Game 2 - Chapter 1

Naomi climbed up on the tree beside her friend. "I promise you I wont tell anyone." Naomi listened as her friend spoke then her friend wanted to tell her something but she paused. Naomi was not to sure why she had said never mind and then just stopped. Naomi thought her friend was unsure of telling her. Naomi then spoke. "Kasahara do not be afraid to tell me. As a wise woman once told me [It may be useful to know things that remain unknown] So Kasahara what was it that you wanted to say?"

Daisuke Kokubunji wrote:

Daisuke rose to his feet, moving more quickly than a man of his bulk should be able to. He strapped his zanpakutou to his back and began marching for the door. He hoped that the cafeteria served miso ramen, his large stomach lightly grumbling. Oh, or maybe some horumonyaki... he stopped for a second, looking back at the other students, and spotting Midori on her way out the door.

Daisuke stopped in front of her, bowed politely, and said "Care to join me for lunch?"

Midori's eyes opened and she looked up at the ex-sumo with a smile. "Absolutely," she replied, pushing up off the floor nimbly into a standing position. She'd actually missed breakfast in her little daze, and the idea of food was now all the more appealing. Midori had never been the type to starve herself for any reason, at least as long as she'd remembered needing to eat period. She paused on her way out to give a polite bow to Kira-sensei then followed Daisuke to the cafeteria.

Oushou had come by to aid her as well. With more people wanting to help her, Kasahara wasn't as willing to share her thoughts anymore. She instantly changed her mind, thinking that keeping her problems and secrets to herself would be better than sharing them. There was no need to have others worry about her. The brunette thought she would take her of herself. "It's okay. I'll figure it out myself.."

She grinned to both her friend and Oushou, trying to change the subject quickly. "We don't want to skip lunch, do we? Why don't we get something to eat before it's too late?" Kasahara got up and turned Oushou around, pushing him in the direction of the cafeteria. "Come on Naomi."

Naomi stood there in a frozen position so many thought were now pondering inside her head. She wanted to know what Kasahara wanted to tell her. Naomi felt like Kasahara wanted to say something buit did not know how to say it. Naomi then heard Kasahara call for her. She walked up to her then spoke. "I need to talk to you later" she then paused and spoke again "alone". Then she started walking towards the lunch room. She whispered in her friends ear "Meet me outside of my dorm at 10."

Kasahara quietly nodded to Naomi, understanding her message and agreeing to it. As soon as they reached the cafeteria, she stopped pushing Oushou and looked around. It looked as though students were still coming in for lunch, which means they were still early. She still wasn't feeling hungry enough to eat; the reason for her being here was only to distract the two with her from her problems. Now she needed another excuse to leave their company. "I-I'm going to, uh.. Wash my hands. I'll be right back."

She left the cafeteria, leaving both Naomi and Oushou there, and headed towards the dorms instead of the bathroom. Kasahara had to figure things out for herself instead of relying on others for help. She locked herself in her room and sat on her bed, thinking to herself again.

She tried to remember what her past life was like; she had some medical knowledge, but why did it have it? the brunette could've been involved in something dangerous, but what was it?

Naomi was walking into the cafeteria. Students were still coming in. Naomi heard Kasahara make a terrible excuse to leave. Naomi glanced a look at Kasahara saying go ahead. Naomi decided it was best to eat with Oushou, after all he just got ditched. Naomi sensed he wanted to eat with Kasahara. "So while we wiat for her we can get food and a table." Naomi barly said that through her teeth. She walke up to the counter and got food and some more of her favourite drink. ( Im not sure if they have pepsi so I wont bother stating the name.) She then went to a table and sat down waiting for Oushou.

Rikiki got up, and sighed. Somehow, she knew what it meant know. She was not as weak as Uzumaki had claimed. Uzumaki meant Swirl. Personally, she'd thought it meant Poopy-head before this.

Well, there was no point in dwelling on it. It wasn't like this was the first time 'Swirl' had been a meanie. Also, she was hungry. It WAS lunchtime. Rikiki got up, but was distracted by Kanoe form nearby. Rikiki leaped onto her friend, piggyback style.

"Hey, Canoe, How did you do? And who is Mr. Princess here?" Rikiki yapped loudly, clearly pointing out Takeshi when saying 'Mr. Princess.'

Duggo was still in his vision, or whatever it was, unaware of the goings-on around him. His chief concern was the yawning abyss of the dark space before him. He stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind him against both rain and mosquitoes.

It took a few moments to adjust to the darkness. There were several small windows along the walls inside the building, which turned out to be some sort of chicken coop, as indicated by the rows of empty cages. Evidently it had sat empty for some time, as the only remaining smells were must and age.

In a corner, opposite the door through which he had entered, sitting on a chair in a pool of murky light, was a man. As his eyes became accustomed to his surroundings, Duggo saw that the man was old, black, and holding an ancient Dobro guitar cradled in equally-ancient hands. On his left middle finger was a length of glass broken from the neck of a whiskey bottle. In spite of the gloom, he wore dark glasses. Duggo wondered if he was blind.

In a gravelly voice, the man addressed Duggo. "I been waiting for you for a long time. Where you been, boy?"

Stunned, Duggo replied, "Well, you know, around. Here and there."

The man wasted no time in rebutting. "That's bullshit, boy, and you know it goddamn well. You been fartin' around and zoomin' about chasin' tail. You been wastin' time. You got work to do and you don't wanna do it. What's your problem, boy?"

Duggo was at once abashed and infuriated. "Who the hell are you and what business is it of yours what I do? I'm my own..."

The man cut Duggo off abruptly with a few notes from his guitar. He played a mournful tune, sliding the glass bottleneck between some notes while fretting others. The overall effect was powerful, primal, urgent, and Duggo immediately listened, attentive.

"I walked and I walked and I walked and I walked
I stopped to rest my feet
I sat down under an old oak tree and there went fast asleep
I dreamt about sitting in a swim cafe hungry as a bear
My stomach sent a telegram to my throat:
There's a wreck on the road somewhere
I heard the voice of a porkchop say: Come on to me and rest
Well you talk about your stewing me: I ain't know what the best
You talk about your chicken, ham, and eggs and turkey stuffed in dress
But I heard the voice of a pork chop say come on to me and rest"

When he finished his song, he stopped abruptly and stared silently at Duggo, brow furrowed and eyes blazing.

"What", said Duggo at some length, "You want to teach me the blues? Sell my soul to the Devil at the old crossroads? Shit, man, I'm already dead."

At that the old man grinned broadly. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Get all nasty on some blues licks, cut a few classic records, die famous. Heh. Yep, you'd like that jes' fine." He chuckled low for a moment at the image, then continued. "You got a tougher road to follow, boy. Devil don't want your soul. Devil got no use for the likes o' you. Now, them Hollows, they don't care much what kinda soul you got, just that you got one. They figure everybody's got a soul, everybody's fit for eatin'. So what keeps 'em hungry, keeps 'em from eatin' their fill?"

Duggo saw what the old man was getting at, and suddenly knew who he was. Before him was Rojou Seikatsu.

"So now you're gonna tell me that I have a responsibility and a job to do and all that, right?"

The response was not what he expected. "Duggo, boy, you still got to make your own choices, find your own way. Just remember that being wild and stupid got you killed in the first place, and now you got a chance to make up for some of that. It's on you. I'll be right here, though, iffen you wanna jaw some. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

As the old man started playing the guitar again, Duggo's head swam. The abandoned chicken shack faded and the classroom returned. He found himself seated where he had started, lifetimes ago. The room was empty, except for him. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew that he was hungry. He returned "Lucille" to its sheath and set out in search of sustenance.

After a successful day of training, Kaito felt relieved. That was quite an experience. I wonder what sort of power my zanpakutou holds. Let me think. His stride began to the cafeteria. He was a few feet behind Kasahara and two other students he had only seen a few times. She seemed distraught. Hmmm, from what I've seen, she's tough. But I'll keep my eye on her. We don't want anyone getting hurt around here. Kaito shook his head as a thought, eventually coming to an opening. He wasn't too hungry, nor did he plan on wasting food if he was just going to throw it out. He leaned against the framing of the doors, quietly thinking to himself.

Just as he immersed himself in thought, Kasahara walked by him. Hmmm, where is she off to? Class doesn't start for a little while longer. I suppose it's not my place to follower her though. I'll talk to her later. She has been acting strange lately. I wonder what happened with her sword? Kaito dropped the thought. He was more concerned with his sword and what had gone on.

Let's see, what can my power be? Darkness seemed to be the main focus of my sword's inner-world. Darkness. Hmm. I've never thought of myself as a dark person. Maybe it was some sort of metaphor. Maybe it has nothing to do with me, and the setting was just random. Maybe my mind couldn't comprehend what my power is like, thus shrouding it from me. Maybe... A few minutes had passed before Kaito was again in deep thought. He spent a few minutes more like this than thought to get to the bottom Kasahara's strange encounter.

Where to start, where to start. Ahh yes, perfect. His gaze landed on the two students who had walked with Kasahara into the cafeteria. They must know something about what's going on. He walked up to them and spoke, directing his question to the both of them.

"Is Kasahara alright?"

Igarashi was still absorbed in his thoughts when Kasahara had begun to speak with Lieutenant Kira. He was now trying to figure out why that place was shaped the way it was... why a cliff? why was the sky white yet below the cliff dark? and why the manifestation of his zanpakutou had the form of a big, strong old man? all these things bothered Igarashi when he distinguished something of interest in the ongoing conversation that Kasahara and the lieutenant were having,

Izuru Kira wrote:

"...Your zanpakutou is a manifestation of four things: Your heart... that is, your feelings, both rational and irrational. Your mind... that is, your thoughts, both conscious and unconscious. Your legacy... that is, your words and actions, whether or not you remember them, no matter how insignificant they may be. And finally, your influences... that is, the spirits that surround you, whether you realize it or not." He touched his index finger to Kasahara's temple. "These four things are what created that world in your mind and that terror that you saw..."

He had not heard what had been said before and thus he did not knew how it was connected to Kasahara's zanpakutou, but he was not interested in that right now, so he stopped listening as soon as he noticed the Lieutenant was changing the subject, and continued drifting in his mind for a bit. So that is what i saw in there.... still, why was it like that...? he tried to find an answer right there, but was unable to, so he finally decided to give it a rest, he would have more time to worry about it later.

When Igarashi finally snapped out of his thoughts, everybody else had already left the room, only the Lieutenant had remained there, but did not seem to pay much attention to Igarashi, either way, he felt akward about this, so he quickly stood up, put his zanpakutou back in placed, and and walked quickly towards the door, but stopped there for a bit, and directed himself towards Lieutenant Kira; "Thank you... for today's class lieutenant..." and then turned his back as if he was about to leave, secretly hoping the Lieutenant would reply back, he still had plenty of doubts about his zanpakutou, but he disliked asking for help directly...

Naomi Oxen wrote:

Naomi was walking into the cafeteria. Students were still coming in. Naomi heard Kasahara make a terrible excuse to leave. Naomi glanced a look at Kasahara saying go ahead. Naomi decided it was best to eat with Oushou, after all he just got ditched. Naomi sensed he wanted to eat with Kasahara. "So while we wiat for her we can get food and a table." Naomi barly said that through her teeth. She walke up to the counter and got food and some more of her favourite drink. ( Im not sure if they have pepsi so I wont bother stating the name.) She then went to a table and sat down waiting for Oushou.

*Zetsu watched Oxen get a table.*

She must still be mad at me from earlier.

*Zessu picked up something random and sat down with Oxen.*

"She's not coming back is she? Sorry if my actions earlier still upset you. I'll leave to sit else where if you want."

Junshirou turned up at the cafeteria around ten minutes late, after having been jotting down notes about the day's class and about his zanpakutou. There had been a lot to write about... it had filled several pages. He winced at the thought of how fast he was using them up - paper didn't grow on trees. ...he gave a chuckle at this, and rephrased the thought as "notebooks don't grow on trees".

He wondered what the cafeteria would be serving. He was hoping personally for something involving udon, although he would have been happy with almost anything. He produced an apple from his pocket (how it had got there was anyone's guess) and started munching on it contemplatively.

He looked over at Satoko, and thought for a second, trying to deduce things from his earlier behaviour. Looking around the room, there weren't many other people with whom he had a pressing desire to talk, so he went over to him and spoke (suppressing an urge to do so from a space twenty centimetres behind him).

"Takeshi-san, are you alright? You seemed disheartened earlier...", he said, giving a sympathetic look. "I don't know exactly what the circumstances were, of course, but I'd be happy to offer any help I could if it involves trouble with concentration, or anything else that could be affecting it." He smiled. "You'll get it eventually, don't worry."

Naomi had food in her mouth and was chewing. She heard the boy speak. "No you were just wanting to pay attention to class, and she is coming back she just has to wash her hands." Naomi tried to change the subject. "So how do you like the acadamy so far?"

While she was locked up in her room, Kasahara untied the sheath from her back and placed it against the wall so she could stare at it from a distance when she sat back down on her bed. "I know of your name.. That's progress, I suppose." She spoke softly to her weapon.

She drew her one of her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against it, closing her eyes to think about her past. The brunette didn't want to fear her weapon nor have it block her from her goals. The girl wanted to push forward and move on, but her teacher had said that she required to look within for the answers. All she drew was a blank. Like her dreams, her memories were blackened with nothing as she thought about her previous life. Why was it so hard to remember??

Kasahara bit her lip, trying to take even smaller steps. Experiences are known to change and shape a person's personality. How can she be described? First of all, she appeared to be tough physically and athletic as far as physical activities. Rigorous training or involvement with sports can yield those results. After she had died, Kasahara wasn't involved in fighting or sports or had any training so she was sure that she grew to be tough while she was living. ".. It's a start." She mumbled to herself.

Ryouichi was a light eater, so having already finished his lunch, he was leaning against the cafeteria's far wall, watching the rest of the class. There were a couple of conversations that he was following with particular interest. First, the conversation between Satoko and Tenkawa. Second, the three-way conversation among Zetsumei, Naomi, and Kasahara.

So..., mused Ryouichi, the wheels beginning to turn in his head, Satoko and Kasahara both need help speaking with their zanpakutou. Perhaps I could teach both of them at the same time? To be sure, Kasahara would require a different type of training, and of course at least one of the teachers would need to supervise us all, but I think this could work out well. Hmm. Maybe Tenkawa and those others could help out also... yes... yes, this could work out very well indeed. Frowning, Ryouichi realized a major obstacle in the way of his plan. Blast. How in the world am I going to get all of this started?

Naomi loaded another fork full of food into her mouth. She realized she was being watched be someone she did not know. "Excuse me I am finished, see you later." Naomi left the table. She walked over to the man lerking on the fall wall. "Hey I do not think we have met have we? I am Naomi Oxen but you can call me Naomi".

By the time they arrived, Midori was starving. She took a full plate of the food provided with a polite thanks to the cook, then found a place for herself and Daisuke. There were some other students further down the table, but they all seemed to be in the middle of a conversation so Midori didn't attempt to interrupt or move in uninvited. She figured Daisuke, being more than twice her size, was probably going to take a little longer getting his food, so she restrained herself from beginning eating until he arrived.

In the meanwhile, she contemplated the events of the past hour. She hadn't heard Kira-sensei's lecture on a zanpakuto's nature to Kasahara, but it wasn't necessary... that was information she'd already learned, when she first obtained the weapon and learned what it actually was, one of the events that had propelled her towards becoming a Shinigami.

"Your zanpakutou is a manifestation of four things: Your heart... that is, your feelings, both rational and irrational." A wildly-surging world lived in, owned by, and consisting of a single monstrous serpent... what did that say about the feelings in her heart? She'd always considered herself a friendly, approachable, kind, loyal, and generally good person, and thought most of those who considered her a friend thought likewise.... What did this suggest about the truth behind that? The serpent symbol had been on her arm when she woke in Ryoukongai with no memory of her life before death, and she'd struggled for all the years since then to wear it as a mark of pride rather than the villainous symbol serpents usually represented in mythology and legend... and she prayed and hoped that the fact that her zanpakuto shared that shape did not hint at something darker hiding behind her amnesia, but rather that it was a sign that her pride was well-placed and her goals as noble as she percieved.

"Your mind... that is, your thoughts, both conscious and unconscious." Admittedly, she had a tendency to leave her mind and thoughts uncontrolled, allowing them to wander where they would; she enjoyed the freedom that resulted. Was the wild sea of scales and coils she saw a result of that - a chaotic, unrestrained den of a gargantuan beast with dominating eyes and an unexplainable hunger? And what was that hunger for? She herself had sought countless things in that same hungering manner... perseverance, self-worth, power, skill, experience... all presumably driven by the very goal the serpent mentioned, to never feel helpless again. But what - if anything - hid behind that?

"Your legacy... that is, your words and actions, whether or not you remember them, no matter how insignificant they may be." This part stung the most. There was a whole life behind her that she couldn't remember, filled with countless acts both significant and insignificant. Amnesia had stolen all that from her and left her in Ryoukongai with nothing but the tattoo on her arm and the paralyzing fear of the monstrosity in the skies above. Just how much could be hiding behind that impassable veil that could be influencing the path she walked on now?

"And finally, your influences... that is, the spirits that surround you, whether you realize it or not." So far, the spirits that surrounded her - at least the ones she was aware of - consisted mostly of her fellow students. She'd always been a loner in Ryoukongai, even during her time with the strange woman who explained her powers she had felt less like a student and more like someone listening to a stranger give advice. Certainly nothing about any of them - save Ximenez, although Midori was loathe to make the comparison between him and the serpents drawn on her arm and in her mind, preferring the vampiric idea instead - suggested the mindscape she'd seen in her meeting with Onorinowai. Or did it?

She pondered this in silence while she waited for Daisuke, tapping her fingers on the table in a thoughtful gesture, her gaze seemingly staring off into nowhere as she flipped through the shadowy corridors of her memory. If only I could remember, this might all make more sense... but how many tales have I heard of people with amnesia who when they finally recover are horrified, shocked, disgusted, and/or enraged at what they remember? Do I really want to risk learning I was something that now I would hate? Or on the same token, can I stand to leave myself forever wondering what it was I've lost?

Duggo wolfed his meal without tasting it. He was dimly aware that there was somewhere else he needed to be later, but that was hardly of importance to him. He went to the stump of the tree he had hacked down the day before, unsheathed "Lucille" and laid it on his lap, and let his mind wander again.

Time passed.

The old man did not reappear. Duggo was furious, and hacked the waist-high stump to the ground. By the time he was done, there was little left but saw dust, and he was sweating profusely. He swatted a fly, and consulted his schedule.

Of course, he was late again.

Little by little, her past slowly uncovered itself. Some aspects were still a mystery, but Kasahara did remember some events leading up to her death. There was an ache in her heart and the familiar feeling of fear upon discovering her forgotten memories. In her opinion, they were better left buried. Although it wasn't much of a big deal now that she resides in the soul society, she'd rather not share this information with anyone. Always being secretive and not getting too close to anyone, Kasahara disliked sharing her problems and having others worry or help her.

Upon looking at the clock on the wall, she could tell that Lunch was still in progress. She needed to eat something to keep herself healthy and ready for rigorous activities but still didn't feel hungry; it was more so now that she remembered upsetting details of her past. Her next class was Advanced Kidou, right? Kasahara wondered that would be required for her to do well in that class. A clear and focused mind?

The brunette unlocked and left her dorm room, leaving her zanpakutou in there, and reentered the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and felt slightly better than she had a moment ago. When she was done with the sink, Kasahara pondered getting something small to eat. Having ditched Naomi and Oushou earlier, she would feel guilty if she returned. Then again, she was bound to see them again since they were in the same class. Might as well talk to them now then have them be angry with her later...

With that thought, Kasahara walked back to the cafeteria and found Naomi talking to someone close by, near the walls of the cafeteria, and Oushou sitting at the table all by himself. Like she had predicted, she felt guilty for leaving them abruptly so she grabbed a small bowl of soup and sat next to Oushou.

"Sorry, I'm back."

Satoko winced, someone had spoken to him. After leaving Kanue's side, he was hoping he might be able to spend the day alone, with only him and the sword at his side, surely that might help in some way? Swearing in his mind, Satoko looked up from his small portion of rice, and saw Tenkawa infront of him, unfortunately Satoko had put as much into remembering Junshirou's name as he had Naomi's, and was flustered slightly to see a boy he did nto recognize. The face is familiar... I've spoken to him momentarily before... I never needed to remember names before, althiygh it seems a neccesity now. Well, I suppose I should try to remember his, it started with a 'J', did it not? This brings my mind back to that Oxen person I had overheard someone speak of earlier, I wonder who they are? I'll have to ask Kasahara later. With this, Satoko stopped his wandering mind, and focused it on the boy speakign to him, and listened to what he had to say

Junshirou Tenkawa wrote:

"Takeshi-san, are you alright? You seemed disheartened earlier...", he said, giving a sympathetic look.

No, I'm not really alright, I can't seem to get anything right... Disheartened seems like a bit fo a understatement, I would have said "You looked kind of pathetic, slouched up against a wall, whining to yourself. Satoko was been upset with himself for his earlier moping, for it hadn't done him any good, and it seemed to have annoyed Kasahara. He would be attempting to stay as cheery as he could, but such a task will be hard for a boy who dosn't recognize happiness.

Junshirou Tenkawa wrote:

"I don't know exactly what the circumstances were, of course, but I'd be happy to offer any help I could if it involves trouble with concentration, or anything else that could be affecting it." He smiled. "You'll get it eventually, don't worry."

"I may get it eventually, but the problem is when, I will have it doen correctly next oppertunity I get, for failure is not an option, I get a second chance here, that dosn't happen anywhere else." Satoko believed strongly that a second chance is not a real thing, for in reality there are no do-overs, if you fail then you are a failure. A second chance is a delusion for those who fail. "As for the offer to help me, Kanue already has offered to assist me in the act of meditation, but... I do have somethign else I'd like you to help me with..." Satoko hesitated, wodnering if he should really ask this boy to help with something like this? Deciding that he had better not, he spoke again. "Never mind, the assistance with concentration sounds nice, I'm unfamilair with the concept", Satoko was feeling odd, he would have to ask Kotetsu if she would help, he could not ask a classmate for this.

I never needed to do it in the streests, but in a civilized environment, it appears reading's normal, all those strange little symbols lined up... I never could make any sense of them. Damn, I feel like a dunce...

Naomi Oxen wrote:

Naomi had food in her mouth and was chewing. She heard the boy speak. "No you were just wanting to pay attention to class, and she is coming back she just has to wash her hands." Naomi tried to change the subject. "So how do you like the acadamy so far?"

Is this girl serious? Kasahara is defiantly not coming back. You could tell by the way she averted her eyes.

"I like classes fine so far. The Zampatko class was really informative."

Naomi Oxen wrote:

Naomi loaded another fork full of food into her mouth. She realized she was being watched be someone she did not know. "Excuse me I am finished, see you later." Naomi left the table. She walked over to the man lurking on the fall wall. "Hey I do not think we have met have we? I am Naomi Oxen but you can call me Naomi".

"Wait!"

Dammit, I think I made her angry again. I guess I'll head out of the cafeteria then. I'm almost finished anyway.

Maka Kasahara wrote:

"Sorry, I'm back."

"Hey Kasahara. Good to see you back. Namio wandered off for some reason. I hope you're feeling better. Listen, I'm going to go catch up with an old friend of mine, Kanue. Please come with me."

*He speaks with Ryouichi Kanue.*

"Hey Ryou! It's good too see you again. How have things been man? Imagine running to you in a place like this. I bet you thought I'd never come here huh? What have you been up to since you were a kid? It's been a long time. We should catch up if you have a moment."

Chiken had left the classroom on time and everything, heading for lunch humming his tune under his breath. He couldn't remember where he picked up the tune, just that he'd only started humming it recently. 'How interesting, I don't know where I've heard this song. Is it a song? Does it have words? It is a beautiful melody, if somewhat sad. Could it be from my past? Perhaps it's just one I've heard while roaming and only remembered it now?'

The thoughts kept Chiken occupied for most of lunch where he wolfed down whatever was in front of him without much attention. After finishing his lunch, he cleaned up after himself and spent the rest of the time humming the melody and working on his watch, just accepting the tune for being there because he wanted to work on his watch with how close his zanpatukou said he was.

After a few minutes trying to get the small gear, Chiken had the most spontaneous feeling to just remove everything and start over from scratch. With the tune seemingly louder and more fresh in his mind, Chiken happily followed that feeling. He was thinking that his day was going so well with how spontaneous it was that he should be spontaneous too. Once the pile of gears and gizmos were on the table, Chiken smiled and began again.

Zetsumei Oushou wrote:

"Hey Ryou! It's good too see you again. How have things been man? Imagine running to you in a place like this. I bet you thought I'd never come here huh? What have you been up to since you were a kid? It's been a long time. We should catch up if you have a moment."

Surprised by the sudden apparence of his old friend, Ryouichi ignored Naomi and responded to Zetsumi's questions. "It's great to see you too, Zetsumei-kun. It's pretty amazing that we both ended up here at the academy, but I'm not surprised. You were always an adventure-seeking type of guy." he grinned, "As for me, I'm here because life back in Rukonugai was dull. It's only gotten worse since you left. I'll tell you all about it later, but first there's something I need to do. Come on, let's go." Motioning for Zetsumei to follow, Ryouichi turned away and began walking toward the area where Satoko and Tenkawa were sitting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the ex-wrestler smiled politely as he set his tray down across from Midori's seat. His tray contained a large bowl of miso ramen, a bowl of steamed white rice, a bowl of miso soup, a small dish of eggplant and daikon tsukemono, a cup of green tea, and a glass of water. He sat down, put his hands together, said "Itadakimasu," and cracked apart his chopsticks. He took a bite of shitake mushroom out of his ramen bowl and slurped up a mouthful of noodles. He chewed very throroughly and swallowed, his table manners more than impeccable, a far cry from the 'shoveling chow-hound' stereotype that most people expected from men his size.

"Not as good as it is back in Hokkaido," Daisuke smiled. "Then again, I wasn't really expecting it to be." He took a sip of miso soup, then went back to his ramen, eating quickly, but very properly, sitting up very straight.

Looking up, and seeing Midori looking somewhat troubled, having hardly touched her lunch, Daisuke swallowed his mouthful of rice and asked her, "Are you feeling well, Yuansuzaku-san? Is your lunch alright?"

"Fine," snorted Hikari, standing up. "Come on, An-chan," she said, holding her hand out to the pretty blond boy. "Let's get something to eat. Where's Kage-chan?"
Turning her head back and forth, looking about the room, Hikari scouted the room for her sister. But, to Hikari's surprise, Ashibue was still sitting down, her eyes closed and a serene smile on her pale face.

"K... Kage-chan?" Hikari said, nudging her sister's shoulder,breaking her out of the trance. Ashibue jerked a bit, then looked up at her, still smiling ever so slightly. "We're, um... about to..." Hikari trailed off. "Were you... uh... were you talking to... er...," Hikari indicated the zanpakutou still lying in Ashibue's lap. Ashibue's slightly embarassed smile indicated that she had been.

Hikari was slightly stunned. "You... you mean you..." She cut herself off and forced a smile on her face. "That's... that's great!" Hikari reached out and helped her little sister to her feet. "I'm... I'm really proud of you, Kage-chan." She put her face close to Ashibue's ear, whispering slyly, "You know... just between you and me... An-chan's zanpakutou wouldn't even talk to him"
She backed away, smiling, eyes closed, flashing a V sign with her fingers.

K... Kage-chan... she really contacted her zanpakutou? And... and I... I...
Hikari's mind couldn't even finish the thought. She just couldn't hardly realize that her sister, little Kage-chan, Hikari's shadow, could have done something that Hikari had failed at.

She shook her head, swallowing the thoughts and cutting off the direction her mind was heading. I guess it must not be as hard as I thought it was, she said to herself, running a hand through her blonde hair. I guess... I guess I'll just have to try for real next time.

Hikari Kijou wrote:

She put her face close to Ashibue's ear, whispering slyly, "You know... just between you and me... An-chan's zanpakutou wouldn't even talk to him"

"Oh?" Anshou raised an eyebrow, overhearding what Hikari had said. "But Hikari-chan, your zanpakutou didn't talk to you either, did it?"

Anshou smiled at Ashibue, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Ashibue, I'm very proud of you," he said earnestly. "You know," he smirked at Hikari. "At this rate, you might even get more powerful than your sister someday." He winked at Hikari playfully to add to his point.

Hikari's eyes bugged out a little as Anshou spilled her secret.

"Er, well, ah...," her face turned bright red. She sputtered a bit, then turned her nose up in the air with a hmph.

"It doesn't matter!" she snapped. "It's time for lunch anyway." She grabbed An-chan by the arm and practically dragged him down the hallway. "Come on, Kage-chan," she called over her shoulder to her little sister.

Naomi stood there in a small rage, she had tried to be nce and got ignored. She sighed and walked over to Kasahara. She sat down. "Some peopleat this acadamy are so rude, but not you. So are you going to tell me at 10?" Naomi smiled. "It is optional if you want to keep it personal."

Kasahara nodded towards Oushou, agreeing to come follow both Kanue and him. Naomi walked over to her before she could get up from the table and reminded her about their meeting. The brunette haven't forgotten about it, but it seems that Naomi really wanted to speak to her then if she was pressing it on her. "Yeah, I know. Meet'cha infront of your room by then, I remember." Kasahara whispered back to her friend. "I'll be there, I promise."

She got up and picked up her bowl of untouched soup, wondering where Kanue and Oushou were going. The tomboy didn't eavesdrop on their conversation or hear anything about it so she just followed Oushou to where ever Kanue was going. She stopped and looked back at Naomi. "Want to come along?" It was an invite for her to sit with the group. Kasahara didn't want to exclude the blue haired girl. She went back to following the two boys in front of her and found out that they were heading towards Tenkawa's and Takeshi's area. Why did it have they have to sit there??

Kasahara seemed a little flustered as they approached their table, but sat down anyways. She tried not to notice Takeshi, still a little upset at him for saying that he was a failure. Instead of speaking to him or anyone at the table, she started to drink her soup. "..."

Junshirou listened sympathetically to Takeshi... he still seemed to be disheartened, but it probably wouldn't be anything major. The information that Kanue had offered to help him in meditation was definitely interesting - that was probably what the two had been talking about during class. Junshirou wondered what Kanue's intentions were in doing so... the two had already been in a fight, so such a gesture seemed strange. The "something else" that Takeshi mentioned begged for further inquiry too, although there was now a "never mind" to be worked around. Maybe it could be asked later. Junshirou gave a curious glance to try and show that he would like to know more about it, and then smiled to try and put him at ease, muttering something about how it would be no problem, and how all the classmates were in this together.

At this point, Junshirou noticed Kanue standing quite close to the two of them. "Heh, you've been listening in on us, haven't you?", he thought to himself, flashing him a smile. He also noticed Zetsumei standing with Kanue, so he gestured to the pair to join him and Takeshi. If he hadn't, chances are that the two would have invited themselves over anyway. It was slightly annoying, as the presence of too many people wouldn't be conducive to a conversation he could use to find things out, but he could still probably turn it to his advantage.

"So how did you two do? I managed to get it after a while... it was hard to zone everything out, though."

It was at this point that Kasahara approached. Junshirou hesitated, remembering what had happened during class.

"Actually, maybe it's best if we don't talk about that just now..."

He stared at Kanue while waiting for some sort of response, sipping his tea as he did. He wondered if Kanue's mental world had been roughly the same as his own. He didn't expect that there would be many people in the class who had had the same sort of flickering clouds and inexplicable hovering shapes. Given present company, though, it probably wasn't a good time to ask.

Feeling Annoyed by the lack of explanation he was getting from his question, Kaito turned around and walked away. He saw Ryouichi from the corner of his eye. As I recall, he seemed intelligent enough not to start something with Takeshi right here in the lunch room. Hmmm, I better follow him just to make sure nothing bad happens. Kaito trailed a few feet behind them on their way to where Takeshi was sitting. He walked past them and leaned against the wall. I don't want to impose on their conversation, but this may be necessary.

Naomi sat at the table,then she was invited to walk with Kasahara. Naomi wanted to so she taged along. She seen Kaito get up, he looked angry a little. As she followed behind Kasahara Naomi felt that Kasahara was mad at her. Naomi caught up with Kasahara and whispered in her ear. "You know if you do not wish to tell me you do not have to." With saying that she walked over to Kaito. "Hi I am Naomi, I do not think we have met." She smiled at him.