirako’s guess was correct.

“Gee, the man’s sure got something for a welcome…” muttered the redheaded Vizard as he went to stand next to the other Vizard, since it was a bit more comfy to be with someone who understood you a tad better. Being ever the kind one, the teenager simply continued to look at the showdown between the three. Better to watch than to waste energy, after all. And the Ichibou was pretty sure that Urahara wouldn’t want anything bad happen to be his would-be-helpers, after all…

Knightblazer ;262;

 

[Golduck the Gallant]

30 Minutes Ago
"Urahara," Katashi stated quite simply, his narrowed gaze locked on the seated, smiling man who sat across the table, "I'm not paying you - nor working here - just for another gigai; plain and simple." The ex-Shinigami sipped from the tea that was provided to him, looking quite sullen in his meditative-position; he seemed surrounded by an air of resolve. This argument had been going on for nearly an hour now, amidst several interruptions from other arrivals, and both had maintained their respective auras - Tsushima, stern and bored-looking; Urahara was playful and amused.

"Well, then you aren't getting one!" the gangly shop owner responded teasingly, pointing a thin finger in the ex-Shinigami's direction, "Should'a brought yours!"

Katashi sighed as if annoyed, more of an exaggerated act than a true emotion. He rose from his seated position, setting the small tea cup down on the table and smiling weakly at Kisuke, "Well then, Urahara-sama, I suppose I won't be helping out after all?" He lingered a moment, moving in slow, short steps towards the exit - giving Urahara time to take the bait.

The shop owner's face went grim as his lip quivered in an irritated manner. "I see," he responded in his high-pitched voice. The statement brought Katashi to halt just before the doorway, which signaled that Urahara continue, "You'll help me out, and I'll loan you a gigai." He sounded defeated, unnerved that he had succumbed to Katashi's childish game, and made sure to include, "Which will be returned if you're all successful!"

The ex-Shinigami's lips curled into a cheerful smile, which would have made him appear joyous hadn't his eyes remained as sleepy-looking as ever. "Domo, Urahara-sama!" he said in a bland manner that was his way of expressing his thanks, sweeping into a low bow that caused his braid to fall over his shoulder. "And no worries! I couldn't fail." His exhausted tone didn't sound very reassuring as he rose from the grateful gesture, placid smile still sprawled across his face. He started to head out in search of Tessai-sama...

"Tsushima-san," Urahara called, his voice having returned to it's normal, carefree manner.

Katashi swung back around the door frame, glancing curiously back at the man. "Kata-kun," he corrected coyly.

"Don't make a habit of this," Urahara sounded as if he were requesting a personal favor.

"Of what?" the ex-Shinigami asked rhetorically, knowing well what Kisuke had meant. With no further words to be exchanged, Katashi started off on his hunt for the massive, muscular shouten aid. Eventually, he would resort to calling out brashly - "TESSAI-SAMA!"

{}---------------------------------------------------------{}

The Present
Katashi Tsushima quietly slid open the front door to Urahara Shouten, narrowed eyes scanning the imagery before him. Kisuke Urahara stood a few feet in front of him, sided by a woman who's name he hadn't known - she was quite attractive, with purple hair and well-tanned skin. Beyond the duo a stand-off of sorts seemed to be underway, consisting of two obvious Shinigami and another attractive woman who's Reiatsu he couldn't quite identify. The cautious Katashi felt an immediate unease in the presence of Soul Society officials, and hesitated in the doorway, having to force himself to step out and gain a better view.

In his new temporary gigai, the ex-Shinigami looked even more uncomfortable. The clothing Tessai had provided was, as it always is, of bold out-stated colors and flashy styling. A low-brimmed cap identical to Urahara's shadowed what were now matching amber eyes, lacking the previous two-tone abnormality. Although the head adornment was shaped the same, it was a bright pink in color and lined vertically in black pinstripes. It seemed odd, as it was paired with a red three-quarter length petticoat with a double breast. The lower portion of worn denim jeans were visible, pulled over the tops of nondescript black winter boots. A rectangular saxophone case was swung diagonally over his shoulder, strapped over his chest.

I feel like a fruit loop, the ex-Shinigami thought absent-mindedly as he came to support himself against the porch, eyes fixated on the skirmish before him. In the relative distance, he sensed two more powerful Reiatsu approaching, which drew his gaze in their direction. Vizards, Arrancar - the hybrids Urahara explained. These people... Katashi began to contemplate, leanly muscled arms coming to rest across his chest as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. He still attempting to shake off the feeling of anxiety brought on by the many Shinigami-esque beings who surrounded him, and was taking a decidedly anti-social standpoint at that particular moment.

Shinigami who become one with Hollows. Who would want such malicious intent entwined with their psyche? Why would one go so far as to allow an entity of immoral thought patterns access to their body - their mind - their abilities? For power? Is one's strength so important that they'd risk losing their mind? His facial expression twisted into one of relative dismay as he regarded the approaching Vizards, shaking his head ever so slightly. They are no better then Aizen-sama.

"You aren't usually so critical, Kata-kun..." came a majestic voice from inside his head.

Katashi's eyes snapped open, though weren't focusing on anything in particular. "Nijutsume," he said quietly, "It's been a while."

The voice of his Zanpakuto, the Winged Feline Nijutsume, rang once more in his head, "I speak when necessary," the sword's personality cooed. "Don't forget to consider other's circumstances. Is that not what you would ask of strangers meeting you for the first time?"

The ex-Shinigami let out a short chuckle, appearing quite insane as he stood there, talking primarily to himself (as his Zanpakuto had not materialized). "Our first conversation in a while, and you're lecturing me?" he questioned in a dull, somehow playful manner. "I'll try though, Nijutsume," he finished matter-of-factly. With the intent to not only come off as sociable, but as well as detour his mind from the present seated Shinigami, Katashi approached the first Vizard to arrive. He could tell as he neared that she had shed her Gigai, which confused the ex-Shinigami at first, as her attire was rather normal. Regardless, he came to halt a few feet away, speaking in a slightly amused tone - "Seems like they're having fun, eh?"

He looked down at the Vizard girl, his sullen expression likely to throw her off - eyes narrowed in a half-glare of exhaustion.

((OOC: If Nijutsume's text clashes with whatever forum theme you have, let me know. Also, my deepest condolences Lemon - I heard yesterday night that a total of over one million people have been evacuated. I hope everything turns out o.k. for you.))

 

[The Doctor]

DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM URAHARA-SAN. THIS IS OUT OF MY HANDS.

'That's all well and good, Kuchiki-taichou, but I don't even know where this "Urahara Shop" is,' Tenrai thought exasperatedly. 'A clue or some sort of divine indicator would be of real help right about now.' He merely stared at the inactive Kikanshinki Celestial, its cyan screen still showing the text message from Kuchiki. Urahara...it rung a bell somehow, from all those lectures from Yamamoto-soutaichou...and for some reason, the Women's Shinigami Association, which Kuchiki-taichou had attended in place of his sister, and that was just weird. Well, you'd expect a degree of feminity from a shinigami whose zanpakutou involved cherry blossoms. In fact, he hadn't even assigned Tenrai the Karakura mission; it was Ukitake-taichou, being the closest to the Sixth Division.

"Hmm...is it something to do with...gikongan?" Tenrai thought out aloud.

"Right on the money, Kenkaku-san," Came a cheerful voice behind him. Tenrai screamed and started forward a few inches, crashing to the ground; who the hell had sneaked up behind him and even knew he was there?! Or who he was, for that matter; it was only by turning around, still shaking from the impact of the shock, that he got a good look at his "stalker". It was a gangly, shabbily dressed man with a carefree smile on his face, his thin frame cloaked in a black cloak, white diamonds sewn onto the hem. Underneath this was an oak-green kosode, similar to Tenrai's, and below it baggy trousers matching his cloak. What set him out as a rather eccentric figure was his green-and-white striped hat, nestled on top of his shock of straw-coloured hair, and the wooden sandals that should belong to a shinigami. Maybe he was a shinigami...but no, what decent shinigami would wear that scruffy attire?

"H-How the hell did you know where I was, you psycho?" Tenrai gasped, still not completely recovered from the strange man appearing out of the blue.

"Heh heh," The man chuckled, drawing out a fan from the deepest reaches of his cloak and waving it up and down, despite it not being the least bit hot. "Just your average, handsome, honest, and a little bit perverted, businessman. But I'm also whom your little taichou wants you to see, no?"

"Search me," Tenrai quipped. "It just said to go to the Urahara Shop and meet with an ex-shinigami -"

"Well, look no further!" The strange man announced grandly, spreading his arms in a rather showy manner. "Urahara Kisuke, former 12th Division taichou and president of the Shinigami Research institute, current proud owner of the Urahara Shouten! And you, Kenkaku Tenrai, are the second shinigami I've seen today and the final one I'm meant to see!"

"Wait, what do you mean, 'last'?"

"Follow me to my shop, Kenkaku-san, and I'll tell you all you need to know." Tenrai eyed him apprehensively. After all, this guy had been stalking him ever since he whacked that Hollow (which couldn't have been more than five minutes) and cut a rather weird figure. Could he trust him? The captain certainly did, but well...

"Your captain is right, Kenkaku-sama," A soft, deep voice whispered in his head. Tenrai recognised it as his zanpakutou, Chidori. Why was he speaking now? "Go with Urahara-sama. He's a good man." This soothed Tenrai instantly. Had Chidori ever let him down before? No.

 

[PokemonBreederChris]

OOC: I'm very time pressed this week, as well, I HAD a post ready to post like two days ago, but someone (MWB) kind of ruined it with the hollow attack, ehehehe, oh well, I guess I'll rewrite a new one. So here it is, rushed, so my character’s with the group before you all depart. And MWB, I know you said Ishida Ryuuken is what humans would meet, but I feel as if Ishida Ryuuken explaining to just humans and bounts this issue is out of character for him, and with the history I've been reconstructing Ashi is an 'apprentice' to Urahara in a way, and would not trust this Ryuuken character, she’d go to Urahara in a heartbeat though...As well, I feel like my quality has really had a downfall with this post, ehehehe; sigh, hopefully in the latter of this RPG I’ll have something better to write, I stink at introductions. Sigh <MWB if you want me to edit this, I will.

INC:

Yokujin, Ashi:

Karakura High School - Gymnasium 12:17 PM :

Winter and cold, always, always mixed together for the girl named Foot: Ashi Yokujin. Ashi, also known as foot to some, hated the frigid air of winter; she preferred spring and summer vacation. Today was different however, for winter, despite the constant flurries of snow; it was calm, and warming at the least. The snow was still thick, around five inches, no thanks to yestermorning’s blizzard. Usually Ashi could not tolerate the soft crystal white snow that was carelessly composing itself on top of the frozen earthen floor, however, today, she did not mind it. In truth, this snow actually brightened up her day. Literally as well in a sense that the snow glowed radiated with the Sun’s reflection, occasionally having Ash’s eyes wince when looking downward.

This is going to be an interesting--fun Saturday, was a thought that periodically entered Ashi’s mind; she was in a good mood. Ashi had on her school’s physical education outfit, the bloomer-like red shorts, and the V-neck Karakura School logoed T-shirt. She balanced herself amongst a group of girls stretching her limbs. Like the other girls huddled in preparation, today was the indoor fitness test for Ashi’s class, and Ashi was one of the first to attempt the dreaded suicides which, for indoor pacing, was the worst of the tasks to come. Unlike many of the girls, Ashi had a calm face, she had a worried look, however, an outside force made her simply happy, she could not put her finger to it, but today she felt wondrous.

The indoor gymnasium was large; it usually was only reserved for those who practiced gymnastics and Kido, however today was the annual winter physical test. The day was still strong, golden light occasionally was seen basking lazily over the glazed hard-wood blocks, illuminating the many patters on the floor. For this winter day, the light seemed to brighten many people’s spirits. It was as if something of another being had entered this town and gave each person grand pleasures. Despite this being a very enjoyable, many faces showed worry and fret. The girls that were here had all passed their physicals the schools gave, but today was where they were tested on physical feat. As girls formed their little gossiping groups, partnerships in stretching, or counseling aide, or a congratulatory party, the instructors called the groups of girls up in reverse alphabetically. Ashi, having her last name start with Y was on deck, she had slight worry on her, but seeing as the foreign exchange student, Illyasviel von Zeinzbern, a short and stubby girl who looked no older then a nine year old, pass the test well over the borderline, she had a prideful cocky confidence in doing it. Ashi kept herself slightly isolated from many of the girls stretching, trying to focus her sully-filled mind, breathing slowly. The instructor began to call, for Ashi’s group of girls to go up and do the suicides. Her name was absent until her name was addressed – the second time.

“Yokujin, Ashi! Yokujin!? Miss Yokujin?!”

Her thought was broken, with a long yawning stretch with her arms held up high, she began to walk towards the instructors and the given space to where the girls were doing the suicides, as she walked, a few whistles of on looking ‘gentlemen’ howled past her as she calmly yet nervously walked towards the group doing last minute stretches before they embarked on the suicides. She gave a glance to the male students, with a small smirk, although the attention was negative, she did not care, she did not let anything like that get to her, in all, she was the “ Afurodite de Shahou ” or so her male fan club and ‘suitors’ proclaimed. ( Afurodite de Shahou translates to Aphrodite of Archery

“Coming!”

Boasted Ashi, as she quickened her pace waving into the air to get the instructor’s attention, Ashi was ready for this feat. She arrived with the group, and did last minute stretches with the other five girls with her. The instructor gave them instructions and raised his hand, whistle in mouth. The instructor dropped his hand and blew hard, the girls were off. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours. Muscles working hard, the body moving; Ashi took off fast and remained in constant pace along with two other leading girls. She was slow on the drop down, push up, stand up, turn moves, but running wise she excelled. A minute went by, sweat began to form, two minutes, breath began to harden, adrenaline pumping, three minutes, Ashi grew into a frenzy of running, her body hitting hard and her mind unfocused… Five minutes came, the instructor blew the whistle as the last, and chubbiest girl finished.

“I’ll send my congrats to the five of you, even you, Mistique… Anyway—“

The instructor’s voice faded away, Ashi’s mind, overheating. She hurled over gasping for air, suicides were truly hell. Putting her hand over her mouth, Ashi coughed, attempting to catch her breath. She did one mistake by coming to a complete stop rather then doing a warm down, her internal organs felt like the crashed.

“— Miss Yokujin, are you alright? Miss Yokujin?”

Ashi look a deep breath in a shuttering matter, as she raised her head, brushing her hair with her palm. She overdid herself in the beginning, but she survived the dark evil suicides. Her breath was still stuttering, so the instructor got her “A-Ok” response though eye contact. The instructor wrote notes down on his clipboard and dismissed the girls to await their next task. He stepped away calling for the next group. Ashi walked slowly, slightly off balance back to a group of girls, some avoided her in fear of the new creation of BO that Ashi condoned; although it was not bad at all, sweat was obvious on Ashi’s suit though.

“Ashi, you have achieved victory over bequeathing those tenanting suicides a righteous blow. I implore you for your efforts.”

A young blond girl, wearing the same attire as Ashi appeared, she was more masculine in her psyche, not caring for her outward appearance, but she still had a natural beauty. Her short blond hair was tied in a blue ribbon making her hair appear in the bun style.

“Hey Arturia, you won’t be so straight faced when you try them, gosh, I’m still trying to catch my breath.”

“Ah yes, it could be though you are out of breath?”

“ Well I know I am in more shape then you, just because you know western and eastern sword fighting does not give you an edge in agility.”

“Are you taking this as a challenge?”

Both girls laughed, then sighed, Arturia was serious.

“…um, no Arturia…”

“well, here is a towel for you to wipe with.”

“…thanks?”

Arturia threw a medium sized towel over Ashi’s head, covering her, Ashi took the towel and thrusted it of her face. She rubed the towel over her face, and decided, clearing some of the sweat. She wrapped the towel up in a funnel like way, and hung it around her shoulders. Ashi sighed, her breath was getting better.

“Eck, I am all sticky! Arturia-chan, do you know when the next tests are?”

“Not for awhile, so I guess we could meditate in waiting, there’s still the other one hundred and thirty seven of us, boys included after us girls, and I myself have a long time to wait, for I happen to have my name existing towards the middle of the alphabet, when you were at the ending, thus you were the second group to go, I tell you though I am quite surprised at your performance, your face made me be amused, I got it all on this camera, this new website phenomenon called Youtube will surely be delighted to see it I guess.”


“…your kidding right?”

“Most definitely.”

“…you have to work on your sense of humor….”

Ashi sighed and shook her bottom of her shirt, revealing her belly button for a split second in which one of her fan club witnessed, Ashi ignored his ‘whoos’”

“Well I guess I might hit the showers, I do not want to be …sticky the rest of today.”

“Very well, I will await for you here.”

“Uh…Thanks?”

“You are most welcome.”

Ashi, sighed with a slight roll of the head as she went towards her schoolbag. As she went to pick it up to take it with her to the showerroom, she noticed that the cell phone Urahara gave her had a blinking light, someone had texted her. It was from Uruhara.

“Uruhara-Sama? …He never has called…?”

{---Ashi read the text note.

Hi Ashi-chan

Urgent business at shop

Need ya

Details will be explained there

Yoruich-Sensai will be here too.--}

Ashi held a shocked look an her face, her arm releasing the grasp of the phone almost loosing it out of her palm if she did not regrasp it. This phone was expensive, Ashi assumed, and would not loose a gift from her employer, and respected figure who she ‘worshiped’ above all else with exception to God. Arturia noticed Ashi’s shock. Yoruichi-Sensai had assisted Ashi in spiritual training, as well Ashi loved to play with Yoruichi-Sensai’s talking black cat, who was very wise. (Yoruichi played a few tricks of amusement on ashie with her cat form).

“Saw those currie breads? Hunger is the worst enemy, remember that.”

“…yeah…um, Art-chan, I--I have to go--F-Family emergency…Can you cover?”

“Well, I do think ditching out on your sworn duty is awefully wrong, I can not support this, however, you are a fair maiden as myself, and I know you will only retreat the battlefield if something dangerous occurred, so yes, quite possibly, yes I will help assist you in coverage. Anyway I will say my farewells Ashi-san.”

“…thanks…”

Ashi closed her flip phone, and shoved it into her bag. She hastily snuck out of the Gym and started darting towards the Uruhara shop, her place of business for around a year and a half. Uruhara was her employer; it was fate that she walked into a giant shadowy wall later to be known as Tessai. And Ashi ran. Despite the tiredness of her muscles, and her current dress, which attracted many stares from walkers, she ran hard, thankfully hitching a bus in the process. She quickly got off the bus and ran the extra few blocks that was from the nearest bus station to Uruhara’s shop. There it was, only the door was knocked down, and chaos and commotion was heard within the shop, she did not reckonize any of the fellow employees’ voiced in the mess however. What she heard was some struggling, and possibly explosives. She got an eye on a few things. The people were all humanoid, but some had blurry faces, as well had weird black kimonoes, were they the Shinigami, her master, Uruhara had told her about? The few that had clear faces looked human, but they stood and watched as a faceless figure with weird clothing, that was white, fended off a, what seemed to be a blond girl, shinigami. One step into the yard and her presence was noticed. Her reitsu was strong, when provoked, but often very weak, she let it unconsciously loose. She could not sense the Reitsu though.

Note: Ashi is at the point where she can see spirits, but their faces are blurry. If they are very close to her, or if they are in gigai, she can see them perfectly, and I hope this is alright, life has me on high demand currently.

Chris

 

[cdra1617]

Alba had gotten slightly bored as she was sweeping the entrance to the shop, and well, she was taking a small break. Leaning back against the wall, she took the strange dispenser with a snake's head out of her pocket. Soul candy... she read to herself, turning the object many different directions. What was it for? She decided it had to be something weird; as she played with it, she squeezed the rubbery head at the top of the dispenser. To her suprise, a small green pill popped out and landed in her open hand.

Assuming that "Soul Candy" meant the object was edible, the Arrancar looked it over, then popped it in her mouth. A strange sensation overtook her, like she was ripped out of her... BODY? Shocked, Alba looked behind her to see her gigai on the ground, herself in her white Arrancar robe. Dumbfounded, she turned towards the door slowly, only for it to open and a man in shinigami robes to walk in. He exclaimed something in suprise and Alba shrieked, more than shocked at the suddeness of it all. Instinctively she pointed at him and a Bala fired from her hand, shooting the blonde shinigami out of the shop.

Still in shock, Alba's eye twitched as she thought about what she had just done. That probably wasn't the best way to go... she though, returning her hand to her side. "Oops." she mumbled, moving quickly towards the door. Better patch this up fast, she said, 'cause he's probably part of this 'force' deal. Stepping outside, still tense from the shock, Alba stammered, "Um... hey, you just suprised me--" before she could coherently form a sentence, she heard a yell from very close by.

"Tayasu, Kajinhakaisha!"

Going completely defensive, Alba turned to find yet another Shingami, this one female, leaping into an attack against her. "Dammit!" the Arrancar exclaimed, jumping out of the girl's way. Alba grimaced as she braced herself for any sort of weird ability that might come at her from either of the Shinigami. She was still suspicious of the whole situation, but really wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Hey, leave me alone? God, what'd I do to you?" the Arracnar declared, staring at the Shinigami. "Mind at least LISTENING to me for a sec?" Angry, Alba continued to avoid the crazy girl's attacks. Occasionally she fired a Bala, but the Arrancar didn't intend to actually hit her right now, maybe a little, but she wasn't trying to seriously injure her attacker. Ridiculous... she thought, using Sonido to propel herself into the air. As she hovered over the shop, she noticed that several more people had arrived during their little scuffle. One of the others was obviously shinigami, but two of them--a girl and a guy-- ...they smelled slightly like shinigami, but something was off--something about them was hollow-like. The last girl... there was no doubt she was human, but her Reitsu was strong enough to have a noticeable scent rather than be so faint that even the best hollow couldn't sense it, as most humans' were.

Alba continued to fire Bala at the shinigami that had attacked her as she dodged, trying not to get hit. After all, she had weak Hierro compared to most Arrancar, as her spirit energy wasn't that high, so she was very susceptable to being hit. Alba grumbled as she fired off yet another Bala, not intending to have to release herself. That was the difference between an Arrancar's and a Shinigami's Zanpakutou: Shinigami almost had to release theirs, but an Arrancar almost never did. Smiling, Alba kept hoping that this shinigami would leave her alone so she could explain herself.

 

[The Doctor]

Some introduction.

Tenrai had only been leaping about this backwater Karakura Town for 20 minutes following this ex-Shinigami kook with some major wardrobe problems - and on what? The orders of his Captain and his zanpakutou. There was something soothing about Raikiri's voice, but he could have been blindsided by that calming tone, that comforting boom...No. A zanpakutou didn't have rogue thoughts and couldn't try to kill its wielder. They made an unstoppable duo, the pair of them. Urahara had stopped rather suddenly on top of a skyscraper, and a concerned look spread on his face briefly. Tenrai looked round at his pale face, puzzled, only to flinch as Urahara shot back, that sly grin on his face.

"Sorry Kenkaku-san, but this is as far as I can take you. Just keep going forwards and the Urahara Shouten is only a minute away. I, uh, have business to attend to."

"Perverted business from the perverted businessman?" Tenrai smirked slyly, a smirk returned by Urahara. His gaze, however, clearly stated, "None of your business, blondie." And without a single word, Urahara departed, going to the left and continuing the skyscraper trek. This day was getting weirder by the second. Still, a minute or so later, Urahara had been as good as his word; a tinny little shop was standing there in between the buildings surrounding it with "URAHARA SHOUTEN" in big letters on the sign above it. The shop's design was relatively simple: white square formation, oak-green roof and a screen door entrance. This was the world-famous "Urahara Shouten?"

Suddenly, he heard a muffled thump from within the shop. Tenrai's nerves froze, one hand instantly reaching for the zanpakutou. Did this shop have something more sinister within its depths? Leaping to the dusty ground, he treaded carefully towards the door, almost afraid of what he might find squirrelled away within the building. Carefully, he slid the door open, just as a strange, human-shaped shadow appeared on the other side. Tenrai stared at the sights he saw before him: a tan-skinned girl in a black hooded top and jeans lying face down on the floor, whilst what looked like her twin stood frozen, her icy blue eyes staring into Tenrai's cerulean ones. Her brown hair lay in twin ponytails below her back, itself daubed in a white cloak. A sudden homicidal urge erupted into Tenrai. That cloak. Those mask fragments above her right eye. It was a Hollow mask. She was an Arrancar.

"What the hell happened her-OOF!!!" Before Tenrai could finish his rather sharp cry, the Arrancar screamed and pointed at him, a blast of light rocketing into the Shinigami's stomach and out of the shop, skidding onto the sand. "Ohhhhh...." He groaned, laying winded on the dusty ground, staring into space...funny. That feminine figure, her hair trailing behind her, now leaping in front of him, looked almost like an angel...

"Tayasu, Kajinhakaisha!"

A shrill yell echoed across the area as that female warrior dived down, her sword gleaming in an azure light...a zanpakutou. But that means another Shinigami had appeared (or should he say She-nigami?) and was offering back-up. It was protocol and had Tenrai not been socked by that energy blast he could have taken on the Arrancar just fine...she was pretty...always the women.

'Two pretty girls fighting over me,' Tenrai thought, 'I must be in heaven...Oh, right. Shinigami. Already dead.' A minute or two after he had gotten that energy blast in the chest, the world came back into focus. A mass of people had clustered around the Shouten, but it must have been pretty darn quick to do so. There was another Shinigami (how many Shinigami would be coming?), a human girl (it was hard to get a good look at her face), and two others, a man and a girl, both were obviously Shinigami. But there was something strange about them; they weren't dressed in uniform and they had this weird vibe about them. Slowly, he turned his head; and the She-nigami and the Arrancar were fighting on the roof. Someone was going to get hurt.

Achingly, Tenrai got to his feet, resting on Raikiri for a brief time while his breathing returned to normal. He couldn't stop them now but a simple Kidou could seal them both off. The Arrancar would take a little more effort but it was relatively simple. He drew his hands together, chanting:

"Strike, serpent of light. Ensnare and bind thy foe. Bakudou # 4: Hainawa!"

A blast of light blossomed from Tenrai's figures, not to hurt as the Arrancar had attempted, but to restrain. The She-nigami fell first, her hands bound behind her back by a golden rope, her zanpakutou tumbling to Earth. Shunpo-ing underneath her, Tenrai grabbed her in his arms. With his free hand, he pointed to the Arrancar.

"Soar, spirit of lightning, and scorch my palms with power. Gather and destroy all underneath thy shadow! Hadou # 4: Byakurai!"

From the tip of his right index finger erupted a miniature bolt of lightning, concentrated, designed not to harm but just to calm her down. It worked; having positioned herself at the end of the roof, she lost her balance from the shock and fell, Tenrai using the free arm to support her. He grinned.

"Now this is my kinda rain."

 

[Draco Malfoy]

Suzume bit her lip as she twisted and turned, doing an impressive array of sommersaults and jumps to dodge the Arrancar's quick-charge Cero blasts. Who knew the emo-goth had that much vitality in her? Until then, Suzume was going somewhat easy on it, but considering how potent her opponent was, not even using her Resurrecion, Suzume felt that she had to use her zanpakutou's special abilities. Just when she was about to kick some major butt, something just HAD to happen.

"Strike, serpent of light. Ensnare and bind thy foe. Bakudou # 4: Hainawa!"

A blast of light fired from the blonde's fingers, firing a reasonably powerful bolt of energy towards her. Suzume had to jump to dodge the sudden attack but the emo-goth smartly fired another one of those super-super Cero thingies at her, causing Suzume to spiral fowards and be hit full-on by the Bakudou.

Suzume then tripped backwards and dropped Kajinhakaisha, falling off the roof. Then the blond shinigami shunpoed and caught her swiftly, grinning like an oaf.

Okay, shooting a girl in the back while she's busy. Not very romantic, lover-boy, Suzume glared as she tried to mentally swipe the boy's smile off his face. But the boy wasn't smiling anymore- he was pointing a finger at the Arrancar emo-goth.

"Soar, spirit of lightning, and scorch my palms with power. Gather and destroy all underneath thy shadow! Hadou # 4: Byakurai!"

From the tip of his right index finger erupted a miniature bolt of lightning, concentrated. The Arrancar fell as she tried to dodge, the boy catching her as well with his other arm. He then stupidly grinned again.

"Now this is my kinda rain."

Suzume tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the corny comment.

For the love of Buddha, that was so cheesy I feel like puking up last week's lunch. Eew!

Suzume then spotted a familar figure with unusual eyes and long hair... A boy with a saxophone case... Suzume's eyes widened as she let out a gasp. It was Katashi Tsushima, the traitor she was assigned to catch. Suzume's emerald orbs then flashed in triumph as she quickly smirked.

"Burst forth light that frees and unbinds the bonds of oppression! Negate these bindings that hold and instill. Spirits aid fate’s course as the hallowed radiance liberates! Bakudou # 32: Raito no Hitei!" shouted out the brunette, quickly dispelling the energy rope off her limbs.

She then quickly ran towards the fallen Kajinhakaisha, picking it up as pointing it at Tsushima. "Katashi Tsushima, you are under arrest by the 2nd Division for desertion and allying yourself with Arrancar and the traitorous Aizen! Hadou # 31: Shakkahou!"

A glowing sphere of light quickly fired towards the boy and the group of Vizard, shinigami and other assorted people around him. All of them dispersed and the boy quickly popped the Yuki edition of Soul Candy, and shed his gigai.

Suzume then grinned, pointing the zanpaktou at the slightly agitated boy.

"You're cute, but Soifon-taichou would murder me if I didn't catch you. No wonder she wants you that badly- you're quite the catch, however hard you are to get a firm grip on!" Suzume giggled as she quickly shunpoed towards the boy, swinging her zanpaktou again.

"Kochoubijutsu, Kajinhakaisha! Let's see hard you are to catch!" the brown-haired girl smiled radiantly, as she fired a few more Shakkahou in his general direction. With nibbleness only a Seated member of the 2nd Divisioncould have, he dodged each attack.

Suzume then smirked, rivalling his incredibly fast shunpo with her own. His eyes slightly widened in surprise as Suzume pointed Kajinhakaisha at him again.

"O grand flame, ever-changing river, motion of winds! Together come, the reign of chaos spreads its devil wings, devouring all! The forces of heaven cry out; the world writhes under its shadow! Hadou # 52: Eikoudan!"

A larger enormous ball of energy spun towards the boy, who braced himself for impact when suddenly, a red thin mist shielded Katashi from the potent Hadou. Suzume turned around to find Urahara, with his own zanpaktou in its Shikai, cuasing the red mist and shield. He then gave a large toothy smile, his eyes smirking from under his large hat.

"Now, now children, no need to fight! We don't want anyone to get hurt now, do we?" Urahara smirked as Suzume looked at him, her jaw dropped open in surprise.

The blond-haired ex-shinigami then rambled on, proceeding. "Now, all of you are here by my request 'cause I thought all of you are great boys and girls with great potential. Despite your differences, we all have one common enemy: Sosuke Aizen and his p-lan to explode the dimensions, ending all life as we know it."

Suzume looked down and saw a few of the Vizard nodding, with the blond boy agreeing too. The Arrancar girl wore an expression on her face a cross between amusement, agreement and indignation.

"I know how the Soul Society has its flaws and such. But in all honesty, at least they're not planning to invite the Demons to our world, conbust the Spirit King, and pulverise this Dimension and half a dozen others too. I know you're all confused but I can explain of the hullabaloo you don't understand right now," Urahara said offhandedly, swinging his zanpaktou leisurely. He then added casually.

"Unless, of course, we want everyone to die, get smashed around, combusted and have all sorts of nasty stuff do to you that Aizen's planning. Unless you don't want to have the worlds to spontaneously boil-over, you should really listen to what I have to say and join my cause."

The man then grinned as he added. "Plus I'll buy you a free lunch if you come inside right now and get enlisted!"

Suzume then finally spoke, raising her voice. "Um, but won't Soifon-taichou kill me if I do what you're suggesting?"

Urahara then oggled at her for a moment and laughed loudly. He chuckled as he wiped away tears. A dark-skinned woman standing next to him on the roof then rolled her eyes, answering Suzume's question.

"I'll handle Soifon. After my very convincing arguement, I'm sure she'll let you take time off your current assignment and help Urahara and I out."

"Yoruichi is right. She gives very convincing arguements to Soifon-san. Of course, they don't always involve words- OOF. Aw, Yoruichi, that hurt!" whined Urahara playfully, pouting as Yoruichi elbowed him in the stomach.

Urahara then straightened himself out, jumped off the roof with Yoruichi and opened the front door into the Urahara Shouten, beckoning to the group. "Come on in, minna, let's discuss this over tea!"

 

[Golduck the Gallant]

Katashi had perhaps indulged in brief conversation with the Vizard girl, doing his best to form a polite smile and keep from saying anything that might cause unease. Of course, such trivial interraction would prove detrimental for the ex-Shinigami as he caught wind of his name being spoken. The Gigai's two violet eyes found the source almost immediately, as he'd been previously watching the skirmish which - at first - hadn't involved him. With a Zanpakuto pointed eagerly in his direction, Katashi wasted no time in fishing the Soul Candy Dispenser from his pocket and shedding his Gigai. No longer encumbered by the false body, he utilized a moderate Shunpo to avoid the oncoming Kidou, placing himself upon the roof of Urahara Shouten. Situated in a low crouch, his Zanpakuto had been drawn sometime during travel and was held out horizontally, grasped at the hilt with his right hand, his left coiled about the end of the blade.

"Eviscerate, Nijutsume..." he spoke quietly in his raspy tone. The weapon immediately erupted in white light that split at the center, coalescing over his hands and forearms. In only an instant what was a kodachi sword had shaped and solidified into two tri-bladed katars worn securely upon either arm. Without any time to waste, as the female Shinigami had appeared only feet in front of him, her own Zanpakuto called into Shikai, Katashi rose from his crouch and broke into a spin of hasty proportions. The rotating motion was fueled by Shunpo, causing the roaring winds which encompassed Nijutsume to distort and expand around his form in a whirlwind of chaos. If Suzume grew close enough, she would no doubt be picked up by the furious rotation and spun around several times, before inevitably getting launched chaotically away. If however, she had not made such a mistake, her powerful Kidou would simply deflect the powerful blast away without the assistance of Urahara's Benihime.

Katashi ceased the movement once he knew danger no longer presented itself so readily, stumbling slightly in a dizzied manner. He was surprised at how disoriented he was, not having used the ability in several Real World years, and struggled to maintain his gaze upon the Shinigami, as if to ensure his safety. Of course, Urahara would soon intervene, and as the female lowered her Zanpakuto, so would Katashi, although his gaze still locked fiercely upon her. As Urahara finished his quaint little speech and the others began shuffling inward, he moved quickly to cease Suzume's attention for only a moment.

"So they've been telling you I've aligned with Aizen, huh?" he asked in an extremely irritated manner, his right brow twitching slightly. "I never thought Soi Fong would go so far as to hide her true emotions," he continued, a tinge of disappointment in his raspy tone. With a sigh, he moved past her and called back without looking over his shoulder, "Are you that foolish? Would I be here if that were true?" Dropping from the roof, he landed silently in front of the Shouten Porch and followed the others quietly inside. He would maintain Nijutsume's Shikai even against Urahara's protest, even more cautious of those who surrounded him due to the previous skirmish.

When they were all gathered around the table, sipping at their tea, he wasted no time in getting to the point - "Well, Urahara-sama...what exactly do you want from us?"

((Kinda short - not much to work with >.<; ))

 

[cdra1617]

Alba was suprised when the boy shinigami she had sent flying from the shop shot out a blast of magic; according to her vast (read: inexistant) knowledge of Shingami magic, it was a binding spell. "Strike, serpent of light. Ensnare and bind thy foe. Bakudou # 4: Hainawa!" he yelled as the spell flew from his fingers, reassuring Alba that the spell was meant to bind her. Thinking that she was going to be striken down, she made a point to fire a Bala at the female Shinigami who was attacking her only to find that the spells hit her squarely and she dropped her zanpakutou.

As she began to fall from her hover, the Arrancar wasn't really suprised that her opponent had been caught by the other Shinigami; she also wasn't suprised to find that he was firing yet another magic blast. This time, it was for offense. "Soar, spirit of lightning, and scorch my palms with power. Gather and destroy all underneath thy shadow! Hadou # 4: Byakurai!" Upon hearing this, Alba tried to stay calm, but she knew she wasn't going to land soon enough to get away from the blast. Every motion seemed to take hours as the spell flew towards her. And in the instant Alba thought she may be able to jump away from the attack, it struck her in the stomach, sending her falling off the building.

Much to her shock, Alba was soon caught by the Shinigami as he used a Shunpo--same as a Sonido step for her--to run underneath her. The Arrancar found herself breathing heavily now; she hadn't stopped to realize that she had wasted a lot of spirt energy she couldn't afford to expend so recklessly in her fury.

The Shinigami smirked. "Now this is my kind of rain," he said, causing Alba to give an exasperated sigh.

However, the Arrancar then mumbled, "I deserved that." Standing up, she smoothed out the wrinkles on and brushed the dust off of her white coat and pants. Alba looked up to find that the girl Shinigami had ONCE AGAIN managed to get herself into a scuffle, this time with another Shinigami. The male exited his gigai and a short scrimmage ensued, only to have a powerful kidou from the woman stopped by the hat-man from earlier.

"Now, now children, no need to fight! We don't want anyone to get hurt now, do we?" he said with a smirk, still lighthearted as ever. Alba gave an expression of immense confusion and complete indignation. Why hadn't he come out sooner? Geez, before she wore herself out... she could keep going, yeah, but she was no Espada. That much energy expended that quickly did take its toll on her. However, unable to bring herself to say a word, Alba just stared ahead and waited to hear what hat-man had to say.

"Now, all of you are here by my request 'cause I thought all of you are great boys and girls with great potential. Despite your differences, we all have one common enemy: Sosuke Aizen and his p-lan to explode the dimensions, ending all life as we know it." As he continued, Alba looked a little more confused. It seemed as though she agreed, but something inside her wouldn't let her be in full agreement with this. That hysterical laughter from before started to bubble inside her, but she supressed it, her expression now amused at not only this but also the rest of the strangeness of the moment.

"I know how the Soul Society has its flaws and such." Alba grimaced: yes, she was rather opposed to Soul Society, but most of that was inherit. The man kept rambling, "But in all honesty, at least they're not planning to invite the Demons to our world, conbust the Spirit King, and pulverise this Dimension and half a dozen others too. I know you're all confused but I can explain of the hullabaloo you don't understand right now." The Arrancar's face just screamed 'yes I'm confused, you just asked me to go against my creator... and appealed to my better nature in the process! God you're confounding.' She looked away, unsure of what to do or say, and shifted her weight from foot to foot uneasily.

"Unless, of course, we want everyone to die, get smashed around, combusted and have all sorts of nasty stuff do to you that Aizen's planning. Unless you don't want to have the worlds to spontaneously boil-over, you should really listen to what I have to say and join my cause." Alba sighed at this. How unbelieveably true. Could she stand herself if she turned against his appeals? Still refusing to look at the hat-man (whose name she was yet ignorant of), Alba contemplated the situation to herself. One part of her was screaming, "Don't you dare go against Aizen-sama! He's your creator and master; could you turn against him?"; the other, "You can't let Aizen-sama get away with this. The toll is too great; you know you won't be able to stand letting the whole world die for Aizen-sama."

Suddenly, though she remained unexpressive, Alba settled herself with a compromise. She would go with Hat-man for now, to satisfy her better nature; however, this did not mean she was permanently aligned to them. Still volitale, the Arrancar could change on a whim, though she intended to at least attempt to get along with all the random Shinigami for now, much to her disdain. Finally she forced herself to look up at the green-clad man as he added lightheartedly:

"Plus I'll buy you a free lunch if you come inside right now and get enlisted!" with a grin. Alba gave a tiny snicker and grinned, her eyes narrow and slightly serious.

"Um, but won't Soifon-taichou kill me if I do what you're suggesting?" The first one to speak was, as it could have been guessed, the loudmouth female Shinigami of the bunch. Alba listened quietly to the exchange, laughing silently to herself (though somehow keeping her eyes narrowed) when Yoruichi-san, the dark skinned woman who had contacted her, elbowed the Hat-man for his obviously inappropriate comment.

"Come on in, minna, let's discuss this over tea!" The man called. Alba nodded silently and glided by the many shinigami (plus the one human... was she even able to see all this? not to mention the taint on those two shinigami) to enter the shop. Catching a glance of the sign at its roof, Alba deduced that the shop owner, the Hat-man, was Urahara-san. Well it made sense enough anyway. Fluidling stepping back into the shop, Alba made a point to pick up and re-enter her gigai on the way in, mostly so it wouldn't be stepped on.

Once she was again in her Gigai, Alba entered the next room and sat down cross-legged at the table. When offered tea, the Arrancar gratefully took it, trying not to look at the rest of the group as they arrived. She slowly sipped on the hot drink as the others who had agreed to Urahara-san's prospect entered the room.

 

[Draco Malfoy]

OOC: Damnit, I go to my annual examinations, and this starts to die. Don't die! I can't let this die now! Not after I've done all this planning and stuff. T.T *Applies Phoenix Down on RPG*

REVIVE!!!





----


Urahara had indeed sensed the varying reiatsu of the current assorted motley crew long before they had entered the shop. Judging by the reiatsu, some were human, some had reiatsu that was undeniably shinigami, others had the unique shinigami-cum-hollow blend reiatsu unique to the vizard, and there was even an Arrancar to boot. Good, it meant everything was on schedule. The motley crew arrived at varying times slightly earlier than expected, and so, naturally, Urahara had run off to leave Tatsuki to deal with it all alone. All in all, he found the whole thing to be incredibly amusing.

But as the conversation wore on his interest began to grow slightly more serious, so when Tatsuki threw an unidentified, blunt object at his face before yelling angrily down at him, he figured it was time to make his appearance and invite everyone in.

After a little scuttle between Suzume-chan, Kata-kun and Alba-san, Urahara was certain that although the group certainly were not the most cooperative bunch, they definately had potential to indeed do great things, such as, no pun inteaded, save the world. After all, Urahara thought, these newbies can't be worse than Kurosaki-san, Inoue-san and Ishida-kun.

Urahara then beckoned at the assorted group of girls and boys to enter his Shouten, leading them to a small room, gesturing for the teenagers to sit down around a small table, utterly cramped. Yoruichi then rolled her eyes.

"You know, we could have just gone to another less cramped room, Kisuke," the tan ex-shinigami said, flicking a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. Urahara grinned.

"Aw, but I thought if we're all cramped n' crowded, we might get acquainted better, don't you agree minna-san?"

A half-hearted mumble of "yes"s and "no"s fluttered across the room as the door suddenly opened, Ururu and Jinta marching through, with Tessai and his tea set following closely behind. Tessai then set the tea cups and tea pot down as Urahara enthusiastically grabbed the tea pot and started pouring everyone tea.

"Now, now, everyone, grab a glass and pour yourself some of this tea. It's gingseng- reverred as a tea beneficial to the drinker's health in this world," said the blonde ex-taichou, setting the tea pot down and sipping tea from his porcelain cup. He then set it down to pour some more tea, continuing on. "Of course, either myself or one of my pals have summoned you here 'cause we need your help. We are yet to be joined by Julia-chan and Yokujin-san, but I'm sure they won't mind that we start without them. It might be safer for them anyway. Now, what do you guys know about the Masked Five?"

After a period of awkward silence, the dowsy-eyed ex-shinigami, Katashi, answered Urahara's question. "I heard of them once when I used to work with the 2nd Division. They are a Level 2 Priority Threat to the Soul Society, and are elite Vizard assasins."

Urahara grinned. "Correct, except they've been a Level 1 Threat ever since you left the Seireitei, Kata-kun. Now, Vizards, you must know how some of your kind are able to track down entities of any kind of spiritual pressure as long as they are very talented in Kidou and the Hollow Reiatsu tracking ability, yes?"

The Vizards nodded, with a Vizard girl saying, "Of course we do. It's one of the abilities which set the Vizard apart from shinigami."

"Well, I hate to break it to ya all, but the Masked Five have currently affiliated themselves with Aizen, and are under his service," said Urahara seriously, setting down his tea cup.

A few gasps and sharp intakes of breath were heard as the shinigami girl, Suzume, interrupted. "What exactly are they doing for Aizen? It has to be something the Espada can't do- it's got to do with the Vizard Tracking Ability, doesn't it?"

"Yes, the Masked Five are performing Aizen a very special service. I think all of you have heard of the Key to the Spirit King's Dimension but how many of you know what the Mannen Bussekimaru is?"

The silence was so thick, you could hear a pin drop. Urahara took this as cue to answer his own rhetorical question. "I guess not. See, to wield and unleash the full potential of the Key, you need to use a small sphere called the Mannen Bussekimaru. Without the sphere, the Key and any replicate of it are worthless and useless. The Busseki cannot be replicated and the last Soutaichou divided the Bussekimaru up into seven fragments, and she sent them to the Real World to masquerade as human souls, not knowing of their true identities."

The motley crew continued to listen in silence and Urahara poured himself some more tea before continueing. "When the fragments die in this world, they are sent to the Soul Society like all humans, and when they die in the Soul Society, they are reincarnated as humans. Their reiatsu is so similar to a normal human's, it is near impossible to sense and locate them. The only way you can complete and use the fragments is to kill it while it is human, then quickly encase in high level Kidou, until all other fragments are apprehended. Then you join them together and boom, you have your Mannen Bussekimaru."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, deciding it was high time she took over from Kisuke in the explaning- he was overloading the discussion with exaggerations and actor-like emotive language.

"We believe Aizen hired the Masked Five to use their unique Vizard Tracker Abilities to locate the fragments, and to destroy them so Aizen can then wield his Key, created from the souls of Karakura Town. The Masked Five will hide and masquerade as normal humans in Karakura while trying to find the fragments. The Tracking Process, while exceptionally accurate and precise, takes a long time to activate, meaning the Masked Five will be living here for some time," Yoruichi stated as the motley crew listened attentively.

"Now, we all know what Aizen is planning to do with his key- open up the Dimension of the Spirit King, and kill the Spirit King. This would cause the near immediate and automatic termination of most, if not all, of the Soul Society," said Yoruichi as Urahara nodded dramatically, adding. "It would also causing the balance to careen out of control and cause the spontaneous destruction of the Real World."

"And we cannot let that happen for if this happens, it will allow the Demons to access Hueco Mundo and cause a cross-multiversal apocalypse," finished the former 2nd Division Captain, smiling grimly. solemn and serious.

First, there was a pregnant pause. Then, finally, the blonde shinigami called Tenrai broke the silence by coughing loudly.

Urahara grinned. "Yes, Tenrai-kun? Is there anything wrong? Don't like the tea?"

Urahara received only a grimace as Tenrai's eyes pointed purposefully toward a crack in the door behind them through which Tatsuki Arisawa was listening to their every word. Urahara's mischievous grin returned.

“Aw, you’re worried about her? But she’s harmless.”

“What is she doing here?” said Katashi, his voice nearly inaudible.

"Aw, why do you wait to know? Interested in her, perhaps," cooed Urahara in a nauseatingly sweet voice.

“Just tell me what in the name of all that is sane, if there is still anything sane left in this world, she is doing here,” said the one called Towaraito, rolling his eyes.

Urahara looked blankly at his guest for a second before he laughed outright. “Alright, you deserve to know!” he grinned, suddenly yanking the door wide open with his cane and causing an indignant Tatsuki Arisawa to tumble to the ground between them.

“Kurosaki-san was being his usual stupid self and decided to forego all common sense and stealth in order to let his friends follow him here, even when he so obviously didn’t want them to get involved. So, naturally, I told them I’d explain everything after school let out today, but a certain someone got impatient and thought it would be a good idea to barge into my shop and declare it closed until I answered her questions. Isn’t that right, Tat-chan?”

“Don’t you dare call me that!” she thundered, somehow managing to sound threatening even from her spot on the floor. “You send Ichigo and Ishida and Sado off to who knows where, chatter on about how they’re just going to some alternate universe with a few shinigami to save Orihime, and then you shove us out the door and tell us to come back again tomorrow so you can catch up on your beauty sleep?! Is it really so wrong to want to know why all of my friends have suddenly run off to join some dimension-hopping cult of black-robed lunatics?! And what the hell difference does it make if you tell me now or later anyway?!”

“Well, to be honest, I was only messing with you before,” he replied without skipping a beat, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “but now I’ve got some guests and you’ve got school. So bring along your two boyfriends later, and I’ll explain, ‘kay?”

The high school student offered Urahara’s new “guests” a communal glare that clearly said she blamed them for wasting precious interrogation time before turning back to the traditionally garbed blonde. “You had better,” she gritted through her teeth, her voice sounding for all the world like death itself.

The salesman was not to be swayed however, and so she marched angrily out of the shop, punching the door on her way. When Urahara turned to the motley crew, smiling innocently.

"Now, here's the deal: my very reliable sources tell me that the Masked Five will be masquerading as students, teachers, lecturers and other workers in Karakura High School and Karakura University. Someone has to stop them, and I possibly can't be at two places at the same time. Kurosaki-san is somewhere in limbo, and Hirako-san's Vizard are working hard at trying to locate the Bussekimaru fragments for us themselves," Urahara said, waving his hand in the air.

"Someone has to masquerade as Karakura High School Students and Karakura University students and try to stop the Masked Five before it's too late. Now, this is the part where you come in- will be help me out, join this little cause, and pretend to be students to catch the Vizard assassins? Or would you just stand by the side-lines and watch this world fall into chaos and tears? It's your choice really. I just hope you make the right one."

 

[Knightblazer]

Ichibou Towairaito [Lucifer Leonheart]
Karakura Town – 0654 hours

Ichirin no Hana

Hikari ga matomo ni sashikomanai

You are like a flower​

Kimi wa maru de hikage ni saita hana no you

That bloomed in a dark shadow​

Nozonda hazu jyanakatta basho ni

Even though you're in a place you didn't wish to be​

Ne wo hanasarete ugokezu ni irunda ne

You can't move because of your roots​

​

"Come on in, minna, let's discuss this over tea!"​

It was with those words that the enigmatic Urahara Kisuske turned and entered the shop. Towairaito himself was a bit taken aback at just how breezily the man had said about the otherwise dire situation of the event now. The Vizard had heard loads of rumors about the man's oddity, but this... it was hard to digest. If it weren't for the seriousness of Shinji which affected him just now, the Ichibou knew he wouldn't have taken the ex-captain seriously. “'Great boys and girls with great potential', huh?” muttered the teenager to himself. “Wonder if that was what you told that strawberry guy as well.” Despite all of this, however, Shinji did tell him to join this little crusade... and Towairaito wasn't one to just not help the person who saved him. Free lunch sounds good though, the ex-shinigami couldn't help but add with a small smirk as he entered the shop with the others, including the Arrancar (who had, apparently, went beck into her gigai). Following the blond-haired man, they all entered one of the shop's (noticeably) smaller rooms, where all of them were crammed like sardines into the place. Towairaito sighed and rolled his eyes as the dark skinned woman (Towairaito couldn't remember her name for the life of him) who had appeared with Urahara rolled her golden yellow eyes and said something about going to a bigger room instead.

"Aw, but I thought if we're all cramped n' crowded, we might get acquainted better, don't you agree minna-san?" Kisuke chirped in response.

Towairaito snorted. “As if,” he muttered with heavy sarcasm. Just then, the door opened, and two children along with a huge man larger than life entered the room as well, carrying a tray of tea cups and a pot of steaming hot tea. The large man set the tray down as the ex-Shinigami captain grabbed the teapot (very enthusiastically, the redhead mentally added) and started to pour tea for everyone in the room. Well, at least that man had some basic courtesy.

"Now, now, everyone, grab a glass and pour yourself some of this tea. It's ginseng – revered as a tea beneficial to the drinker's health in this world," the man informed breezily as he took his own cup and started to drink on it. The Ichibou Vizard politely accepted his cup from the red-haired, fiery-looking boy and sipped on it, noting that the tea did taste somewhat good. After a moment of drinking, Urahara set down his own cup and started to refill it again as he started to explain just why they were here in the first place. "Of course, either myself or one of my pals have summoned you here 'cause we need your help. We are yet to be joined by Julia-chan and Yokujin-san, but I'm sure they won't mind that we start without them. It might be safer for them anyway. Now, what do you guys know about the Masked Five?"

There was a moment of brief silence before one of the Shinigami answered. "I heard of them once when I used to work with the 2nd Division. They are a Level 2 Priority Threat to the Soul Society, and are elite Vizard assassins."

Urahara grinned at that. "Correct, except they've been a Level 1 Threat ever since you left the Seireitei, Kata-kun.” Towairaito raised an eyebrow at that. Another ex-Shinigami? Just how many renegades were in this area? The Ichibou pondered with those questions for a brief moment before Kisuke then turned to him and the other Vizard girl. “Now, Vizards, you must know how some of your kind are able to track down entities of any kind of spiritual pressure as long as they are very talented in Kidou and the Hollow Reiatsu tracking ability, yes?"

Towairaito nodded. It was the first ability any Vizard was equipped with. The girl added on verbally, “Of course we do. It's one of the abilities which set the Vizard apart from Shinigami.”

Damn straight, the teenager-looking Vizard added mentally as Urahara then broke out some troubling news. "Well, I hate to break it to ya all, but the Masked Five have currently affiliated themselves with Aizen, and are under his service," said the ex-twelfth division captain seriously as he put down his tea cup.

The news did take the redhead by surprise. Why would the Vizard want to ally themselves with a bastard like Aizen Sosuke? That man would just dispose of them as soon as he accomplished what he wanted with them – the Ichibou knew it well from first hand experience. Nevertheless, the boy kept his own surprise in check, letting none of it show on his face as one of the Shinigami then asked out, “What exactly are they doing for Aizen? It has to be something the Espada can't do- it's got to do with the Vizard Tracking Ability, doesn't it?”

"Yes, the Masked Five are performing Aizen a very special service,” replied the man, “I think all of you have heard of the Key to the Spirit King's Dimension but how many of you know what the Mannen Bussekimaru is?"

Towairaito completely blanked out at that question – a choked off 'huh?' was all that he could manage. Just what in the seven hells was this Mannen Bussekimaru crap? Obviously, nobody else knew the answer as well, and the man simply went on to answer his own question. "I guess not,” he went, “See, to wield and unleash the full potential of the Key, you need to use a small sphere called the Mannen Bussekimaru. Without the sphere, the Key and any replicate of it are worthless and useless. The Busseki cannot be replicated and the last Soutaichou divided the Bussekimaru up into seven fragments, and she sent them to the Real World to masquerade as human souls, not knowing of their true identities."

The Ichibou gave a low whistle. That was a clever tactic.

“When the fragments die in this world,” Kisuke continued, “they are sent to the Soul Society like all humans, and when they die in the Soul Society, they are reincarnated as humans. Their reiatsu is so similar to a normal human's, it is near impossible to sense and locate them. The only way you can complete and use the fragments is to kill it while it is human, then quickly encase in high level Kidou, until all other fragments are apprehended. Then you join them together and boom, you have your Mannen Bussekimaru."

The woman beside him rolled her eyes in annoyance at the man's language. Towairaito couldn't have agreed with her more. Then the woman cut across Urahara's prattle and went straight to the point – to which the redhead was grateful for. "Now, we all know what Aizen is planning to do with his key- open up the Dimension of the Spirit King, and kill the Spirit King. This would cause the near immediate and automatic termination of most, if not all, of the Soul Society.”

Urahara nodded in a very melodramatic manner and added on, “It would also causing the balance to careen out of control and cause the spontaneous destruction of the Real World."

"And we cannot let that happen for if this happens, it will allow the Demons to access Hueco Mundo and cause a cross-multiversal apocalypse,” the woman, whom now Towairaito remembered as the one and only Goddess of Flash – Yoruichi of some noble clan which the boy totally forgot yet again. The redhead mentally cursed himself. His memory now was in absolute tatters. There was a very still pause, and the boy went into his own thoughts before the ex-Shinigami from before suddenly coughed loudly.

Kisuke grinned. “Yes, Tenrai-kun? Is there anything wrong? You don't like the tea?”

All that the man had in response was a visible gimance as the Shinigami in question glanced visibly towards the open door, where Towairaito could feel a slightly faint, but registrable reiatsu signature just outside. Upon further probing, the boy was slightly surprised to discover that it belonged to a human. Urahara grinned impishly as the teenager sighed. The day just seemed to keep getting odder and odder.

“Aw, you’re worried about her? But she’s harmless.”

“What is she doing here?” said another of the Shinigami, his voice nearly inaudible.

"Aw, why do you wait to know? Interested in her, perhaps," cooed the ex-captain in a nauseatingly sweet voice.

By now, the boy could no longer take this.

“Just tell me what in the name of all that is sane, if there is still anything sane left in this world, she is doing here,” Towairaito muttered as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. The question left Kisuke staring at him blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Alright, you deserve to know!” he exclaimed jovially before suddenly yanking the door open and had the human in question tumbling unceremoniously onto the floor. She seemed to be about fifteen years of age, with short, messy jet-black hair and donning what seemed to be the town's high school uniform. “Kurosaki-san was being his usual stupid self and decided to forgo all common sense and stealth in order to let his friends follow him here, even when he so obviously didn’t want them to get involved. So, naturally, I told them I’d explain everything after school let out today, but a certain someone got impatient and thought it would be a good idea to barge into my shop and declare it closed until I answered her questions. Isn’t that right, Tat-chan?”

“Don't you dare call me that!” thundered 'Tat-chan', somehow managing to still sound dangerous despite her odd position. “You send Ichigo and Ishida and Sado off to who knows where, chatter on about how they’re just going to some alternate universe with a few shinigami to save Orihime, and then you shove us out the door and tell us to come back again tomorrow so you can catch up on your beauty sleep?! Is it really so wrong to want to know why all of my friends have suddenly run off to join some dimension-hopping cult of black-robed lunatics?! And what the hell difference does it make if you tell me now or later anyway?!”

The boy blinked at the outburst. Boy, were some humans hot-tempered. Urahara, however, was not fazed in the least. “Well, to be honest, I was only messing with you before,” the man replied without skipping a beat, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “but now I’ve got some guests and you’ve got school. So bring along your two boyfriends later, and I’ll explain, ‘kay?”

The girl turned and shot a death glare to the entire group. The Ichibou sighed. Bloody hell, it wasn't his fault. “You had better,” she gritted through her teeth as she turned back to Kisuke, her voice sounding for all the world like death itself. The ex-captain was again not swayed whatsoever, and the girl marched angrily out of the shop, punching the door on her way. Towairaito sighed as the exiled captain turned back to the motley crew, an innocent smile on his face. Of course, now everyone knew better that to believe that smile.

"Now, here's the deal: my very reliable sources tell me that the Masked Five will be masquerading as students, teachers, lecturers and other workers in Karakura High School and Karakura University. Someone has to stop them, and I possibly can't be at two places at the same time. Kurosaki-san is somewhere in limbo, and Hirako-san's Vizard are working hard at trying to locate the Bussekimaru fragments for us themselves," the man explained, "Someone has to masquerade as Karakura High School Students and Karakura University students and try to stop the Masked Five before it's too late. Now, this is the part where you come in- will be help me out, join this little cause, and pretend to be students to catch the Vizard assassins? Or would you just stand by the side-lines and watch this world fall into chaos and tears? It's your choice really. I just hope you make the right one."

It didn't take very long for the redheaded Vizard to make his decision.

“Obviously, Ki-san,” started Towairaito, staring on his habits once again. Everyone turned their attention to him. “Since Shin-san personally asked me to come here, I'm not going to reject this. I can only hope that you won't be sending us on some crackpot sucidal mission that you're always so famous for back in the Seireitei.”

“However,” the boy contiuned before the self-proclaimed shopkeep could start again, “I have a condition. I would like to obtain my Bankai under your tutelage. From what I understand through Shin-san, you have a device that allows one to obtain the Bankai within three days, which was what that strawberry kid did. So if you help me to get Bankai, I'll will gladly agree to help you out in this mission. Besides,” he added, the tone in his voice now lowering dangerously. “I have a few issues to settle with the bastard myself.”

Knightblazer ;262;​

 

[PokemonBreederChris]

OOC: I think a Phoenix down's not enough, a Phoenix Pinion's what we need, along with a Curaga, Regen, protect, and shell; Maybe include an esuna too. However…if your RPG was a zombie, an undead…you just basically killed it…So here is some, uh, Ether for this RPG. Sorry for the late reply, school and life’s killing me, with this out of the way I have two more things on serebii to do, one being reviewing your fic >> BTW, it seems you missed my earlier post, I am AT the shop, just not IN it.

INC:

Uruhara-Sama…W-Who are these … people? … Uruhara-Sama?

Ashi stood silent at the opening gates of the Toeten shop. A queasy feeling overcame her just as she entered the surrounding area of master’s shop. This nauseous feeling that suddenly overcame her intensified as Ashi hastily rushed towards her Master’s, Uruhara-Sama’s, shop.

-- The urgent text that appeared on her mobile from Uruhara, still tangled with her mind, panic was a high status of her; mind cluttered with worries that she could not shake off; still beaming into her head, as she pranced upon her ankles as they throbbed with an annoying ache. Her ankles aching for the daring sprint and bus hitch. She did not care to look out for her surroundings, often loosing her balance as she ran. However, she had arrived, almost white faced if it weren’t for the rose cheeks that heavy athletics ensued.--

This queasy feeling, was soon accompanied by many other pressures, it was as if the gravity surrounding her master’s shop suddenly altered, the pressure wanted to foce Ashi down, Ashi did her best to resist. She was not ready to face the extreme amount of Reitsu that the black-robed, and one white robbed gave out. She could see the faces of those that were known as human, they were clad in casual clothing; as well being the most visible of the gang to Ashi. Ashi rested her palm against the ledge of a fence post, grasping it periodically, and then releasing it, moving her fingers in a way that seemed she was playing the piano. Her eyes looked up to an unseen force, as she leaned her whole body to the fencepost she grasped. Fear overcame her, a new fear, not worry about her master’s urgent call, but of the black robed … soldiers? She arrived in the midst of, what seemed to be, a battle. In her eyes, the black robbed were ganging up against the white robbed girl. She had an unbiased opinion, only hearing rumors of shinigami and arancar through Uruhara-sama, never actually seeing one.

She, seeing the shinigami, attack the poor white clothed girl, with interesting hair décor, began to question who the black robbed people were, were they the arancar? Was Uruhara-Sama being attacked? Is this why she was called? Who were the people just sitting there, that had neither white nor black robes on? She wanted to yell out to them, but her mouth was dry. As Ashi poked her head at the group, hiding her body still behind the fence that enclosed the shop, almost instantly a globe of light went towards her way and exploded into a trash about two to three meters to her left. Random papers and bile flew into the air, the stench added onto Ashi’s queasy feeling.

Ashi wanted to run away, but couldn’t. She wouldn’t leave the man she most admired, her master. She wouldn’t leave goliath-san, who she nicknamed Tessai. He was her senior, but the two did have indulging conversations, mainly about remedies. Ashi as well, could not think of life without the two other twin-runts… yes, she was afraid, very afraid indeed.

She did not know what to do. Ashi was strong -- tough in many ‘peer-battle’ situations. However not when bloodshed and warfare was involved, not when a battle became the matter of life and death; the ‘arrancars’ attacking the singular white clad victim, the victim trying to fend for herself: the arrancars were attacking with the intent to kill. Ashi suddenly broke from her daze, when she suddenly heard, and felt a gust of wind pick up. Atop the rooftop, another black robbed Arancar had summoned out this unique sword, which in turn began forming a vortex around him. Wind was most concentrated there, but as a vacuum, air from the outside began spiraling around the central core, the weird looking sword.

The wind became very intense, uplifting around her, pushing against Ashi’s poorly clad body, Ashi shivered with the wind chill. The wind momentarily stopped around her, ashi brushed her bangs off her eyes, and fixed her hair. Oddly positioned hair gave an unsatisifying discomfort. As she fixed her hair she looked up, only to see a spherical, what seemed to be, tornado floating with much grace atop the roof. A structured grace, not like the violent winds that Ashi had felt prior. Ashi felt an awe-inspiring urge in her, she began to leen towards it, taking five steps in the process; that was until a blinding light winced her eyes. It was almost instantly, but a male Arancanar gave up fighting and dispelled one of his arancar underlings and the poor white clothed girl, who was still hard to see from Ashi's distance. The light black was blinding to the human eye, but still visable, it seemed concentrated and aimed for the white clothed female figure.---Only it missed.

The light soon took form, like a snake, and instead of hitting the girl it coiled around the girl arancar's body making her fall to earth. The arancanar droped her weird sword-thingy, as it clanged against the concrete earth, it reverted back into what seemed a normal katana....Why were people carrying swords around in the first place? Being a terrorist to harm her master, wouldn't they opt to use guns? Ashi knew Gun was greater the Sword...She shrugged that thought off as she saw a simular blast from the one that hit the trash can come by her. The blast was clearly visable, it was as dark as night, not black, but a dark purplish color. Towards the core was a redish tint. It was dark energy, or so Ashi could actually sense it...Was this the infamous Bala that Arancanar unleashed. Time slowed down for Ashi, or it seemed to Ashi that time slowed down, the blast was a loose shot, not aimed, but it was heading straight towards her. She could do nothing but attempt to block it with her own powers that were still uncontrollable and being worked on.

Ashi's eye's lit to a lightblue fire, as a gaint force of reitsu was formed into a massive wall, it collided into the Bala, the reitsu of both objects shattered creating a massive implosion of energy. Everyone then noticed that the human that was there (for those who noticed her in the first place) was not just any human. The large ammount of Reitsue subsided within seconds of the implosion leaving people an ackward silence with the "WTH?!" expression. However those faces were interupted by what seemed to be the bichiest of all the Arancanar. She attacked one of her own kind, who quickly jumped atop the roof. He summoned wind. Was he the creator of that wondrous wind marvel that Ashi previously saw? Finally Uruhara finally appeared to stop this brawl, with only words he spoke; Ashi was out of earshot, he calmed the battle. Uruhara must of used powerful Kidou on these arancar, he was Ashi's idol-hero.

With Uruhara's interferance, the tension between the 'she-nigami' and the other 'arancanar' instantly died out. The male arancanar barked something at her, but Ashi was too far away to hear except a few kew words such as:

"So -- I've aligned with Aizen -- Soi Fong -- foolish? that were true?"

Ashi was no eaves dropper, but someone who was on Aizen's side was at Uruhara-sama's shop? She could not have her master hurt. She was about to make her self truely visable, not just her presence when all of a sudden her master appeared and spoke. She thought to herself however who this foolish Soi Fong was...Was it the blond arancanar that did the most attacking? That girl surely was foolish in Ashi's oppinion. Soon yoruichi appeared behind her master. Yoruichi was the errand woman of the small candy shop, possibly even kisuke's mistress, wellt he red haired runt elluded to that to Ashi once as she manned the front counter of the shop; the area that was open to mortals. Regardless Yoruichi was almost like a sister to Ashi, they bonded a lot for they were the only girls of the shop. the naive middleschool girl rarely ever wanted to leave the place so Ashi and Yoruichi often did things together without her.

Yoruichi did not seem to happy with what Uruhara-sama said, Ashi was no lip reader so she could not understand anything; but what ever it was earned her master a large lump on the head. And with that the two ex-shinigami beckoned the crew of black robbed arancar, the one white robbed enigamtic female, and what seemed to be regular humans...but with the outfits they wore....one would start to wonder if they really were born on this earth.

Soon Ashi was left alone outside, she seeing that everyone left, collapsed with a sigh to catch her breath, she was oh so very confused. Wiping her hands across her hair in a relieving matter she felt a small pain her in right shoulder. She gazed over at her shoulder only to see a very large clean cut, absent of the fabric that once covered it. Her right short sleeve had completely disingrated or something, she was bleeding. Ashi did not feel the pain until she saw her wound, it was not deep but deep enough, and large enough, for it to majorly bleed. The bala blast in the trashcan as well as sharp winds contributed to this wound. With reflex her left arm clutched at her right shoulder, grasping it, hoping that would stop the pain, it did not. The pain was not huge, but it was an annoying pain she did not need right now. To help lower the blood, Ashi ripped off the hem of her shirt and wrappped it around her shoulder, doing so Ashi knelt to the floor to regain her composer.

As she knelt however -- suddenly a loominist shadow grew over her. Slowly, Ashi turned her head around to see the cause of the giant wall of shadow that was casted over her...It was Tessai, caring many bags of Delipacked lunchboxes and a around ten large bags of many differant flavors of tea. Tessai spoke.

"Yokujin-san?"

"T-T-T-Tessai-sempai...hi?"

Tessai was about to speak but upon seeing Ashi's attire, his face lit up, and his eyes averted some.

"What happened to you, Yokujin-san?"

"I-uh...You see...I think Uruhara-sama is in deep trouble...I got an urgent message from him...so I rushed here from school, only to see the shop being attacked by Arancar!"

Ashi began to steadily whine as she spoke.

"I--I tried to do something, I couldn't move my feet, the poor girl...they were attackign a girl in white clothing...she looked around my age--maybe older. Sh-She tried to defend herself...b-but they outnumbered her--There reitsu's so foul, so uncomfortable--Something about a Soi Fong--Aizen...I've heard that name....Uruhara-sama has told that hispanic and weird tatooed guy...I don't know...I don't know what to do...he--Uruhara-sama--they are inside with him now..."

Tessai lifed up his glasses to the bridge of his nose, at the same time patting Ashi on her uninjured shoulder.

"So they've arrived, Ah Sorry Ashi, I guess you missed Uruhara's debriefing, well if you could help me carry in some of this tea, Im sure he'll introduce his star employee with these 'arancar' you mention."

"Why are you so light? I am being serious! They are going to try and kill uruhara--"

"Ashi--I assure you, what you saw was nothing," Tessai cleared his voice, and began to strike a pose that bolded Tessai's 'manliness,' just like Lt. Armstrong from the popular Anime series Full Metal Alchemist, which Arturia had a liking towards, it seemd purple sparkles vibrated off Tessai's form."The Great Uruhara-Sama, Ex-Shinigama-Captain of the Twelfth squad of the Gotei 13, and founder of the Research institute, he is not a man to be bothered with. No Arancanar could phase through him, he has even assisted the invasions of both Sereitei, and Hunco Mundo.--"

"--Tessai!"

"Ah ehehehe, very well, come Ashi, may we get you aquainted with the guests."

"Guests?"

"You did get the memo from the Quincy right?"

"...Quincy? ...uhm."

"I see you haven't, what is that Ryuuken doing...Well Ashi, it is not my place to explain to you, as in why you were called here...but I think a change of wardrobe, and some tea would be nice...Maybe get you aquainted with the others"

Tessai lifted his arm to recarry the many packages he was holding, as Ashi startledly spoke.

"Wait, others? Arancanar? Y-you intend me to work with...the enemy? I-I thought..."

"Yes, they are the enemy, but I think you are confusing Arancanar with something else. I know Uruhara-sama had his eyes out for a particular one, but he would not recruit a whole band of them. Come now, and would you help me bring in some tea? I'll get Yoruichi to lend you one of her kimonoes."

"Thanks, Tessai."

"Much obliged Ashi, one Hira to another. Oh by the way, I have the perfect remedy for that cut of yours, it'll heal over night, so says SizeBBtelevision markets. Oh, and how's that stress management Geez'n'socks ointment doing? Anikaki'vision said it was the best!"

"It...It is good, never better." Ashi lied, knowing that the box Tessai gave her was three weeks expired.

Ashi rubed her shoulder, it had healed down already, it was a freak accident large papper clip, which had already started to heal over, the ache and sting still remained but the injury did not hinder her movement at all. She smiled and assisted Tessai in carrying the tea into the house.

As ashi entered the shop, she noticed it was vacant, except for one room bussling with conversation. The runts were running too and fro, serving or talking, the red haired one not really enjoying it, and gave a sharp look at Tessai as he entered. Tessai went into the kitchen and checked a boiling pot, seeing it ready began to poor tea and carried the tray, the pitcher, and the cups into the small cramped room. Ashi was slightly shy not knowing what to do, as well, she did not want people to see her in what she was wearing so quietly sat down on teh stairs listening until either Tessai or yoruichi came by. Luck came to her as a black cat purred its skin next to Ashi. It was Yoruchi. It was Neko-chan to Ashi. The cat spoke.

"Something troubling you? Looks like you got in a fight."

"hey Neko-chan...Its nothing."

"Geeze, I told you to stop calling me that, call me Yo-"

"But its a cute name for you....like this."

Yoruichi sighed.

"well I can see you are in need of a new wardrobe, ah, to be innocent and shy with your body--"

Yoruichi suddenly turned human and ended up behind Ashi, stroking Ashi's back with her bare breasts. Ashi's face became bright red.

"P-P-P-Please stop Yoruichi-sempai..."

Youichi laughed and reverted back into cat.

"Come, I'll find you something to wear."

The two hobbled upstairs, for Ashi to find something new on. Moments later a large crash was heard, as in slamming the door, Ashi, with a new kimonoe on, that was loose around every female asset, hurried down to see what it was. Only to see her classmate, Tatsuki-chan. Ashi began to greet her.

"Hi Tatsuki-cha-"

Tatsuki gave a glaring look at Ashi, and a dark scowl, unlike Ashi, Tatsuki was close to the three who disappeared a week ago; Ashi would of gone, but with the current power level she was at, just stepping into the portal could mean death to her.

"Uh...Tatsuki? Wonder what's eating her...oh right...Ichigo-kun...I wonder..." Spoke Ashi alloud. Tessai again snook behind her.

"Ah Ashi."

"Yeee!" Ashi screamed with a sudden startling jump.

"Ashi. I think now's a good time to introduce you, some of the people Uruhara-sama recruited will be masquerading in your highschool, in your class, you will be their tour guide of sorts, helping them assymilate into Karakura Highschool. Here you can carry this new hot brewed tea I just cooked up, I added something a little extra."

Tessai chuckled, Ashi did not want to know what the extra ingrediant was, but she obeyed and took the tray, opening the sliding door to enter the small cramped room. As she entered, uruhara sama spoke.

"--Or would you just stand by the side-lines and watch this world fall into chaos and tears? It's your choice really. I just hope you make the right one."

Another 'human' harshly interupted something about a 'bankai' but Ashi did not know what that was, his comment was cut off by Ashi entering the room. Ashi could see everyone clearly now, no blury faces, no black robbed, or white robbed figures, they were all 'human.' Each person looked at her as she opened the door with the large tray.

"Uhm...Uruhara-sama." Ashi spoke as part of the Kimono slid down part of her shoulder.

"Ah yes, everyone I would like you to meet. Yokujin, Ashi. She is a current student at Karakura Highschool, a classmate of Ichigo, and will help you all associate yourselves into the high school. Be nice to her, I have recently taken her under as a pupil because she asked me to help her keep a unique ability under control. If you have any questions, you should ask her."

There was some mumbling around the group, complaining and sharp talking due to the fact that Ashi was a real human, not just any human though, a human who was just a weak medium. Many shinigami though human were inferior.

Ashi looked around the group, and attempted a smile, she placed the tray carefully on the table, carefully not to bend over directly strait so people could look straight down the Kimono.

"uhm, Hi, I'm Yokujin, Ashi, you can call me Ashi."

~FINI!~