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.
Ordinary - her day was ordinary. That was how Hinata vowed to respond to questions such as, "Hello Third-Seat Hinata. How was your day?" And if they asked, "How are you?" she would say the same. "Ordinary." Or maybe, "The same." Quite possibly "Static." Now that would be quite a fun word.
As the day was moderately cloudy, a mild temperature, and about half over, it was quite ordinary. Except, for Hinata, it was not. Her run in with Jirou had her quite flustered. Maybe she was just a little scared. Maybe, next time, Noriyaki would send someone who knew what he was doing.
She sat in her room, as it was, on her futon. Cross-legged. Like she had in the Maggot's Nest. Did she mention she hated it there? No? Well she did. Quite a lot. And she was starting to hate it here--the more she thought about it, the more her room started to feel like a nice prison. Comfortable, but a cage.
"Just a little stir-crazy," she assured herself, standing up. She collected Tatsumaki and slung him over her shoulder. "I just need a little air. Just need a little air."
She stepped out into the hall, and started to walk. To the pathway--she needed to get outside. As she walked, the attack played again in her head. She remembered he got behind her and tried to run her through. She remembered he got her on the waist--much better now.
She passed a random shinigami, and quickly shouted, "Normal!" without waiting to be asked how her day was. The random shinigami winced, holding up an arm as though he expected to be attacked. But Hinata had already left, face hot with embarrassment.
She slide a door open, and stepped outside. Fresh air. OK. A little better. Now if they could just do something about that fence...
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sam
Veteran Spirit ... thingy[M:9999999995336822][M:0]
Not too far from where Hinata had 'answered' a question not spoken from a random shinigami, Ningai had finished a lesson. This lesson consisted of helping lower ranked shinigami with problems in their swordplay or kido. Without a vice-captain he's had extra work placed on him all around. Not that it was an issue, but sometimes he just wants to be alone.
As he walked, some of the group talking while a few asked questions toward him. This was not something he has gotten used to, as most people tend to just brush him off or avoid him. Despite how he looked, he was rather uncomfortable among them.
He politely waved them off as he rounded a corner. The air was nice today but something felt off. The barracks felt uneasy and the urge to just go for a walk about just hit him.
It was about this time he heard a familiar voice shout at someone. He observed for a moment as Hinata came out the door, her face losing some red as she breathed in some fresh air. Curious as to what she had been thinking, he would have gone over to investigate. However, since the night her cousin tried to kill her, they haven't had a real 'conversation', real enough for him at least. Things about that night he wished never happened, but he can't change the past. All he can do now is move forward.
Without even knowing it, he had been just standing there staring blankly toward nothing, but he might just look like he normally does.
Hinata took a breath and turned, content with being outside for the moment. It wouldn't last, and she wasn't dumb enough to believe otherwise.
Seeing Ningai, she turned the other way and started walking. He wouldn't bother her, he had stuff to do. Important stuff to do--stuff that was more important than talking to his third seat. Wondered if he really cared. He never seemed to.
Forming an imaginary confrontation, she decided Ningai would tell her he was working on it without actually saying he had anything done. Hinata would say something rude, and then Ningai wouldn't respond, and she would say something she didn't really mean. Or maybe she would mean it.
She wondered if she was accurate. But who would initiate that conversation? It wouldn't be her, she decided.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sam
Veteran Spirit ... thingy[M:9999999995336822][M:0]
She didn't say anything to him, that was different. A feeling of guilt started to hit him deep inside, after all he was the reason she was even here. He tried to make her feel comfortable, even allowing her to change his office to her liking. She still hasn't come up with a style she liked.
Despite his enjoyment of silence, Ningai has grown somewhat accustom to her mouth. As uncomfortable he was about talking, he decided to get things going.
He swiftly made his way next to her, looking forward as he walked. If she tried to move ahead of him, he would match her pace. "How... are you doing? Weather seems nice today." Yeah, he was attempting small talk. The art of small talk was never really something he practiced.
Ever since Hinata came into his life, Ningai has been changing. Probably do to the fact she was the only woman who has spent this much time with him besides his grandmother. It may have been forced, but it wasn't all bad. They had their moments, mainly her trying to get a reaction out of him with a prank, but he'd get her back in the end. A tug of war between them was what he would assume siblings would go through, he would always watch the other children play, and deep down feel jealous.
But that time was behind him, he needed to focus on the here and now. Regardless of how she may feel about the incident, she was still important to him, and he needed to find a way to make things right.
Her captain walking beside her, matching her increasingly hurried gait, made Hinata nervous. He didn't initiate stuff. He never initiated anything, unless he had something her needed done. Her head turned in his direction, though she wasn't actually looking at him--she found an interesting board of wood, then another one, as her pace hadn't slowed.
Rather awkwardly, Ningai asked, "How...are you doing? Weather seems nice today."
Hinata rolled her eyes. Of course he didn't have anything for her to do. She quickly rounded a corner without answering Ningai. Actually, she wanted to speak to Ningai. Needed to. But there was still that stir-crazed feeling she had to deal with.
She could ask Ningai for some down time. But where would she go? Going to the human world meant paperwork, paperwork meant sitting in a room for as long as an hour, waiting for the paperwork to go through, and Hinata didn't want to wait. If she stayed in Sereitei, she was still trapped. Worse, she was trapped in the same vicinity as Noriyaki.
No, she wouldn't ask. She couldn't ask.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sam
Veteran Spirit ... thingy[M:9999999995336822][M:0]
Figures, small talk from him would never work. She kept picking up the pace and rounded a corner that caught which caused him to stop suddenly. He let out a sigh as Hinata left without answering him, but he wouldn't let her get away that easily.
He waited for her to get to a point that would give her a false sense that he had given up, but that was far from the truth. With shunpo he appeared in front of her, arms crossed.
As if knowing what she wanted to talk about but not willing to say anything, he started to talk again. "Small talk aside, I need you to go with somewhere." He looked at her like he always did, telling her that she really didn't have much of a choice.
The plan was simple, he needed to go to his old house in the Rukongai. It was just that time of year, time to visit the 'family'. He usually doesn't take anyone with him, but seeing that Hinata was his responsibility, she was coming with him.
It was a good thing that it was close by, an old shrine in the woods just east of here. In the meantime, this would be a great way to get away from the white walls and the politics.
Whether she asked or not, he decided to tell her where they'll be going. "We're leaving the Sereitei."
Hinata had been free for only a few moments before Ningai appeared in front of her. Her hand went to her sword instinctively, and her eyes went wide. "You...d-:"
"Small talk aside, I need you to go with me somewhere. We're leaving the Sereitei."
Hinata stared at Ningai for a moment. Her hand still rested on the hilt of her sword, and her eyes were still wide. She grew just a little red in the face, a bit flushed under the eyes and on the forehead. A vein on her neck throbbed. "Don't...don't do that!"
Wondering what exactly he meant by 'leaving the Sereitei,' Hinata frowned. Her eyes shifted to meet his, and she straightened out a little bit. She shrugged her shoulders until her sword settled in a comfortable position, and then she worked up the nerve to ask, "What do you mean 'leaving?'"
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sam
Veteran Spirit ... thingy[M:9999999995336822][M:0]
There we go, Hinata was getting back to her old self. Her reaction speed was improving but not where he would like it to be. Apparently his reappearance caused a sudden flush in her, angry from the surprise most likely. He needed to work on that, some practice blindfolded might allow her to hear better.
Training sessions were being planned without her knowing, that would certainly get her in a better mood. But her question made him look her in the eyes.
"What do you mean 'leaving?'"
Then after a few moments of starring, she finally asked a question. That was expected of her, she wouldn't think that he meant abandoning the Sereitei. After all that work it took to get her in the position she was in today, the bonds she probably have made. He would never think of just telling her to throw all that away.
"We're going on a walkabout." He replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as he walked toward the nearest gate. He stopped of course to wave her along. If she refused, well he had ways to make her. Maybe a kido spell or just carrying her on his shoulder in an embarrassing manner.
Hinata didn't have to wait very long for an answer. Placing his hand on her shoulder, the captain answered, "We're going on a walkabout."
Palm met forehead. A walk? With Ningai? She seriously hoped that wasn't his idea of a date. Better to just say no. "No...I don't want to go on a walk with you. If you need me, I'll be...eh, I'll be around here somewhere."
She slipped her hands into her sleeves, straightened her back, and broke out of Ningai's grasp. She wondered how he might react; Hinata was used to him dealing with her inimitable behaviors that would have gotten her in trouble with most other captains. In fact, it got her in trouble with Ningai. Just a different kind of trouble.
"Later Taichou." She said with a light wave, promptly changing gears and making a face consisting of her eyes rolled back in her head, her tongue hanging out, and her nose scrunched as tightly as it would go.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sam
Veteran Spirit ... thingy[M:9999999995336822][M:0]
Sighing as Hinata refused to go with him, he had no choice but to use force. Too bad she lowered her guard, now for the 'fun'. When she made the face of a child, the best he could describe it, Ningai took it upon himself to make his point clear.
Like a thief using slight of hand to snatch a purse, Ningai held Hinata's zanpakuto in his grasp. "Then I guess you won't be needing this." When did he do that one might be asking. Well, when he placed his hand on her shoulder, he preformed the classic misdirection maneuver as he slipped the zanpakuto from her waist.
But that wasn't all he was doing. Since he took her zanpakuto, she would surely yell at him. He didn't stay long enough for her to do that. With shunpo he was on the roof and then another one heading east. He would move at a speed that she could easily follow him. With the occasional stop, Ningai made sure that Hinata was following him.
She would certainly be chasing him, now that he had her sword once more. Can't imagine how many times she complained about him holding on to it and the time he gave it to her hollow. Speaking of hollows, Iagnin was having a field day with his current actions and Kitsune was all for it. Acts of mischief usually get those two active more than anything else.
