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.
Izumi Ikashimi has had a mission ever since her life in the Rukongai. That simple mission, was to find a man by the name of Kazuki Kobayashi.
He had been kind to her, when he really had no reason to be. He saved her, and mainly her family, from starving. And on top of that, he was mysterious.
So, since the moment that she was in the Academy until now, a member of Squad 3, she had been searching for the man that no one seemed to know about. She tried describing him, asking by name, even searched briefly by division.
It was almost as if the man had disappeared off the face of the Earth. Well, technically they weren't even on Earth so he really had vanished off Earth. It was like he vanished out of Soul Society, completely.
She sighed, as she walked around asking random people if they had seen or heard from, or about him. Usually it ended in no new information, and a flirtatious wink from some men.
Exhausted, she tapped the back of a man that was in front of her.
"Hello, have you heard of a man by the name of Kazuki Kobayashi?" she asked as politely as she could.
Post by Mercurious on Jun 12, 2012 19:59:38 GMT -5
The man in front of her had been standing in a line to buy some food at a small concession stand. It was a popular takiyaki stand, being right outside the gates. Sadly, he was also in the midst of pickpocketing the Shinigami in front of him for his money.
Old habits died hard he supposed.
When she tapped him, though, he leaped forward out of fright for having been caught, bumping into the man in front of him. The man turned around and gave him a glare that Kazuki returned with a wide, toothy grin. "Ehehe, sorry."
With that he looked to the woman behind him, as she spoke his name.
"Eh? That's...me."
He blinked a few times as he looked her over. She looked....familiar. He just wasn't sure he knew her or not. Regardless, she was quite the looker, and he fidgeted somewhat.
"Er....hi...can I h, help you ma'am?"
Oh wow flyboy, calm down. You might just talk her out of her robes..., came the voice of his Zanpaku-to.
She gave him a confused look as he leaped away from her touch, as if he had been burned or something. She giggled as he bumped into the man, and then apologized.
He said it was him, and she gasped. She looked at his profile, and indeed, it was him! She squealed in delight as she took him into an embrace.
"No, you can't help me. You already have!" she said, smiling kindly at him.
She remembered that she had a small appearance based crush on the kid, and now she remembered why. He wasn't amazingly hot, however he did have his looks about him.
"When I was just a Rukon civilian, you helped me steal bread to support my family...I have never forgotten the kindness you showed me, and have been searching for you since I joined the academy, and now the Gotei 13." she said, with a glow in her eyes.
She had found him, her goal complete. She felt satisfied, and her attitude reflected it.
She had really hoped that the man would remember her. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it still meant something to her if he did. Not everyday that you save someone.
Post by Mercurious on Jun 12, 2012 20:20:07 GMT -5
The moment she wrapped him into an embrace his face darkened, and he went somewhat rigid. "Ah, ahaha...." he reached up and awkwardly patted her back lightly.
He did remember her, after she explained things. He nodded somewhat as they parted. "R,right! I remember doing t,that! I...uh...I know it's...hard to get by! I mean...sometimes ya....g,gotta do what ya gotta do, r,right?"
He raised a brow at her when she said she was looking for him and he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Ehehehe...all of that time...just to say thank you? W,well...I'm h,honored....y,you're welcome!"
It was at this point the person behind her grumbled about them being next and Kazuki turned to see the stall keeper looking at them. He looked back to her.
She felt his body tense up as she hugged him, so she instantly released him and looked at him. Was he sweating? No, that had to just be her imagination.
He nodded, and told her that he did remember, and that he completely understood. Well, he kind of did. It was more like a total stuttering mess. She just grinned at him, he was like this when they had first met, too.
He thanked her for the hard search, and also said he was honored. She kept the grin on her face, until she released a yawn. She wasn't tired, but smiling so much was just work.
She didn't hear the person behind her grumble, but she did hear him ask if she wanted anything.
"Aw, how sweet! I'd love to have a rice ball, if you don't mind" she said, polite as per usual.
Post by Mercurious on Jun 14, 2012 20:24:21 GMT -5
When the woman released him he let out a small, inward sigh. Pretty woman usually made him nervous, and even more so when they were randomly hugging him after having not seen her in....well it'd been a really long time. And even then, it was a brief meeting. He vaguely remembered it, to be honest. But he knew he had helped her because of his old habits.
Hell, he had been in the process of acting out those habits.
When she yawned he glanced away, and ordered the rice ball for her. After receiving it, he offered it to her and gestured for her to walk with him--and to let the patrons of the line move along. He munched at the chicken skewered on his stick with small, measured bites. His other hand went to the back of his neck as he rubbed it again. He was certainly nervous, and his pace was slow.
"So....I,I see you became a....Shinigami. Congratulations are in o,order."
He looked away as she yawned, and she frowned a little. She hoped that he wasn't thinking that she was bored of him. He turned around, and ordered their food.
He gestured for her to walk with him, so she did. It'd be nice, almost nostalgic, for them to walk together again for the first time in a long time. It would almost be, like a walk to always remember.
He continued stuttering, as he congratulated her on becoming a shinigami. She grinned, and gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto. She was proud, too, though she'd never admit it.
"Haha, why thank you! It was more work than I'd thought, but now it's kinda worth it. she reflected, as she grinned.
She looked at his face, and wondered if it was tough, for him too. It had to be, unless she was just a failure. She heard Mizu no Hebi hiss in her head, he hated when she was down on herself. She apologized, inward, and then continued to walk with Kazuki.
As the subject drifted towards being a Shinigami, Kazuki seemed to relax a bit.
"Yeah, I hear that. I was almost kicked out a few times!" When they reached a ways down the street, he continued on talking, looking to her.
"Not because it was too hard though--I think it's supposed to be. I liked to play...jokes. And kidoing your Instructor to their seat isn't exactly what they deem as acceptable, y'know?"
"And then there was the time I sealed the doors to the female dormitory shut...but it was only cause I didn't want people sneaking in there! Good intentions path the way..." He drifted off at this point before he shrugged and looked to her.
"But...yeah. What about you? Any pranks you pulled?" He paused. "Mm. Nah, you seem like a model student."
The tense air around him finally seemed to dissipate as they talked about the Shinigami life. He mentioned almost being kicked out, and she was surprised.
"What could you have possibly done to almost get kicked out?" she asked, curiosity unmasked and not hidden.
He then mentioned that he stuck his kido instructor to the ground, and sealed the doors to the girls dormitory shut. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, she never knew he was such a prankster.
"Uh huh, sure good intentions" she said, playfully mocking the man.
He had first asked if she pulled any pranks, but he didn't give her a chance to answer. He just assumed she was a model student. It was true, she was. But still, she'd like to answer for herself.
"Well yeah, I am the model student type. But I had stuff to look forward to, after I finally graduated." she said, as her voice trailed off.
Finding Kazuki was nice, it really was, but it wasn't what she had wanted the most. She still had to search for her brothers, and that, in itself, was a huge problem.
Post by Mercurious on Jun 20, 2012 20:05:16 GMT -5
As she chastised him for his methods, he shrugged. "Well, it was either that or have students with oh-so nefarious intentions sneaking in there in the middle of the night--or students sneaking out. Couldn't have that, now could we?"
He shrugged. "Besides, what're the chances of one student ever seeing another after the Academy? Unless they're in the same squad, I'd say very slim--I mean...Seireitei is a huge place."
As she mentioned stuff to look forward to, Kazuki rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause chasing Hollows around is a real blast. Those damned things can be pretty dodgey, I will admit."
When they finally reached a park-like area, he offered a bench to her before he plopped onto it, taking a vicious bite out of his stick of skewered meat. He looked to her. "But what really did you have to look forward to? I mean...I guess it can be pretty rewarding, saving Souls and kicking ass."