Fun and Games [open]

[straywolf174]

Ritsuka stared hungrily into the shop window, his face squished against the glass as his mouth salivated at the product on the other side. It was a new game that he had yet to play. Something called Dragon Ball? It resembled what mommy and daddy did close enough, and he wanted to fight as a giant monkey as much as the next kid...so what if he wasn't alive!?

The boy pushed against the glass, trying to get a better look - but then a crack formed....and the alarm that rang out startled him enough to transform into his weapon form, causing the entire thing to shatter. Oh great! Now mommy was going to be really mad!

The bount doll quickly tried to run from the scene, but already he felt the presence of approaching Shinigami...how was he going to get back to Hueco Mundo with them on his tail?? He didn't want to lead them to his tired mother!

Ritsu dashed behind a building, despite his six foot stature he still managed to curl into a childlike ball. It was almost cute...if you didn't count that blades attached to his hands.

[jetxtreme]

Shinku slipped from the edge of a building, miscalculating his step from a taller structure where he took a leap from. It was a rather fortunate mistake that his fall made him evade a speeding red ball of energy that was shot towards him. He was quick to grab a ledge protruding from the building's wall which he used as a pivot to maneuver away from yet another kido shot from one of his pursuers. With the same move, he swung himself upwards toward the building's summit. He flinched when one of the kido shots landed the roof of the building merely an inch away where his feet landed. He quickly mustered reiatsu on his feet and used shunpo to jolt forward.


It was supposed to be a peaceful day of training inside the warehouse where Kurome awakened his inner hollow. A slight loss in concentration of hiding his reiatsu however, caused a rather unfortunate turn of event from a normal training to being pursued by the local patrolling shinigami, backed up by another one who just came out of nowhere. The recent local patrols sure aren’t as feeble as the previous ones whom he used to toy with.


“2nd Melody, Kaze no kyōfū!” Unable to increase the distance from his pursuers, Shinku decided to turn around and distract them with one of his Zanpakutou’s abilities. A violent burst of wind raced its way towards his two pursuers who split up to evade the attack. He was once one of them after all, at least for a very short span of time, and he doesn’t plan on staining his sword with the blood of his former allies. He could only run and hope that he can free himself from the pursuit like he always did.


It was not that long when the appearance of a rather different reiatsu caused the sudden detour of his pursuers. It proved to be convenient for him but somewhat, his ego was touched knowing that something is of higher priority in pursuit than him.


Shinku walked casually having no more shinigami in his tail as he tries to fight the urge of snooping what it is that caused those reapers to retract their pursuit of him. It would be a nice day to resume his peaceful training now that those shinigami have their hands full of another situation of sort. It shouldn’t be a hard decision, he thought but his curiosity just can’t stop bugging his focus.


It wasn’t that long when he finally gave in. He ran towards direction of the entity that just caused a rather scandalous noise. He kept his senses keen of the other reapers, hoping that their attention towards the new presence would hide his own.

[straywolf174]

Ritsuka curled into himself, whining and groaning as he wracked his feeble mind for a good plan of action. Unlike most beings, he was unaware of a lot of things - including his own abilities. Without his mother's guidance, he couldn't do much on his own. It made him feel useless and stupid, and his hollow brethren hated both of those things...that was another thing he wasn't aware of. Hollows and him had nothing in common.


The sudden implosion of a nearby trash can set Ritsu on his feet in seconds. Hyperventilation making hearing the people around him difficult, but luckily a lot of low level patrollers were stupid, and he spotted the shinigami just in time to avoid the next kido. Why did they all have to shout such stupid phrases?

"No threat!"


At first he ran, what else was a cowardly (but rapidly growing) child to do? He was three months old for crying out loud!

Each kido they shot made him either stumble or fall flat on his face, and spiritual pressure aside it was a miracle he was alive this long. If he could cry he would have, but tears only formed in what his mother called his sealed state - so they remained trapped while he ducked and stumbled all along the ally ways of Kyoto. Mentally begging to be saved. It didn't help that he wasn't capable of speech, the most he kept doing was yelling that he wasn't a threat. He'd seen nice Shinigami before - what the hell was wrong with these people?


Ritsuka skidded to a stop, cornered by a wrong turn and the bad smell of rotting take-out. This was as inconvenient as it could get, and his body began to physically shake with fear at the thought of being killed before he could play his game.

Really, the boy was simple minded in more than one way.

As the shinigami above him began to indicate their next barrage of attacks Ritsuka raised his arms over his face. Little did he know he wouldn't be burned to a crisp. The heat he felt he assumed to be some mystical magic was actually from his own body, erupting outwards in a wave that could only be described as a gigantic cero...and he didn't look to see what had happened until only one spiritual energy remained.


When his arms finally lowered the sight of charred bodies did it for him. He fell to his knee's, and the six-foot giant cried. Over what his mother would call a burned lunch, no less. "Didn't wanna...didn't wanna!" he repeated in between tearless sobs. It must have looked funny to a stranger, but all things considered, it was quite pathetic and sad.

He didn't even acknowledge the singular presence outside of noticing it in the back of his mind.

[jetxtreme]

Shinku was taken aback by a sudden burst of spiritual energy from afar. A bright beam of energy suddenly erupted like a geyser that violently jolted up from the earth. It did resemble that of a cero with it's power almost rivaling that of an Arrancar.


The spiritual presence of the two Shinigamis who pursued him earlier suddenly disappeared, causing Shinku to increase his pace of movement. He arrived at the site of the explosion having no sign of his previous pursuers. It would be easy to think that they have been disintegrated from the attack but it’s still too early to arrive into conclusions.


The area is now polluted with noise ranging from screams of panics, to honkings then a while later to sirens of police mobiles and rescue vehicles who are rushing their way towards the area of explosion. There wasn’t much rubble as the trajectory of the attack was upwards although a small part of the road in the area is burnt. At the middle of the burnt road is a shadowy humanoid surrounded by chains and bizarre blades attached all over it’s body.


Shinku judged the creature as an arrancar although he hasn’t seen one before. From a fair distance of about 25 meters from the creature, he summoned the spirit of Fujin to create a violent wind that raged towards his assumed enemy.

[straywolf174]

The sirens, the people, the stench of burning flesh...it was all too much. Just when he thought he was calmed down enough to stop mourning the soul-cycle of his enemies, he was attacked by...wind? It was sharp at first, but within mere moments it became powerful enough to throw him a good meter from where he was.

He groaned with the effort it took to stand, narrowing his eyes to slits in order to better make out the opposing force. His skin was unable to show it - being an artificial life form and all - but he was covered from head to toe in scratches and scrapes, and boy did they burn!

Humans had scattered from his fall, and looking to his left, the ambulance had been crushed by the impact he made - leaving a large dent in it's side. Stupid humans shouldn't have been there anyway. Neither was a stupid shinigami.

The whites of his eyes spotted him, and with baited breath, he attempted to speak out a warning. "Leave."

Not exactly the most polite way to ask, but since when were manners ever an important consideration. He was fighting not to live, but to get back home. "Threat...m'not a threat."

[jetxtreme]

As the wind from Fujin rages towards the creature, Shinku used the free time to play a different tune. The melody caused his spiritual energy to suddenly rise up, preparing Shinku for his kidou attacks.


The wind settled at the same time when Shinku was done with playing his other melody.  He prepared himself for his opponent’s response however, it seemed that the creature stood idly even after being hit by an attack. Obviously, the creature wasn’t damaged that much but still perhaps an attack for retaliation is expected. It did start to mumble something but from Shinku’s distance, it is impossible for him to make out the words.


Interpreting the creature’s mumbling as a chanting of some sort, Shinku decided to intervene with a hado spell before his opponent can succeed on whatever spell it is aiming to perform.


“Hadou 31: Shakkaho!” Shinku extended his right palm towards his enemy and from it, shot a red ball of kidou. It was the simplest hado attack yet quick enough to be used as a distraction. Powered up by his 1st Melody though, the power of the spell has almost reached the strength of high level hadou spells.

[straywolf174]

Ritsuka attempted to avoid the invisible assault by jumping but instead he was just thrown back again, skidding to his feet just as the shinigami announced his next attack - shakaho...sounded tasty.

As the area around him heated up however, he quickly changed his idea to painful and decided that now was a better time to start running. Shinigami and Hollows moved quickly, but he on the other hand moved instantly. Similar to a teleportation than any actual physical displacement, he'd appear right behind the Shinigami who was so determined to off him for no good reason. Maybe if he knew why he was here it'd make him stop being so hostile? Ritsuka looked passed the Shinigami's shoulder, and how the circular explosion wiped out a building nearby. Maybe not.

"You not good at protecting..." he said, taking in the sight. He was taught that the Shinigami were supposed to value human lives - but this guy, - he was ready to demolish anything to get to his target. It was...sort of funny. "Maybe that why you alone?"

Ritsuka had only ever known one other Shinigami who did patrols on his own and that one ended up burned to a crisp by Setoku. This one was much stronger. He still felt his flesh burning from ths scrapes and bruises that those winds gave. "Maybe stop now? One gets hurt."

[jetxtreme]

The kidou energy from Shinku’s palm darted towards the creature like a speeding bullet. Just as Shinku expected, his opponent escaped through a move that might be similar to his shunpo. Quickly, he stooped down and held his right hand down with his palm open as if touching a physical ground. He was about to perform a bakudo spell for his escape judging that the creature would appear somewhere near him. He was surprised however, that before he could even chant a single word, a voice began to echo behind him. Had the creature attacked, he would have been dead right away not expecting such speed to be possible. Could he be of a higher level even than Kurome?


“Bakudō #21, Sekienton!” He continued performing the spell anyway, making a thick red smoke puffed from his hand and quickly spread out covering quite a small area engulfing him and his opponent. With that, he quickly fled using his shunpo.


‘You are not good at protecting...Maybe that why you alone’ The words rung in Shinku’s ear suddenly flashing the memory of his mother being killed right in front of his eyes. He suddenly lost focus unable to make out the rest of his opponent’s words. He disappeared, and randomly ended in an unplanned direction, appearing about 15 meters to the left of the creature.


“Who are you to judge. You do not know anything.” Quite enraged, Shinku sheathed his sword, putting it back to its original shape. He then placed his right hand in front of his face doing a gesture that looked a lot like he is tearing something in the wind. As he uncover his face, a white mask began to form on it which somewhat resemble a traditional oni mask. He now gazed upon his opponent without any battle plan in mind, simply engulfed in the lust to obliterate what’s in front of him.

[Setoku]

Standing high above the two, light violet eyes gazing almost interested, stood a being encased in black, a white haori, tattered and torn, hanging from his left bicep, and a white mask over his facial features - of course, where Shinku was, he would be there too.

"Let's see, Shinku-Chan... How you fare against a being of my blood."

The man said quietly to himself, smiling under the marble white hollow mask.

"Don't throttle this boy too much, even I could have problems with Mothers 'weapon'"

Again, too himself. The wind kicked slightly, causing the haori to flip around, exposing the kanji two. Yet it wasn't time too interfere, not yet. Maybe Shinku would notice him, observing, or perhaps not. Either way, Kurome wasn't gonna let a fight happen between his apprentice and the boy without gauging their respective powers first.

[straywolf174]

Ritsuka backed up in shock, clearly unused to people using such speeds so close to him. It took him a good minute of swiveling his head this way and that before his eyes finally locked onto his frien-enemy. That hand gesture...what was he?

"You're like mommy..." Ritsuka mumbled, his heart filling with a very clear sense of dread. Even as he was backing up, he was stumbling. Tripping over both his tongue and his words. "You're mommy's kind. Mask hurts me. Go way!"

His body was already glowing, ready to send off another explosive blast in the man's direction.

[Maximillion]

Shihōin, Hanshin
8th Division Captain
Onmitsukidō Corps Commander
(Executive Militia)

"Don't you think this farce has played out long enough?"

The voice was calm, gentle, but was heard nonetheless. A tall figure, clad all in black, with ebony brown skin and a darker brown afro, the lower half of his face concealed behind a dark, black veil. His getup made him look like a ninja of some sort, but the white haori that hung from his shoulders was a dead giveaway of who - or rather, what - he was.

He was standing, arms folded over his chest.....sideways. His feet were planted against the side of a nearby building, and he was perched there in such a way, that one would think the Laws of Physics would kick in, and he'd fall.

But he didn't. At least, not yet.

"If you could do this without collateral damage, you might not have to deal with my ugly mug in your face. But you clearly can't - or won't - and now, you do."

Whatever was holding him in place ceased doing so, and throwing a flat palm out, Hanshin struck solidified air, and propelled himself upwards into a somersault, landing a few feet higher up, a little closer to the skirmish ahead, arms still folded over his chest.

"Of course, there's a chance that this is all just one great, big misunderstanding, and this can be settled sweetly, with our words." he finished. Although his nose and mouth were covered, there would almost be the impression that he was smirking beneath his veil.

[jetxtreme]

Shinku's grip with his sword became tighter as he swing his sword sideways towards his left, in a preparation for a frontal attack. His eyes, with their irises that has turned from black to amber, grew as cold as an assassin's eyes. With his wrath blurring his senses though, he is prepared to dive into a suicide attack.

Not wasting a second, Shinku propelled himself forward at the same speed when he escaped from his opponent. In spite of his current reckless attitude, he can't help but to stop at the sight of a figure unfamiliar to him that suddenly appeared between him and his foe.

The reiatsu this one projects is undoubtedly of a level that rivals Kurome himself or at least near him. His suit might be off from the usual shinigami uniform that he saw during his stay at soul society, but the haori that closely resembles the outer garment that Azula used to wear, gives it away that the newcomer is one of the captains of Gotei 13.

Just when he thought that he has escaped from his pursuers, here comes another shinigami and worse, a shinigami of Captain's rank. His mask suddenly disappeared, with his focus now shifting from his previous opponent to the newcomer. He kept silent, being unsure whether the shinigami is indeed to talking to him or not.

[Setoku]

"Perhaps I can be of assistance here, Shinku-chan..."

All of Shinku's sights would no doubt be filled with black and a trace of white, as Kurome appeared in front of him, cutting off the Captain's line of sight too the boy - The hollow mask he was wearing slowly fading from his features, to expose a young face, with light violet eyes, and a sideways smile. The haori attached to his bicep casually blowing around his arm.

"Could it be...? A Captain.... here? I'm honored."

Kurome's left hand slowly came down, fingers brushing the tsuba of his katana as he cocked his head to the side.

"I belive introductions are in order.... Izanaga Kurome, former second squad captain, and you are...?"

Kurome made no move to attack, but his eyes swept over Ritsuka once, than the masked Shinigami ahead and slightly above him. The haori marked him as a captain - But since his own battle with Lyonin, Kurome had lost track of most of the Gotei 13's captain caste. With words, huh...? Kurome would pin such ideals to Fifth, or maybe even third squad, but he couldn't be sure.

"Perhaps you are lost.... Shinigami?"

[Maximillion]

"Backup? For little ol' me?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance here, Shinku-chan..."


The newest arrival was...unanticipated. It was both flattering, and insulting, that they were already showing large numbers like this.

Insulting, because it implies I have come to cause problems, Hanshin thought, his eyes only now moving up from where they'd been when he had been eying Shinku, to look straight in the new arrival's eyes. Or, at least it would give the impression he was looking in their eyes. Hanshin, on principle, generally avoided direct eye contact, usually settling for looking at the person's eyelids (which looked like eye contact to anyone he looked at).

Flattering, because someone here thinks I wield sufficient might to pose a threat.

"That mask, just now.." Hanshin said quietly, raising his left hand to point in Shinku's direction....almost as though through the person in front of him, as though the large, solidly-built Former Captain was still physically between them.

"It's been awhile since I attended the Academy, but I don't recall a trick like that being taught in any of the classes I attended."

The most he had spoken, up to this point, and perhaps even in the past month. By this point, it became clear that he spoke in something of a monotone. The voice might seem lazy or detached, but perhaps that was just Hanshin's personality.



"Could it be...? A Captain.... here? I'm honored."

"The honor is mine. It's not every day I see a Shinigami wearing the mask of a Hollow. Oddity, or rare treat, I wonder?"

He had sensed what felt like a Hollow's reiatsu when the mask had momentarily appeared, and it seemed to now fade. Hanshin had only had a split second to see the mask appearing to disintegrate, before the large man obstructed his line of sight.

"I belive introductions are in order.... Izanaga Kurome, former second squad captain, and you are...?"

Hanshin listened to the introduction, remaining still and silent for a moment. Izanaga Kurome... I'd never met him in person, yet... Hanshin thought, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as he scanned the man's features with his red eyes.

He didn't know this one's circumstances, but due to the Office he had formerly held, Hanshin decided to break his usual policy of not telling strangers his name.

"Shihōin Hanshin. 8th. Captain."

The promotion was a fresh one, in lieu of Hanshin's transfer from his former Squad when his former Captain had disappeared on an away mission, and was now presumed deceased. Being the type to fixate, single-mindedly, upon the task and/or mission at hand, it was no surprise he was not the most up-to-date on the Who Is Who. He was sure it had been included in his lessons, growing up an heir to a Noble House, but even an eidetic memory had it's limits, scatterbrained as he often was.


"Perhaps you are lost.... Shinigami?"

The way he'd used the term 'Shinigami', in such a detached and removed manner, struck Hanshin as odd. Former Captain, and he spoke of Shinigami with the same kind of tone one might alien or some foreign, unknown object.

"Wouldn't be the first time, if so." He said simply, referring to the insinuation that he might be lost. True, his sense of direction was renowned for not being the greatest. He had found a few tricks around this shortcoming, but it still wasn't perfect.

"My sense of direction, or lack thereof, hardly seems as interesting as Shinigami with Hollow powers, however."

He made no attempts to move around the former 2nd Division Captain, nor any move at all. For the time being, he seemed content to talk.

"What about 'Shinku-chan' over there?" Hanshin asked, a touch of mirth to his voice, as he lowered his left arm, realizing he had been still been pointing, the entire time he was talking. He often forgot his courtesies, not to the point of being offensive, but sometimes to the point of being thought silly, or worse.

"He's been a little quiet, since you arrived. The other one too." Hanshin then raised his left hand and made a sweeping motion around them, to some of the scattered collateral damage, which wasn't terrible - he could set the Onmitsukido to wipe memories, and as far as the humans would be concerned, these breaks and charred spots he been there for as long as they could remember - but something still seemed a bit off about this gathering.

"What exactly did I walk in on?" 

[Setoku]

(Hooo? A Shihoin? Kurome Killed his former captain in front of two hundred people before achieving Banaki. That captains name was Luc Shihoin :p. So by principle your character may of heard of me. Can't wait for my turn!)

[jetxtreme]

Shinku sheathed his sword yet kept his grip hoping that his act of peace would pave a way for his escape. The newcomer doesn't seem to be starting any hostile act against him nor his opponent giving Shinku the assumption that the shinigami's mission isn't to capture him nor anything that would involve himself.

He decided to finally speak up and forge a convincing speech that might gain himself a temporary ally against his previous foe or at least buy sometime till he can devise his escape. He was about to open his mouth when suddenly, another figure appeared in front of him. He flinched, surprised of another entity whose reiatsu wasn't noticeable earlier. It wasn't that long however till he realized that the stranger who just appeared happens to be his sensei.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance here, Shinku-chan..."

He finally felt at ease knowing that his mentor would be by his side.

"That mask, just now.."

The other shinigami doesn't seem to be aware of the hollowfication power. Shinku can't blame the guy for he himself discovered of the power when Kurome showed it to him. Perhaps his mentor is the sole bearer of such ability before Shinku can learn it himself.

"Shihōin Hanshin. 8th. Captain."

The stranger finally introduced himself confirming Shinku's assumption of the shinigami being of captain rank like Azula. He seem to be now speaking with Kurome as of the moment making Shinku give his courtesy of not interrupting the conversation. His former foe seem to be observing as well on the other end, just where Shinku was about to attack it earlier. He kept his attention to the opponent he had since the Captain ranked shinigami is kept busy by his mentor anyway.

"What about 'Shinku-chan' over there?"

Having heard his name being called, Shinku snapped his attention back to Hanshin, or at least that's what Shinku heard this guy's name was. The shinigami seem to asking for an explanation of what transpired before he came to the area and what could have caused the ruins that is visible around them.

"Perhaps that other guy, or creature can provide you of the explanation that you seek. And also you might ask him whatever happened to the shinigami who used to scout this place as well as the guardian of this place." Shinku tried to revert the attention to the creature he fought earlier confident that all the blame would not be directed to himself.

[Setoku]

As Shinku finished speaking, Kurome raised his arm too Silence him.

"Shinku-Chan, keep your senses about you... I feel the Shinigami will be followed soon, it's how they are."

Kurome looked back to the captain, a smile drawing on his lips. A Shihoin? Really now..? Kurome knew that alone would cause a problem, and this was not an opponent for Shinku to be around.

"I figured the Shihoin Nobles lost favor when I Killed Luc and took his place... So instead of speaking to my friend and worrying what he is doing with that... Creature, you should keep your attention on me. Shihoin..."

Kurome pinky pressed against the hilt of his Zanpaktou, pressing it an inch from the saya, exposing a partial bit of the jagged blade.

"You want answers from me or Shinku of any kind... Then come get them, Shihoin."

[Endo]

"What questions was he asking?" A high pitched voice rang out of nowhere as a small child emerged from a tree. He stood proud in front of the two, like nothing could go wrong, with the cutest smile on his face.

His question directed at the younger person, he looked rather confused and on-guard about something. Endo looked to him with his green eyes almost piercing with joy that he was finally out and about in the human world.

[jetxtreme]

Shinku held the hilt of his sword after his mentor did. It seems a battle is indeed inevitable this time whether it be against the shinigami captain or back to his previous foe. His stance is quite more confident than when the Captain first arrived, having his mentor now present by his side.

It was not that long till another presence appeared in front of them. A lad, quite a midget in stature having a brown hair and quite a carefree expression on his face. The black Shihakusho uniform gives it away that he is yet another shinigami, and someone that Shinku haven't seen yet as well during his stay at Seireitei.

The newcomer finally spoke with an inquiry that is directed to Shinku himself or at least that's how he perceived it is. Shinku simply stared back uncertain if the question is indeed for him to answer. The boy's cheerful attitude reminds him of Shigo, a friend he met at during his past childhood days in Rukongai. He never gave a word, quite an attitude he kept around strangers careful not to give away more information than they should receive.

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