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.
He smirked, mostly to himself. Of course, no one knew the answer to how hard he tried but him, and he didn't feel like hurting anyone's ego today. He just shook his head and refused to answer the question.
He took a moment to look about the place. It was crowded, more crowded then the last time he had been here and he couldn't say he minded it too much. Still, he got some really odd stares from a couple people, as if they had never seen a Shinigami before.
Well no, it was probably because he was him, Zaraki Kenpachi. Perhaps the people were afraid that he would blow up the town or something.
"French toast? ...No frogs right?"
He coughed, his eye widening in slight surprise. "Hell no. It's nothing disgustin', you'll see."
Their order came out, it was thick and square shaped, in fact it looked like a mix between egg and bread, which would kind of be right.
"Here." He said, reaching over and grabbing the syrup and powdered sugar before passing it to her. "Pour these on."
"I'd like to explore the districts more... you came from the districts right?"
"... Yea." It took him a moment to respond, as something foreign seemed to glaze over the hard man's eye. "80th North, Zaraki."
The 80th North was rumored to be the most dangerous district in all of Rukongai, and for good reason. It was hell-bent in every way shape or form. Mass murder and rioting didn't even begin to explain it.
Because it was the furthest district from Seretei, Shinigami had the least hold over there, and it was the most rampant. Most any Shinigami that tried to bring order there, were killed. It was the literal hell of Rukongai.
Aoide did as she was told about the sticky and powdery stuff, she stared up at Kenpachi. She realized she didn't know a lot about this man's past considering their relationship. Though she tried not to press about it, she was constantly wondering about it and curious what made Kenpachi the man he was. Of course she heard all the rumors, the quiet rumbling that half the time she didn't believe, but it was still a mystery to her.
"Zaraki..." she spoke quietly, "You're named after the 80th district," she questioned tentively, the last time she had asked about his past he had been rather blunt that he hadn't wanted to talk about it so she dropped the questions. Not only that she had heard of the 80th district, and Captain Hitsugaya had banned his squad from ever going that deep into the Rukongai, which was one of the reasons why Aoide hadn't made her way that far into the districts. As she looked at him, she noted the gazed over look in his eyes, the same look her had when she asked before. Aoide's chest ached for him, she wanted to reach out to him, but this was Kenpachi Zaraki, she would not feel sorry for him, he would probably smack her on the back of the head and tell her she was being stupid. But still, she out of anyone knew that the past was hard to get away.
"So...what is this French Toast stuff?" she asked poking the bread stuff with her fork, her voice sounding a little too cheerful.
"...Eh?" He questioned, finally snapping out of his trance as his eyes refocused on the petite woman before him. However, his eyes hardened slightly when he registered her question. "... Yea. Well, I didn't exactly have a name before that."
He guessed that she had never really ventured into the deep parts of Rukongai, and he couldn't really blame her. Besides, it would definetly be safer for her to keep to Seretei, where people like her were actually welcome.
Not that anyone was welcome in the 80th. It was more like hell, where everyone suffered. He took the time to notice that she wasn't looking well, that she... looked kind of sad. Bah! What the hell was happening to him, caring about the emotions of others? He really was getting soft. He was about to say something when she perked up all of a sudden.
"So...what is this French Toast stuff?"
Her voice was just a little too cheerful, and it just didn't sit right with him. Her sadness in general never really sat with him. He remembered how she was after her nightmare, and that continued to sit with him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it pained him.
"Aoi..." He began, reaching out across the table and taking her hand into his, his brows furrowed ever-so-slightly. "... what's botherin' ya?"
He had completely ignored her last question, but to be honest, he didn't know. But oh well.
Aoide gnawed on her bottom lip looking from Kenpachi and then down to his hand that was covering her own. Her brow furrowed a little, "Sometimes you," she finally sighed, not like she could force herself not to answer, after all when her looked at her with concern in his eyes she had to answer him. She let out a sigh, "I don't know much about you Ken, and I know we have completely different upbringings, you were in the 80th district, nameless and alone, well except for Yachiru. I grew up in a lesser noble house, pretty much pampered and I got what I wanted. I doubt that I can even start to comprehend what you went through...and I just worry about you when you get that look in your eye when you think about the past. I know, you're going to tell me not to worry about you, but I still do. I guess it's what you do when you care about someone," she said before going quiet again.
"It's hard to relate to you when I have nothing of my own to compare it to and to help understand," she added.
He stayed silent for a long time, his hand not really moving at all. At first, he had been surprised when she had said that it was him. Did that mean she was intimidated by him? That she no longer wanted to be with him? As she continued; however, he realized that that was not the truth.
"... Hard times don't shape a person, Aoide." He said gruffly, god, now he was feeling philisophical. "It's what they choose ta do with what gets thrown at them."
He sighed and brushed a thumb over her hand, falling silent for a moment again.
"Why're you tryin' so hard to relate huh?" Kenpachi asked, raising an eyebrow, "It don't matter to me how different our pasts are. Because it may surprise you, but I care too."
His eyes snapped to her, "If ya tell anyone else that, I'll kill ya."
The tall captain chuckled at his own antics and entwined his fingers with her. "I know ya don't want ta hear me say it, but I will, don't worry. You bein' here, is enough ta make me happy."
It was true, finding out that someone could actually care about him in a way that no one else dared to, made him happy. He could not think of a better way to spend his time other than being with her. Well, unless it was a realy good fight.
Aoide smiled her cheeks flushing as she looked down to their hands again. "Baka, quit getting soft think of what Squad 11 would say," she joked feeling pleasantly pleased and comfortable, a warm happy feel past over her. She was out on a date with Kenpachi, just the two of them, together, and they were enjoying each other's company. Did she like anything better...well her shikai skirt was pretty cool, but no.
"Can someone help me please," Aoide's ear twitched a little at the sound of a woman's voice, "Please my child, he's gone, someone please help me," a poor, ragged woman stumbled into the shop, instantly going to a wealthy looking man, "Please help I can't find my son," she begged as the man shrugged her off, she grabbed onto his shirt pleading tears running down her cheeks, "Please sir, help m..." her word were cut short as the man threw her to the ground.
"Don't touch me whelp," he began to lift his hand.
Aoide didn't even give herself time to think, instead she was there, her hand on the man's wrist stopping him from striking the woman, "Enough," she spoke her words dry and dangerous, "Those with more wealth should always try to help those in need not strike them," she said before pushing the man away.
"Psh," she man spat on the floor, "Shinigami, think you're so high a mighty, and what are you going to do help? We know you bastards only care about yourselves."
"Baka, quit getting soft think of what Squad 11 would say."
"Hn..." He thought, deciding to entertain her notion. "Yachiru would wonder what getting soft means, Yumichika would jump up n' down like a chick, and Ikkaku would laugh until he was cryin'."
That would really be some sort of scene. What the rest of the men would do, he wouldn't know, but he would beat the crap out of them before they could blink.
He was; however, brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a panicked woman and an abusive man. Aoide got up before himself, as he didn't particularly want to get involved. However, when the man started to badmouth Aoide, the large man rose to his feet.
"Do you wanna repeat yerself mister?" He asked threateningly, towering over the man and flaring his reiastu.
"Uh-uhhh! I'm sorry sir, I'll be out of your way!"
"Tch." Was all he sounded as the man high-tailed it out of there. The tall man looked after him. "Coward."
He then looked at the woman and back to Aoide, normally, he would just mind his own business, but Aoide seemed to think otherwise. He mentally huffed, so much for a peaceful breakfast.
"Where's the last place ya saw yer kid?" The tall man growled and asked at the same time, causing the womand to cower in his presence.
The woman quailed away from Kenpachi, obviously frightened by his appearance and size. She shivered and shook, her eyes darting from Kenpachi and the door. Aoide gently took the woman's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "It's okay," she spoke softly, she felt the woman's muscles relax as Aoide's voice washed over her, "We need to know as much as possible to find your son."
"His name is Aki, he's six, with short black hair, brown eyes. He has a scar over his left eye. I only took my eyes off of him for a second!" the woman sobbed, "Now there's rumors of people takin off with kids and sellin' them as slaves in the lower districts. What if one of 'hem took my baby?"
"Then, we'll just have to be fast and find him," Aoide spoke soothingly, using her Reaistu and voice to calm the woman down, "Can you take us to where you saw him last."
"Yessim," the lady said seeming a lot calmer as she led Aoide and Kenpachi to a square of some sort where several women were selling different wares trying to make ends meet. They came to a small mat on the ground where the woman had been selling bracelets, but since her panick the mat had been picked clean of all merchandise. "I was right here and a customer came up, 'e was all interested in me, when he went away Aki was gone."
Aoide began to put two and two together, she had a feeling that this guy wasn't just a man looking for a trinket for his wife, "What did the man look like?" she asked crossing her arms.
"Well, 'e was actually a Shinigami type, long brown hair, blade wrapped up in blue and a guard that looked like 'e fish. We was all tall like, not as all as 'em, but pretty tall," the woman spoke before she began crying again.
"Okay, we'll find both of them," Aoide said patting the woman's shoulder before turning to Kenpachi, "You wanna find this Shinigami, I'll go after the child," she said her fingers tapping against the hilt of her Zanpaktou in anger and annoyance.
He almost sighed, almost. He was no good at this, help the helpless scene. Kenpachi Zaraki was not the type of person that was good at calming someone down, in fact, his attempt to help the woman had just gotten her to fear him more than the man before him.
Backing up, he let his reiastu die down and Aoide to take the lead. She was obviously a lot better at this girl-talk then he was. As they walked down the street, he noticed the poorness of the place, reminding him somewhat of home, somewhat. Of course, the deep parts of Rukongai were a lot worse then this, but it still held some resembalance.
"Shinigami...?" He raised an eyebrow, the idea of a Shinigami capturing kids and selling them to slave-trade was sickening, but people were so corrupt these days that it didn't surprise him.
"Okay, we'll find both of them. You wanna find this Shinigami, I'll go after the child."
"We'll probably find them both together, if anythin'." Kenpachi growled, his own brow knitted in annoyance. In truth, he didn't want to split up with Aoide, not with a slave-trader in these parts. It's not like he didn't trust in her skills, he was just... protective.
"We'll find 'em together." He said to Aoide before pulling her onto his shoulder, much like he would with Yachiru. "Just point me which way to go."
With that, he charged down the street at the speed of a bullet train.
"Hardly doubt their together, I'm guessing two groups at least, it would make sense one to kidnap the kids the other to take them off and load them up to be shipped out," Aoide said sounding rather annoyed, though in their play she enjoyed Kenpachi just picking her up and hefting her around like nothing. But during work she did not, particularly hanging off of his shoulder, Yachiru could be alright with it, but Aoide did not. She had working legs and she was just as fast as Kenpachi.
"This is rediculous, we'll cover more ground seperate, not only that I want to catch all of them and if we swoop down on one seperately then the other will run and then they'll just pick kidnapping children once it's cooled down again," Aoide said sounding agitated, this wasn't a time for Kenpachi to get protected, she didn't need to be protected. Lord knew that she had read dozens of reports on this given to her by Captain Histugaya and could piece together what could happen, "Kenpachi, if one of us doesn't find where they've taken the children, then they could easily move them out of the district and then it will be even harder to find them if we ever do. Do you know what they do to the children they kidnap, sell them for cheap labor, to prostitute houses. I heard that Yachiru found you one day, four to one she probably managed to escape from one of these rings, how else would a child survive 80th district?" she easily let go of his shoulder and ran beside him, "You need to check other crowded areas for that shinigami, most likely he's being paid by the head and will be trying to find a few more before they take them to the lower districts. I'm going to have to sense Reaistu, hopefully this guy has other Shinigami working for him, it's the only way he can probably cover it up and keep it from the Gotei 13. I'll be fine okay," she grinned up at him before leaping onto the rooftops, "Hurry up baka, we don't have much time!"
