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 Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:51 pm
Tezuka swung his legs now, a childishly absent-minded act as he sighed and hummed lightly under his breath. Eyes wandered and stared at the two below them fighting, hands held out to his sides as he helped keep himself a float on the smaller beam. "I would just hate to get called the 'Old Fart Squad' by someone." He chuckled, smiling a little as teeth poked out from parted lips just so. "I swear all the newbie's 're ninjas or somethin'. Don't sense 'em 'til they're already there sometimes. Must be because they're so many of 'em around the same power level, ya' know? Kind of fade into the background like elevator music or some s**t." A hand came up as he used the analogy, shaken by his right ear as he made them akin to background noise.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:16 pm
Mio had been wandering around on her own for who knows how long now. She had been caught up in what appeared to be the tail end of the hallows attacking or whatever, she didn't really know. All she knew was that she had been forgotten by mostly everyone in the chaos of the cleaning up, especially that Captain who promised to train her in return for bomb making lessons. Oh well, she didn't expect anyone to do it anyway. She was pretty much on her own like she had always been, probably due to her shyness.
She had been wandering around for days now, not getting much sleep, but feeling like she didn't need it. Not like she would be called on to do anything. Rounding a corner she looked around to figure out where she was. It appeared to be the Dojo, and from the sounds of things there were people inside. Walking toward the door she quietly pushed it open and looked inside. She was right, there were people fighting inside.
Trying her best to be quiet, Mio attempted to enter and watch, having nothing better to do. Unfortunately for her, the lack of sleep meant she couldn't mask her spirit pressure well if at all, and it fluxed from very high to incredibly low often. Not that she noticed, all she wanted to do was sit and relax while she watched. Perhaps she would learn something by watching these people fight. 'Sneaking' in the small woman slid the door closed and walked against the wall until she found a place to sit.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:13 pm
The sudden sensation of another presence was immediate. But it didn't take a tracking specialist to notice the influx of reitsu flowing from the one who appeared at the door as it was closed. A woman. Oddly familiar, but unrecognizable to Tezuka as he looked down from his perch in the rafters. He frowned for a second, but the expression quickly changed to that of mischievous. His legs swung once, then twice, before he pushed himself free of the wooden beam to land on the floor below, twisting a full 180 degrees as he did so. Feet touched to cherry wood flooring in an almost inaudible 'thud' as he stood before the girl, arms crossed with a face full of mock disapproval. "Didn't anyone tell ya' that it's bad business for the squad to be firing off your reitsu unnecessarily like that? Could get us into trouble for exerting our power like that if you're not careful." He scolded half-heartedly at the girl.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:22 pm
It hadn't taken long for her eyes to drop closed after she sat from their tiredness, and the act of resting seemed to finally give her the feeling of being tired. This being so she hadn't noticed the man who noticed her, in fact she figured they were still fighting. She would have never noticed the man in her half sleep, but fortunately for her he spoke.
Snapping up with a start she looked around then up to the man, who seemed much taller due to her sitting down. Rubbing her eye to make it focus she quickly searched for words to answer the man with.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know. I'll try and keep it down."
She said quickly, hunching down to lower herself more. With a slight exertion of concentration she made her tired body control the fluxes she was causing.
Looking back up to him she tried a small smile toward him, though he seemed much more frightening now that she had woken herself up a bit.
"I'll try and keep it from happening again."
She promised, bowing her head down then lowering herself more to try and show him respect. Being who she was, she simply assumed everyone was much higher then she was and therefore commanded her upmost respect.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:47 pm
Tezuka eyed her for a moment, raising his right eyebrow as he stared at her head for a moment before suddenly smiling. It was lop-sided, but it could still pass for a smile, or even a smirk if she wanted to take it that way. His arms loosened a little before sagging altogether, both being caught by the closed kimono where they rested by the wrist. "I'm just yankin' your chain! Jeez...!" He said with a sudden outburst of cheerfulness, chuckling lightly afterward as he plopped down next to her with a small grunt. Oddly enough this made him feel like an old man, just he really didn't care to delve on those thoughts as of right now.
"You gotta name 'r something. Not a real big fan of sittin' next'a strangers, ya' feel me?" He turned to look at her now, smiling with eyes pinched at the corners. A genuine smile. "As for me. It's Tezuka Matsushima, but you can just call me Tezuka. Tezu for short. I'm the new lieutenant around here, but those kind of honorifics are for formal occasions, alright? No need to be all 'Lieutenant Matsushima' everytime you see me. Make me feel damn old then!" He laughed stupidly at the last part, leaning back a little as he rested himself against the base of a nearby support beam.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:00 pm
Mio had looked up to the man after a time of silence and saw him smile down at her. Sitting up slightly she paused then sat up completely as he explained that he was merely joking with her. Blinking in disbelief she took a moment to process the thought before a small smile started to form and turn into a grin. She was relieved to say the least. And his cheerfulness seemed to be contagious.
When he went to sit down next to her Mio pulled the loose, empty black sleeve of her kimono that hung at her side away from him so he didn't sit on it. It didn't matter if her was close or not, it was habit by now. Tucking it behind her she looked over to him as he spoke. He seemed to ramble, but perhaps it was because she didn't say much. After he spoke she answered him.
"I'm Mio... Mio Hoshi. But you can just call me Mio... Or Hey You... That seems to be popular."
She said with a small laugh. She was called that so much, she almost believed it to be her real name.
"It's nice to meet you Tezuka. I'll try and remember everything you said. 'No Lieutenant except formal occasions.' Got it."
She repeated, nodding her head once to commit what she had been told to memory.
Looking over to him she paused to think of something to say. She had been right about the being a high rank person, but he didn't seem to want to talk about that at the moment. Shifting slightly she glanced around the Dojo before her blue eyes came to rest on him again.
"So... What's going on around here? I've been out of the loop for a while. Everything is different."
She said, wondering if this was to big a topic to speak of now.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:21 pm
Tezuka tilted his head in a shrug, eyes widening a little as he stared momentarily at the floor. "Lot's changed even since I got here!" He sighed loudly, but gestured over to the others, the two that were currently sparring to be exact. "Well, the two new kids've hit it off real well at least, so it's not that big of a change. Our new captain's been here and there trying to reorganize things after the last captain left." He kind of looked around now, not really focusing on anything in particular as he talked. Words just kind of flew from his mouth in tidal waves, so hopefully she could catch all that he was saying. "I remember having to help rebuild this place after our little incident with that rogue Arrancar. I think someone caught him, but I'm not sure. the ironic part was having Squad 12 come to our rescue. Ya' know? The usual bringers of destruction were the ones that stopped it all." He chuckled now, pursing his lips a little. "Say, weren't you in this squad even before then? I think I remember seeing you way back when I first came here."
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:29 pm
Though he spoke fast and said a lot she managed to catch every word and detail of what he did. It came from being the quiet one who watched everyone and listened without being noticed. Mio tried to follow his gaze around, but gave up after a time and watched the people sparring.
"I see... I guess a lot has happened. Even the Captain I knew is gone. Things change so quickly it seems."
She commented when he left her enough of a break to do so. Looking back to him she continued to listen.
What he said lastly seemed to catch her off guard and she had to think back to see if she recognized him... Sadly she didn't remember much.
"I was around during the tail end of that rouge Arrancar thing. I had been in training up until then. But in all the confusion I was passed and put in Squad One. I don't know why, I'm not very good at anything. I guess they see something I don't. Or their making fun of me. I can't tell."
She said, not really thinking about what she said. She didn't realize she was rambling until she was done. And when she did notice she put her hand to her mouth to shush herself.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble."
She apologized, looking away from him for a moment.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:48 pm
This time Tezuka moved, bringing a hand up to gently place upon Mio's head. "You're fine." His tone became sharp, but coddling, almost taking on the qualities akin to a parent speaking to their child approvingly. "You were placed in this squad because you were needed here. We are all gears in this machine." His hand lifted from her head now, setting on his knee as he looked at her, a very serious drive behind those eyes of his. If one looked close enough they could notice the slight variation in shades, his right eye being a, lighter color of blue than its brother organ. "Even if you're not a big cog it doesn't make use less important. That one, small piece could be the difference between a smoothly operating machine and a broken one." He hated when people thought down about themselves. It wasn't like he hated them, it was the feeling they gave off when they looked down upon themselves that made them become something insignificant, and that was not true. Not in Tezuka's books.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:58 pm
Her head seemed to dip as he put his hand on it, and thats cause it did. Lowering her head under the weight of his hand. Looking over to him the movement ruffled her hair under his palm. Blinking at his words she thought about them hard.
"Though, I still can't help but wonder why."
She commented, sitting up again when he moved his hand from her. She didn't really stare at him, more like let her eyes flick around his form, studying the little things, or so it seemed. He certainly had a way with words.
Lifting her hand she quickly smoothed her hair back into place then let her hand rest in her lap where it had been to begin with. With a small boost of confidence she gathered herself up to speak.
"Do you think... With a little training... I could be of some help to Squad One?"
She asked boldly, though timidly at the same time. It was a talent.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:40 pm
Tezuka nodded at this question, pursing his lips a little in an approving way that he did sometimes. "Yeah, I'd say so." He said in a reassuring tone. "Hell, with enough training, you could run this s**t. No joke!" He laughed now, sitting back to observe the others and quietly waiting for her to cheer up. There wasn't much he could do for her, but making her believe in herself would do more than he could ever hope to do with conventional training. It was that state-of-mind that separated the winners from the dead men.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:28 pm
Mio watched as he spoke, interested in what he said and if he agreed with her. Smiling slightly she sat back gently against the wall and looked out over the dojo like he did. Letting a silence fall between them she thought long and hard about what she could do to get stronger and perhaps help more incase something else popped up. After a time she spoke, though she didn't look at him.
"I don't think I'd want to run anything, but to be just a little stronger..."
She trailed off, her thoughts taking over before she could finish.
Looking down at her sash she reached under it and pulled a bomb from the folds of her clothes. Looking at it she breathed a sigh.
"Maybe I won't have to rely on these as much."
She commented, more to herself then to the man sitting next to her. Twisting the small round explosive in her hand she watched as it rolled around in her palm. She'd learn to fight with a sword just as well as everyone else.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:19 pm
Tezuka's eyes trailed away from the others to stare at the object Mio was palming. A frown lightly creased his features, brow becoming covered in three lines. "I hope that little surprise of yours isn't gonna go boom on me without warning." He chided a little, half joking half concerned for the safety of his extremities in close proximity to the object. He honestly didn't like that particular item she was holding, the thought of explosions bringing up a very terrifying experience that had killed one of his squad mates back when they'd first encountered the crude ancestors of the modern explosive.
He sighed now, feeling a little silly that he was getting worked up over an unlit bomb, knowing that there weren't any sparks or matches near him. His gaze turned again looking up at Mio's face. "Little too much of a Squad 2 trait if you ask me." He smiled a little again, the lop-sided grin showing the corner of his teeth, mostly his canines and incisors on that side. "I can train that outta you in now time. If you want, of course."
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:18 pm
"Oi! What do you mean your going to train it all the way outa her? Haven't you ever heard of Murphy's Law? As soon as you do something that stupid, we're going to be praying for such things to save our asses." He barked down at them. He didn't care whether or not Tezuka had just received word that he was to become the Vice Captain, especially since he planned on swiping it out from under his feet at one point or another. Prior to making his presence known to the girl he had locked one of his feet onto the back side of the rafter, using his other to apply ample enough pressure to the opposite side. This made his feet like a C-clamp and held him in place as he leaned out, parallel to the ground. After shaking his head he slipped his back foot from the rafter and followed his head 270 degrees clock-wise to land on his feet directly in front of them both.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Mio. For a while there I thought that the Hollows had some how managed to get the best of you. Of course I was wrong. After all, they wouldn't put a weakling in the 13 Court Guards, now would they? Especially into the first squad." He laughed, looking down at her with a soft smile. "I haven't seen you since the little fiasco getting back the Sereitei from the Arrancar. You were eating rice and beef with me if I'm correct. Makes me wonder what happened to Jin and Kidou..." He trailed off, glacier blue eyes beginning to wander off in a desperate search to mentally seek out their reiatsu signatures. 'Nothing...'
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:54 am
Sejiro walked through the grounds that were home to squad one admiring the night sky and the moon that radiated its' beautiful rays of light. The stars seemed plentiful in numbers blotting out small patches of black that usually overpowered their majestic shine. Sejiro tried to let the serene setting settle his unrest and quench his thirst for an ease of mind, slowly running his hand through his hair as if to brush off the demons that tormented his mind and rid them from his conscious. This was of no use, Sejiro's thoughts kept wandering back to his first encounter with the vice captain on the battlefield.
The more Sejiro tried to forget about it, the more the memory of the night clouded his mind.
The man was fighting as if he was play fighting with friends, carelessly and effortlessly.
The image of his captain cleaving the hollows in half was seared into his mind, leaving its mark for ages to come.
I was so scared yet he......, Sejiro trailed his thoughts into endless questions that he knew would be unanswered for some time. Dropping his head in utter disbelief of what he had witnessed that night, Sejiro's heart began to hasten leaving him a little short of breath. He reached out to the wall on his right for support while he bent over trying to catch his breath. His mind was so clouded that he had failed to notice three distinct spiritual pressures coming from the dojo that was in front of him.
Sejiro eased himself back up to a full standing position and walked towards the doors of the dojo. He softly put his hand on the sliding door as if not to disturb the people inside and slowly moved it to the right, exposing the candle lit practice arena that welcomed him.
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