A new visitor, an old refugee

Granted, there were, and still are better places in the world then meager towns. There are distant peaks of pearl that mark far away and glorious lands. Luxurious smells and sounds. Tastes that have traversed the earth and back, only to return home marveled for their bouts and trials. Many wonders of great magnitude and magnificence that existed on this endless plane of space and time that was the earth.

This was not one of them.

The blond, perhaps could be considered a marvel. With white ivory skin, and a translucent blue gaze, that seemed to shift and wisp like water, yet remained frozen behind his two eyes. The tresses of long and somewhat unkempt hair that cascaded down the sides of his head only accented his strong bones and fine features.

That was clearly not what was lacking.

What was lacking however, was his surrounding in comparison to his appearance. A small café that was found towards the center of the town. With an "L" shaped patio, the man sat off the side, a park, blooming and green at his side and back. Ahead of him several feet, was a main road in the town, and doing its part in such, as a car would pass by every second, a person with their own life and troubles.

Sighing somewhat melancholicly at this fact, the man turned back to his own matters at hand. The newspaper ruffled as his blue eyes gazed back over it patiently, gazing at the recent articles. In his other hand, the aroma of caffeine rose in the air, his black coffee shivering slightly as it's surface moved with the blowing of the wind.

His casual clothes deemed him well. A white-striped black dress shirt, open buttoned and comfortable, with plain black dress and dress shoes. In fact, he moved very little, and was quite comfortable with where he was. The only sounds that came from him was the sparse ruffle of the papers, and the comfortable ticking of his watch that rested on his hand.

Perhaps the most interesting part of him was his ring. On his right hand, below his watch, was a black metallic ring. Not outright black, but seeming like silver polished over with a fine layer of black spray, barely making the shine or gleam come through. though not threatening, its obvious lack of beauty stood out in a frighteningly against his repose. One would wonder why he would wear such at thing.

Regardless he seemed both out of place, and part of it as well. As though he was clearly not familiar wit the town, yet, not altogether a child to the world. He seemed more the comfortable being alone in such a quiet place, sitting with the sparse 5 or 6 people on the patio.

She stands just inside the “L” shaped patio, the sun reflecting of her long ash blonde hair. She quickly raised a hand as the wind whipped through it with vengeance, keeping it out of her face. Her blue eyes studied the sunbathed patio with interest, absorbing each face and the feel and smell of this area.

This was the first time she had been back to the world of the living since her death so many years ago, and her curiosity was boundless.

She liked how the world had moved so far from what she remembered. The smells and colours were shocking…but at the same time exhilarating. She racked her brain for the name of this place, already had forgotten it.

….Karakura!!

She thought after a moment, hitting her fist into the palm of her left hand lightly.

”That’s it!!”

She grinned triumphantly, hopping up and down happily for a moment before remembering where she was and stopping almost immediately. A blush came over her ivory cheeks as she looked around quickly to see if anyone had noticed.

Her gaze stopped on a blonde man sitting at a table by himself, studying the newspaper. A cup of what she assumed to be coffee sitting on the table in front of him.

She looked at him for a moment longer before jerking her eyes away, pretending to study a pot of flowers above her, blushing again.

”Idiot…don’t just stare at him like a loon.”

She murmured to herself under her breath annoyed, looking around again at the diminishing amount of people. The sun continued to burn brightly, with no end in sight.

Hotaru felt comfortable though, being used to much higher levels of heat. She felt weird as others around her wore tank tops and shorts, where as she had on a kind of blue long sleeved shirt, that fit snuggly to her figure and a simple black flowing shirt that ended at about mid thigh on her.

That at least made her feel normal, having seen a group of teenagers wearing almost the same skirt on her walk here.

She tugged absently at the silver pendent around her neck.

The pendent was of a simple rose shape, the small round piece of metal lay just between her collar bones, laying in the hollow of her throat. She passed her fingers over the perfectly styled petals, feeling the coolness of it on their tips.

She let it go slowly, letting her eyes wander back to the blonde man again.

Wonder who he is…

She took a hesitant step forward before continuing on, walking slowly over to him.

Might as well figure it out if your so damn curious.

She growled mentally, then pasted a pleasant smile on her face for the man.

”Excuse me?”

She asked, her voice friendly.

”Do you mind if I join you?”

The man did not reply directly. The paper his his features, as it was lifted over his features. His legs stretched outright and crossed, lay comfortably to his side. he sat peacefully for a moment, as several seconds passed by. Truthfully, it seemed that he was either ignoring her, Or perhaps was deeply insinuated by the verses of what he was reading. However, his aloofness made it impossible to tell which it was.

"What a beautiful voice..."

Was the reply that finally arose from the man. The most noticeable things were came as a pair. The first was his voice.

Deep yet smooth, it was surprisingly sensual yet patient and calm. It was of moderate tone, yet noticeable enough not to be a common voice. It lacked any roughness, and yet was not ignorant in tone. It seemed to almost project some deep wisdom.

The second was his accent. It was clearly not Japanese. It was not thick, not enough so to be obviously foreign, yet it was a light accent accent that clearly indicated his was from far off. It sounded slightly rough (as rough as it could be on his breeze that was his voice). It was likely European in origin, yet not enough such so it could be discerned from whence it originated.

"please do. I have no company"

At this latest note, he shifted, placing his paper down. His eyes gazing up at her the second he did so. So clearly he was aware she was there earlier, but he had been reading something of interest.

His blue eyes gazed up at her patiently. He did not shift his gaze but merely looked into her eyes for a moment. He then looked at her general face, as his eyes shifted mere millimeters. However, his gaze soon shifted back to his coffee, as his hand moved and he picked it up.

He gave it a patient sip, and glanced off into the greenery of the nearby park. Placing it down with a light tap as it contacted the table, his gaze shifted back to her, this time a calm and polite tone in his features. His curiosity seemed to be gone.

There were quite a lot small or large bars and cafes in the town of Karakura. Famous and crowded ones, where loud music boomed all the night to entertain brainless teenagers, or tiny nameless pubs, that rarely could accommodate more than 10 – 12 people, but always had their patrons, people who consistently visited the same café or restaurant over and over again.

One of such was a little café, on the corner of a street, little east of the center of the Karakura Town. It was not crowded with lots if people but its service was good enough to have a steady flow of customer and money. But the best thing about that place was probably its atmosphere of… calmness, and an opportunity for each person to get away from their own daily problems

One of these people, we’re a moderately tall, young man, dressed in a simple black trench coat, wearing a grey scarf around his neck (due to the cold weather outside) who was sitting at the table that was positioned at the very corner of the café, so it would be completely covered by shadow. Shikimou Yoruichi, just finished his drink, stretching his hands up and locking it behind his head. He leaned backwards on his chair that screeched painfully, extending his legs and placing them on the table, with a loud thump. The bartended glanced at the man unpleasantly, but decided to not say anything, because Shikimou was one of the patrons of this café, and money, as it is known – do not grow on trees.

The Captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13 liked this café. He would take any opportunity to get away from the boring paperwork and bleak life in Seiretei to the real world, to just relax and sort his thoughts out. Additionally, his job did not require him being present in the Soul Society often. Shikimou was often sent to other dimensions to spy and gather information on what is going on around Soul Society and the Real World.

Shikimou lifted his head slightly, glancing around the bar. Due to a low illumination, it was possible to determine the shapes of things in the place, but not the colors. The Captain started playing his favourite game – being heavily colorblind and able to see only a microscopic range of colors, Shikimou liked mixing them in his head, coming up with new colors for the objects whose colors he could not determine. Maybe this was the reason he liked this café – due to a low amount of light, he did not have to rely on his skills to differentiate the colors.

He sighed. The descendant of the Yoruichi family really did not consider himself to live up to the standards that the famous Shinoin Yoruichi. But even though he considered himself the weakest of the Captains, Shikimou immediately noted as two people with interesting reatsu signatures have entered the bar.

The one who entered later, was of course, his fellow Captain – Hotaru, who, along with Shikimou has passed the latest Captaincy test. However it was the other person who caught the full attention of the Second Division Captain

Of course, Shikimou have read about the Bountous… and they way of life. He knew what these creatures had to do to feed themselves. However, it was the first life Bountou the Captain ever saw – and a quite powerful one as Shikimou have noted. He decided not to act, and first listen to the two’s conversation. That made sense, since his actual job was to gather information. Shikimou knew that his reatsu was perfectly concealed, and he will only be noticed by the two, if one of them would look directly at him.

So Shikimou Yoruichi leaned back on his chair even more and turned his head slightly so he could listen to what the Shinigami and the Bountou are talking to through the quiet murmur of the other people in the café

This seems interesting – the Captain thought – but I hope they finish up soon, because Sotaicho Pendragon will eat me alive if the next report will not be on his table soon… maybe even literally... – thought the man with a slight shiver. Everyone knew that it is quite harmfull to witness the Captain Commander in a bad mood. And Shikimou did not want to risk it. Suprisingly he really cared for his worthless – as he thought – life, and it was placed first in the list of his priorities

The man kept a patient and calm gaze at the woman, his blue eyes still hidden partially among the woven gold wisps of hair that fell down across his young and strangely wise face. Perhaps it was the fact that his expression was so patient and fatherly, seeming to look unto others are mere children. Perhaps it was that his gaze was longing to listen and open to understand. There was no hardness to him, not shield or armor that seemed to protect him. He was, at what seemed to be, an open book of knowledge, to be read and spread intuition to those around him.

Or perhaps it was that he was a lot more observant that he seemed. Granted, he gave off no signs of his origins. His reatsu was suppressed, though his energy levels were different to those who concentrated deeply on them. However, he gave of no aggressive energy or anger. There was utter patience in him, which seemed to make him seem very friendly. Then again, he very much doubted that any captain, especially the man in the shadows (he duly noted) would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Of course he had noticed him. He had lived more then enough years to gain this knowledge. To be aware of everyone around him at all times, even when no danger was evident. He did not have to look at the man to hear the sound of the chair, or to notice his movement. Nor did the man receding into the shadows prove that he was innocent. Most of all, Adalfrid knew the man was within hearing range. Even without turning to look at him, he had noticed all these signs.

However, he did not stop for a moment to show these things. He did not know who the man was, but he meant him no harm. He had no interest to hurt some innocent person, regardless of the situation. If the man was evil at heart, then he would play the hero, and the town would turn like a beast and swallow the shadowed man whole. He had noted that there had to be more then one powerful being in the area who would come. Then the odds would even out towards an untimely death.

If the man was kind hearted, Adalfrid would be the villain, and end the woman's life the second an attempt at his life was taken. He would then proceed to slay more, and the man would have no way to react but to follow him, taking few shots, not to injure anyone. The second that Adalfrid entered the main town, battle was irrelevant, for too many victims would be killed. He would escape without a scratch (or not much damage in the very least).

To gain leadership, and to survive this many hundred years as a bountou, one needed a mind that was cold, decisive and calculative. Not to the point of a monster, or to that of a level of a stealth master (as the nearby captain was). But he was efficient enough at it to note things around him, and make it such his reaction is not effected by this knowledge.

All these things passing through his mind in a matter of the second, and aware that he was still as ever gazing at the girl, he knew the captain would not take notice that he knew. His patience and calm attitude did not change, and he proceed to continue talking to the young woman.

"I apologize for saying so, but I generally do not have such lovely women sit by me, so I might not be the social being you may think I am"

He flashed her a radiant white smile, for it seemed the coffee had not affected his teeth. Folding his newspaper, he placed it gently in his lap. He then-after gave his coffee a mild and quiet sip, and looked back up at her.

Perhaps they are together...

He proceeded to chuckle calmly after his last sip, once more placing the coffee lightly on the table. His laugh was light, educated and hearty. It was neither out loud in an obnoxious manner, nor did it lower down to a cackle.

"Or perhaps I seem the fool, flaunting words at you, and bothering you with things you find trivial".

The foreign-accented man replied to her.

She blinked at the mans words, but her smile widened in response.

”Not at all, I find talking to strangers rather fascinating. I mean, you can figure out a lot about a person by the way they talk, aside from what they tell you I mean.”

She realized that she was sounding weird again and immediately shut up. She took a nervous glance around the patio before noticing something.

A familiar figure.

Inside the café.

They were obviously concealing their reishi, which explains why she hadn’t noticed them right away, but now that she saw them she recognized him almost immediately from so many times they had passed each other.

It was her fellow Captain, Shikimou, who had also recently pasted the latest Captaincy test. She looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out why he was here of all places.

Then she noticed.

He was sitting right within hearing distance, and even leaning back in his chair. She shook her head and sighed but said nothing towards him, figuring he’d get it that she knew he was there, but didn’t really care at this moment.

Whatever…

She muttered mentally, turning away from him to put her full attention on her companion. He was still looking at her steadily, and that caused her to blush again.

She was starting to hate her automatic reactions.

She couldn’t quite name it, but something had caught her eye about this man, it might have been his features, sure he was attractive, she noted other women who passed also looked at him curiously. But she didn’t think it was that.

She’d figure it out, but the best to do now was to talk to him.

And stop staring like an idiot.

Like now.

She blinked suddenly, remembering her manners that had been drilled into her ever since the Academy.

”Now, where are my manners? I just realized, I have yet to introduce myself.”

She smiled and extended one slender hand over the table towards him.

”I’m Hotaru. Hotaru Tokugawa. Pleasure to meet you.”

She said cheerfully as the wind assaulted her hair again, lifting it to ring her face.

The sun reflected off of the tables surface and onto a nearby wall, and not far off she could hear the sounds of children somewhere.

Amusing how life moves on…without stopping…

Her mouth twitched slightly as thoughts wading through her head on how she was going to let Shikimou know how she felt exactly of him eavesdropping on her conversation with people, and made a side note to ask Sotaicho Pendragon to tell him to but out…

She almost shivered on that thought, guessing on how the Sotaicho would react to her request.

Then again, I think not.

For some reason, she didn’t really feel like getting yelled at and stuck with a heavy dose of paperwork.

Go figure.

((OOC: By the way Kiki, if you read my first post I said it was very HOT out, not cold. Just so you know.))

The man seemed to ignore her introduction for a second, sitting quietly at the table, still seated casually with his legs crossed, and his script of information resting conveniently on his lap. He seemed to gaze at her for a moment, his azure eyes hidden among the tangles of his blond and cascading hair, hiding among golden wisps falling down his face. It was a good moment before he spoke.

Yet what was perhaps so irritating was that his eyes were clearly looking at her, no daze, no thought or confusion or analysis, he merely looked at her standing there, her introduction outright. It was as if she had extended his hand, and he had merely ignored it all-together.

The reply finally came, however, as a waitress at the small café came by. Taking the tea the blonde has been drinking but minutes ago (and had finished), she placed a small cup of steaming warm coffee on the table.
Once again, the man simply ignored this action, and kept his eyes patiently and waiting on her. It was not for a minute or two before finally cocking up a raised brow, and nodding slightly.

"I apologize for my actions. It is a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure. Sit Sit."

He smiled at her politely, another aristocratic, somewhat peaceful yet condescending look that seemed to common-placed to this man. He seemed to treat her almost child-like. As to why and how it was unknown, but it was somewhat irritating in its manner, yet somewhat pleasant, as it gave a great beam of attention from the man. It was obvious that in some way or another, he had a long and obvious manner of speaking with people.

"once again, I humbly ask you to forgive my manners. I am not accommodated to speaking with, as I've mentioned, beautiful women"

He smiled again, and gave a light and peaceful chuckle. Raising the white gleaming ceramic cup, he gave her a small toast, before taking a small sip. His blue eyes reflected in the murk of the dark liquid, and gazed at her peacefully from under his hair. He was clearly a direct person. He was no implying anything by his constant gaze, other then his entitlement to the conversation. He chose to speak to her, so his gaze and concentration would be on the topic, person and subject at mind. It was merely his manner.

"OH! yes, do forgive me If i somehow make a flaw in speaking, I am not inherently talented with Japanese. It is not in a sense, my mother tongue"

His eyes widened in realization of this. Clearly he was not accommodated with speaking, that or he wanted to assure himself that he would not fumble over his words. Be that as it may, his Japanese came out frighteningly well pronounced and grammatically correct. Even his tone was interesting, because where as in Japan, certain fluctuations of speech indicated location, his speaking was universal, making it impossible to tell where, how or when he learned such interesting and developed Japanese.

Regardless, in terms of manners, he had plenty. Give or take...

"And you?"

He seemed to pick up the conversation casually and idly. He was of course, dispersed with his speech. Very calm and well spoke, and gifted well in manners and mannerism. He was, almost in every way, a mirror (or illusion) of a perfect aristocrat.

"You are from Japan, yes? What region, If i may ask?"

Now this was the part he was working for. He was not a master of interrogation, or of finding secrets and information, but he was no measly war-monger, with no wry and conversational abilities. It was likely that she had some form of connection with the observant man, who seemed to appear right after her. Be it a positive or negative connection, her reply would help him work out and dictate what exactly was the case of the situation, how to react, and what he should do next. Of course, these things did not appear facially, nor were they hinted in his speech. It came out as a mere question.

HM was the place were all hollows and arrancars lived with no attacks or anything on them, but Layle left the safety of Hm today to seek a person to kill. He walked through the deserts of Hm to find a nice place to open a Garganta to the Human world. Yet, He had to fight off some lower class hollows for fun as he looked for a spot, but he eventually found a nice spot almost directly into the Menos forest. Yet, He opened one and stepped through to the hman world with his reshi level at like zero.

A Garganta opens up in a back ally of Karakura town with like no signal given off of it at all. Layle has completely surpressed his reshi as he walked the streets of Karakura town, and he quickly found some very faint signals of reshi, two of which were easily shinigami, but hte toerh wasn't one he had felt before.(I didn't see in anyone posts that you surpressed your reshi. So, this should be vaild) Layle leaned against the side of a building with his right hand in the air pointing two fingers at the back of the bounts head. His mask fragment, which were the tanish beaded bracelet on his right wrist hung comforatable on his wrist, as he took some of his reshi from his innate ability to creatre a very small and focused cero. This cero would be faster then a normal one, but it would be for piercing damage instead of overall power of it.

The cero flew from his pointed finger as it raced towards the back of the bounts head. Layle didn't know waht the spiritual Being was but he was going to kill it. He didn't have orders to kill the shinigami yet. So, he couldn't do anything asbout that right now, but he could kill the unknown person. Layle had knowledge on all the different races of spiritual beings. So, Layle would know what it was by the way it died. So, he didn't know if the shingiami's knew what it was, but if they did they had no reason to save it. The cero wouldn't hurt them it would simply fly throught he back of the head and go straight through the head, which it would exit from inbetween the eyes of the bount.

(Sorry for horrible post.)

((I gave him more then two-days to post. I'm posting a kill-post.))

Layle began to walk forward as the Cero flew at the back of hte guy's head. Layle had a rather bored looked on his face as the slide his hands into his black silk pants pockets. The Cero flew forward with bala level speed, butt his Cero wasn't meant to blow up or be huge like normal Ceros. This cero was simply narrowed down into a single piercing blow tot he back of hte guys head. Layle smiled as he saw the guy wasn't goin to move. He quickly sonido forward to get there as the cero entered the back of the guys head.

The Cero entered the bac of the guys head witha weird ripping noise as it ripped straight through the guys head with a quick simple motion. Blood, Brains, and who knows what exited from right behind the guys eyes. Layle was quickly behind the dude as he grew older and quickly turned to dust. Layle chuckled a she took the Reshi signal to heart as that as the signal of a boun. He reached down, and plucked up a ring that was left in the dust of the bount's remains. He quickly gave a quick smirk to the two people that were shingami's and opened a Garganta back to Hm.

---------------------> Exit to Hm