With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
((Continued from The Captain and the Agent thread))
Counting her lucky stars this night was Sayuri, she is not exactly sure how she ended up where she is now, but there she has found herself walking beside her Captain down the busy streets of Karakura. Sayuri is dressed in her usual gigai, nothing more than high school girl uniform. Black short skirt, white blouse, red neck-tie, and a pair of black leather dress shoes - is primarily all the outfit consisted of, but she did keeper her holstered shurikens strapped to her right thigh under her skirt - she will be damned if she is caught unarmed.
As she walked along with Soifon, she had absolutely no clue as to where Soifon had in mind for them to go, she just followed along primarily enjoying having the chance to be with her. Every now and again she stole a few looks here and there at Soifon as they walked down the busy nightlife sidewalks of the city all lit up by street lights. Sayuri is typically never around these areas, secretly taking on more teenage kid like antics running off to the arcades or some such when wandering the town, and maintaining her top score on the DDR machine she tends to frequent when she is compelled to relax on the unique occasion.
After the fifth or... maybe the sixth or so side glance she took at Soifon as they walked, she remarked with a smile, "Your outfit is lovely, Captain... You look very sophisticated in it - business-like."
Post by Rebel Raven on Jul 22, 2009 1:03:15 GMT -5
Soifon walked with Sayuri in women's slippers with a thin, but visible heel. Her long legs were covered by a long, slitted, black dress that wrapped around her lightly as it traveled up her body. The only other bit of clothing that could be seen was a blue shirt with a low neckline, though she, sadly, did not have the cleavage to show off. Of course she had her hair in ties as she is known for.
"Appreciated," she said to Sayuri as she walked with a strong posture, "You look nice as well," she commented, becoming more personable in her Gigai, perhaps to act as cover.
All in all, she did enjoy the nights of Karakura. The cool, crisp air, and the darkness that was easy to hide in. The moon, and the stars that managed to shine in the sky.
"I'm interested in what it is you do in Karakura when you visit, Sayuri. How about a tour from your perspective?" She asked with a bit of a smile. Soifon wasn't a stranger to the arcades. She never put in clues that she had any of the high scores, and only played when there was a prize she liked. She just needed an excuse to go back to an Arcade, that's all.
Besides, she couldn't exactly go drinking with the woman as she looked like a teenager.
She couldn't feel any immediate threats to their peace. No major enemy sources that weren't being taken care of by someone else. Looks like it'll be smooth for now.
Sayuri pretty much beamed with pride from Soifon's compliment, if any of her peers could see how Sayuri was now, they would not recognize her. Albeit, her confidence took a fast nose dive the second Soifon requested for her to show her around where she likes to frequent during the unique times she comes to Karakura to unwind, "M-Me...?!", Sayuri's eyes darted side to side, and sighed conceding to the request, "This way.", she turned off down a different street with Soifon heading for district of the city known for where a lot of high school students hang out.
There was one particular arcade she headed, it was large and flashy lights that can give damn near anyone a seizure. Large lines of kinds for the different games, one particular being DDR, there were a few of them there, but the one Sayuri always played, maybe out of a level of obsessive compulsive disorder behavioral issue - it was the fourth DDR machine she went, "This one. I always play this one. It was installed here a few years ago.", once one kid finished currently playing it finished it showed the high scores, and she then pointed at the top high score, "That one with initials, 'PWN'." she pointed at herself with her right thumb, "That's me. I've upheld my #1 spot here ever since it was installed."
Sighing out of worry and insecurity of what Soifon may think of her being silly enough to cling to such trivialities, she still admitted further, "Then there's those crane game things, where manipulate the crane to pick up a prize... There's one filled with beanie babies... I always try to several.", tittering slightly, "You were kind enough not to look into my quarters when you found me suffering from severe exhaustion, but... had you seen inside... you would have seen my quarters are littered with them.", her eyes looked away out of embarrassment, "I just find them cute..."
Her shoulders then slumped a little, "Other than that, I just walk around the city before heading back.", her eyes looked back to Soifon shyly, she clearly appeared vulnerable - she never has divulged this part of herself to anyone before. It is nothing extreme or earth-shattering, but for her it is one of those things that belonged to her and her alone that she kept private from others.
Post by Rebel Raven on Jul 22, 2009 19:07:17 GMT -5
"It seems like an excellent test of stamina, and agility, and coordination," she commented on the game. Soifon nodded, and said "Impressive," she Sayuri proclaimed herself a #1 at the game in this location, but she wasn't surprised. She was trained to have excellent footwork, and she very likely did surpass humans, even in a Gigai.
"I think I shall have stronger versions made of this game for training purposes. What do you think?" she said in a private tone to Sayuri to not attract undue attention from the people around them.
And then she heard about her collection, which made Soifon think about hers, and the usual path to Yoruichi. At that point Sayuri might have noticed the gigai reacting with a blush on her cheeks that was very slight, "I collect black cat items... like that one," she pointed to one that hung on the wall behind the counter. Soifon said it as if it might be a surprise, but those special deliveries to her quarters, and the likely drought of black cats paraphernalia in Karakura town were likely clues to those observant. It especially picked up after the rescue of Rukia where she were reunited with Yoruichi.
She found that this woman didn't have to force her emulation of Soifon, rather that they had plenty in common. Soifon could almost see Sayuri as a younger version of herself, and she had to wonder how much of an impact she could have on the girl's life, and just how different she might be if Yoruichi hadn't left her.
She no longer hated Yoruichi for it. Infact she missed her every moment of her life.
She made up her mind that if she could at all help it, she would not leave Sayuri as Yoruichi left her.
Blinking a few times in response to Soifon's comment toward the DDR game, she misjudged her Captain in this instance, out of her insecurity she expected Soifon to think less of her. She smiled bashfully when she heard Soifon say her achievement at the game was impressive. Her eyes snapped back to Soifon when she suggested she might make larger versions of the DDR game for training, but then she cracked a smile and started giggling quickly clarifying as she did, "I-I'm sorry, Captain, I just had an image of Omaeda playing the game in my head...", she let out a sigh to subside her snickering, and answered Soifon's question, "Perhaps we could use it as a means to force our less... erm... adroit... members to learn some footwork."
With a wide-eyed innocence Sayuri looked to the slightly blushing Soifon when she mentioned her collection of black cats, smiling at the one Soifon pointed at Sayuri remarked, "It's cute...", she then looked to Soifon again and remarked out of being utterly oblivious, "I heard there has been a shortage of black cat items in Karakura, are you still able to get the ones you want? Come to think of it, cat beanie babies are really popular in the collector crowds, and black is a popular color... But I don't think I've seen any black cat beanie babies.", Sayuri then just shrugged flippantly at the idle thought after she had she spoke aloud, and then remarked, "Maybe they just don't make them, or just been out of print or circulation since I started collecting."
Her eyes turning back to Soifon, she looked fairly passive and spoke quietly, "Uh... Captain, can you not mention that I do this stuff to anyone? No one knows I do this, and as you know... I have an image amongst the 2nd Division members and Onmitsukido... and I'd much like to keep that image... If anyone learned of this... I'm afraid they'll take me... less seriously."
Post by Rebel Raven on Jul 23, 2009 0:47:36 GMT -5
Soifon smirked a bit at the humorous notion of Omaeda on a machine like that. "Exactly, Sayuri. And, of course, it would have harder settings to really push the limits," after all, if Sayuri could maintain #1 on it, it couldn't have been that hard, right? It's a game made for human standards.
She listened as Sayuri mentioned the "shortage", and thought about giving her one of the ones she had. Maybe... "I always get the one I want, somehow or another," she said calmly. She abused her subordinates that way. Had them make reports on Yoruichi, scout out items, handle deliveries. It was her vice, and they didn't complain... or tell anyone.
"Your secrets are as safe with me as they are with you," she couldn't help but give a typical, ominous quasi-threat with that, but it was the truth. If Sayuri blabbed, then Soifon certainly would, too. Soifon had nothing to gain in exposing her 5th seat's secrets, so what ever was told to Soifon was safe.
"I deal with the same problems. If they knew about what's beneath the angry, bitter exterior, they'd likely go very slack," she said calmly, watching the people around while she kept an eye on Sayuri.
"Lets see if we can't win some prizes, hm?" she said casually, "For training purposes." she added so there was some "official" reason for their recreation.
Bowing her head gratefully to Soifon, she replied with quite a lot of relief in her quiet tone, "Thank you, Captain...", she did catch the subtle threat in the response, but did not concern herself with it, as betraying Soifon was the furthest thing in mind. She nodded understandingly to Soifon's empathy and reasoning on the matter, she did not comment on it but her far off look expressed she recognized the gravity of it.
The second Soifon suggested they go win some prizes Sayuri smiled wide and begun looking about from where she stood for some good games to play they could win "phat loot" at; and by force of habit her eyes wandered to wherever she could spot beanie babies as a possible or selectable prize. She did not worry about the DDR game this time around as she felt her #1 High Score was safe, unless Soifon decided to play it - then she would be sweating bullets.
As she looked about at the very games, she asked, "Which one did you want to start out at, Soi-sama?", she then froze where she stood, her eyes slowly turned to Soifon with a gulp, "Um... Is it alright if I call you that?"
Post by Rebel Raven on Jul 23, 2009 18:03:33 GMT -5
Soifon's body jerked a bit at the nickname, then she chuckled so very softly, "Until something comes up, consider ranks dropped. It's fine," she smiled a bit more at Sayuri. Soifon hadn't completely cut loose, but she felt a little more relaxed now. "Add sauce to that, and we'll be having problems, though," did she just make a joke? Sure it was probably lame, but still!
She, too pondered the question of where to start, "That game over there," a whack a mole stylized game which offered tickets for prize exchange caught her attention, "It looks like a good place to start," she commented.
She passed up a ski ball game since she had the urge to just hurl the balls at the center target like darts, and that might not be kosher with the staff.
She began to walk to the almost neglected whack a mole machine, and revived notions of putting an arcade in her barracks for training purposes, but what would that do to her reputation? It was certainly an idea Omaeda would get behind with his wealth, though, but it was certainly not a Soifon idea, and she was certain her Vice Captain would not think of it either.
She could always lie, and make some sort of excuse, but she just decided to figure out how to do that later.
A warm smile grew on Sayuri's face when Soifon told her it was fine, it was a smile of girl appearing at ease and on a certain level even comforted. Sayuri looked far from the dower, humorless, distant assassin she appears as amongst her 2nd Division and Onmitsukido peers, but at this point she just looked like a regular high school girl. She tittered a little bit at Soifon's joke, primarily out of making a mental note of not to do so - though for her it was less making a mental note not do so purposefully and more not to do so accidentally.
When Soifon pointed over to the wack-a-mole game, Sayuri nodded happily and followed Soifon, she did look a tiny bit pensive. More than anything it was simply because she was nervous, she had never gone on such a casual outing with anyone before, and now she was doing so with someone she is infatuated with, she could not help but feel a little timid inside.
Though, once she loosened up a tiny bit when they got to the game itself, her eyes narrowed at the thing as though she were analyzing a trial or challenge she was assigned to take on, and upon her analysis remarked, "Ticket prizes.", she looked to the ticket booth, it did indeed have beanie babies available to purchase with tickets won through playing the games, her eyes shifted back to Soifon as she took up her black cushion mallet, "Ready?", she looked more like she was about to competitively face a Gotei 13 trial than play a game, "We must get as high a score as possible to win as many tickets as we can.", she said with a stern tone.
Post by Rebel Raven on Jul 23, 2009 23:32:43 GMT -5
Soifon nodded to Sayuri, "Right," then took up a mallet, and made sure not to go at it full tilt. In other words, hold back so she didn't get funny looks, or asked to perform in the world whack-a-mole championships... like last time. She inserted a coin from her pocket that she brought along in her gigai, then the game started.
She shared bopping responsibility as things started off easy.
