paixaorpg | And Then They Were Five [Completed]

Entry tags:

And Then They Were Five [Completed]

Character(s): Hinamori Momo, Ulquiorra, Okita Souji, Aizen Sousuke
Content: Aizen has found three interesting people and provides shelter for the night and information.
Setting: Matteus Museum of Art
Time: Late Sunday night
Warnings: The slimy sticky feeling of Aizen's evilness and plottings... You may need a shower.

He had never been a fan of the trains, especially when he easily had shunpo at his command, but Aizen truly doubted that some of their group could follow at such a speed. The ride was uneventful as expected and rather quite. All for the better then.

Aizen returned to find that that the museum laid the same way he left it, quiet and empty. He was a little curious as to where Ichimaru may be but he certainly hadn’t the time to look for the shinigami. Gin tended to wander from time and Aizen certainly was not his mother.

With head high as usual, Aizen led the other three into the lobby of the museum. “Welcome to the Matteus Museum of Art.” He turned to the trio. “Do any of you have any questions before I show you your rooms? I highly doubt anyone else is here tonight but that is only because I am not quite sure where Ichimaru has gone to.”

He was quite sure all three would be curious about Paixao and of course who else may be around. They were only lucky that Aizen had found them so soon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The train ride was an eye opener, to say the least. As impressed as he'd been about the contraption, Okita couldn't help but wonder about this...Captain Aizen. What was he captain of, exactly? And were they from Kyoto as well?

If he was part of the Choshu...

You're getting paranoid. Not everyone is from the Choshu clan.

As the older man led them into the building he called a museum, the miburo couldn't help but be impressed at it's interior. It was enormous and silent, and the few portraits that were hung in the lobby were odd. So this was what a museum was?

Scanning his surroundings warily - a product of years of relentless training and attempted assassinations - his hold on the hilt of the Kikuichimonji relaxed ever so slightly when he realized that no one was going to jump out of the shadows to attack them.

Well, one can never be too careful.

“Do any of you have any questions before I show you your rooms?"

Yes. Okita had quite a few, actually. Starting with, "Just what is this...Paixao, Aizen-san? And how did I end up here?"

He had more questions, polite ones ranging from where his new...companions came from, who they were, to Aizen's place in this particular city and just what part he played here.

It was evident from the ease Aizen had displayed that he had been here for a good while now, and had probably adjusted pretty well. So he would know how this place worked, wouldn't he? As well as the way to get home?

Most of the train ride for Hinamori had been spent marveling over the landscape that lay outside (once she'd gotten over the initial excitement of the train itself), from the beautiful buildings to the faux-sky hanging above them. It was so strange... she wasn't really sure what to make of this Paixao. But each time she peered across the car at Aizen, she was positive there was no place she'd rather be.

The art within the museum was pretty eye-catching itself; even if Hinamori herself had never been much of an artist, she could still appreciate a pretty painting when she saw it.

It took some effort on her part not to bristle at the sheer mention of Ichimaru; and even then, she still tensed up a ways. He's here too?! It shouldn't have come as a surprise, she supposed... but there'd still been a part of her half-hoping he'd been left behind in their world. That Aizen wouldn't be forced to commit any more horrible deeds. Or worse, change more than he already had; slowly lose what of her beloved captain still remained. Not only here in this strange world with them, but staying in the same place...!

Hinamori bit her lip, but said nothing. She never had been the type to speak out against Aizen, after all; simply followed his wishes without question, just happy to be able to be of service to him. It would be the same here.

If he wanted her to act out against Ichimaru, she would without so much as batting an eye. But until then, it wasn't really her place to do so; especially if he had something else in mind. It was every bit as likely that he had something in mind to deal with all of this. Maybe a ploy to rid them of Ichimaru's evil from within... she couldn't really say for sure, but she had faith in her captain.

(... which didn't mean for a second she was going to be nice to him.)

At Okita's question, she nodded, "That's something I'd also like to know, Captain Aizen... All I remember is this bright flash of light, and then all of a sudden I was standing on that line. The people there weren't very helpful, either. The most they did was give us a pamphlet and this thing." She motioned to the electronic journal in her hands, frowning faintly.

Just as he thought. Of course they had questions. This was an odd city. Nothing like the Soul Society and obviously it was nothing like Souji's world either. Both the new man and Hinamori were mesmerized simply by the museum. It seemed that this man was very similar to the young fukutaicho.

Aizen also had a reason to be thankful. Libraries were blessings. Otherwise he would be left in the dark just like anyone else. That was something he would not stand for either.

The shingami made it a point to examine a tall painting of a man on a white horse before answering the question. He did not even bother to turn and face the two.

"I'm actually surprised that you know the name of this place... Paixao. This whole city is almost entirely fake. There are no animals and even the plants are not truly alive. These people seem to be mindless and don't question anything around them.

"Also, it seems that the city almost... brings people here. The light was what summoned, if you will, to a gate. There are four gates as well. People are constantly being summoned to Paixao. Why, I still don't know.

"As for the journals, those small electronic devices, they are for recording the events you experience in Paixao. I highly suggest you use them because they are all connected to a network that will allow you to communicate with other inhabitants of the city that also have a journal."

Aizen paused for a moment, recalling his own events over the network. You always met the most unexpected people. He turned to Hinamori and Souji and stated, "Some members of the Gotei 13 have arrived in Paixao. Please be careful with my name and do not throw it about. I am trying to remain hidden for the time being."

Hinamori's frown deepened at the more in-depth description of the city. That sounded... eerie, actually. She hadn't been paying as much attention to the 'plantlife' around them to draw from memory. (But then, she'd been more than a little distracted.)

Suddenly, the strange sky that hung above made a whole lot more sense. It would figure if everything was fake that it would be the same way.

The fact that she wasn't the only one being whisked away without any real warning was pretty unnerving itself. But at the same time, she felt a trickle of hope seep into the back of her mind. If she wasn't the only one, then maybe the others who'd vanished over the past few weeks...?

As Aizen began going into detail about just what the journals were capable of, Hinamori's eyes widened with visable surprise. She peered down at the journal in her hands with a newfound curiousity, beginning to fidget idly with it. She hadn't realized this tiny thing was capable of all that. "It sounds a little like our hell butterflies back home... , " she murmured thoughtfully to herself. In that case, it was something she was definately going to be toying with later.

Her attention was fast to fall back on Aizen as he turned to face them, a relieved smile creeping onto her face despite herself. So they had come here! That explained why they'd all dissapeared so suddenly; they'd just been yanked to this Paixao like she'd been. Here she'd been so worried about all of them!

This means I didn't lose my chance to apologize to Hitsugaya-kun after all, she thought. Not something she was particularly looking forward to... considering what had happened the last time they'd seen each other face-to-face, he might not even accept her apology. Hinamori wasn't sure she could really blame him. They'd been friends for so long, and just like that, she'd -- but she wanted to get it said. The thought that he might have been gone with something like that hanging between them on top of everything else had been almost more than she could bear.

She nodded her agreement to Aizen's request, furrowing her brows in a determined sort of way. "Right. I won't tell anyone, Captain Aizen. I promise." Hinamori had just managed to find her place with her captain what had felt like an eternity. It wasn't something she'd allow herself to lose again. Both he and his secrets were safe with her.

A fake city? Mindless and unquestioning citizens? This was strange, indeed. Well, that pretty much answered his question, although it did absolutely nothing to comfort him.

A city that brings people here...for what purpose? Was there some sort of magic at work here? He didn't think Aizen would know about that; the older man had said as much.

Looking down at the journal with renewed interest, Okita knew that he was going to be tinkering with it as well. He was not the most curious of people, but this device was intriguing enough to warrant his attention. So he could use this to communicate with other people in this city?

That concept was very new to him, and he wondered just what kinds of enchantments - if any - had been placed on this gadget.

He perked up, however, when he heard Hinamori-san's remark, "It sounds a little like our hell butterflies back home... , "

Hell butterflies? He frowned slightly. At first glance, they looked to be from Kyoto - or at least from some part of Japan as well, but the miburo was certain that there were no such things as hell butterflies from where he came from.

"Right. I won't tell anyone, Captain Aizen. I promise."

Hinamori-san's response made him raise an eyebrow slightly. It was evident that the young woman was extremely smitten with Aizen. Which, considering his rather comely looks, was not a surprise at all. However, Okita Souji was not going to agree that readily, especially when he didn't know a thing about him.

Faintly narrowed lavender eyes met the Captain's steadily as he spoke, his words blunt. "Who are you? ...And...why are these people from Gotei 13 after you?"

If he was trying to remain hidden, it only meant two things. First - from what he had learnt from the Ikedaya incident - was that he was lying low and was most probably up to no good. Second - these...Gotei 13 people were the ones who were up to no good.

Two sides of the coin.

Which side was Aizen on?

Of course Hinamori would do exactly as he said without even questioning the command. That was simply in her love-smitten nature. Okita on the other hand he had hoped would at least agree to his request. Aizen found no such luck. It seemed that there would be more explaining he would have to do.

The man fully faced the one actually living person in the room with a grave expression. “The Gotei 13 is a group of shinigami from the Soul Society, the world where Hinamori-chan and I are from. The Soul Society is a very different world from the one you come from, I’m sure. In the Gotei 13, both of us were from the 5th Squad that I led and she was the second in command.

“However… there was a great incident in the Soul Society that force me and two other men to flee and we have been hiding in another world, Hueco Mundo, ever since. Hinamori-chan remained part of the Gotei 13 but I did not.

“When I first arrived in Paixao, I found a hotel called Morem o Lisboa very early in the morning and was looking for lodging. It was only to my surprise that I found one of these men who had fled with me, Ichimaru Gin, and many other members of the Gotei 13 were already at this hotel. Ichimaru was already under attack when I entered and several of the other shingami turned their attention to me.

“Luckily, the two of us fled to here where we have gotten jobs, lodging, and have been in hiding ever since.”

Trains. Now that was something new. Ulquiorra had been slightly interested in the large form of transportation for only a moment before wondering when they were going to use shunpo. Naturally, and considering their fourth companion, Okita Souji, they weren't going to use shunpo. It was doubtful that Okita could keep up with the astonishing speeds in which the Shinigami and Arrankar alike could travel by. When they arrived at the museum, the green-eyed Arrankar had only been half impressed by the sight. Nothing new here, really. What really interested him was what Aizen-sama had to say.

That was always his top priority. After all, Aizen-sama had given him a real path, a real life. He had given him power beyond anything he could've imagined while still a Hollow. Indeed, that was something to behold.

So, for the past few moments, Ulquiorra had been patiently listening to the questions of the other two, while having some of his own answered. Seemed like some select members of the Gotei 13 were here already, and that they knew Aizen was here. Hn, how annoying. Ah, and what was that? Ichimaru-san was here too. Interesting. For a moment, the dark-haired being stared at Aizen, looking for any expressions he may give off. He had noticed that when the other man mentioned Ichimaru, his voice gave off a sense of displeasure. Now, that was worth noting. He'd remember to ask Aizen about that later. If Ichimaru had truly angered the man, Ulquiorra would be first to volunteer to get the skinny trickster out of the picture. It woudl only be for the better. Besides, he never understood why Aizen-sama had trusted such a slippery man in the first place.

But never mind that. He was certain that Aizen would get to such trivial things when the time came. Now was the time to coerce Okita to this side, away from those indignant idiots of Soul Society.

They would never understand.

((OOC: Hahaha, Ulquiorra is bad-mouthing Ichimaru? XDDD So much for comraderie.))

Okita took in Aizen's explanation quietly, his gaze flicking absently over Hinamori and Ulquiorra. Frankly speaking, the thin, dark-haired individual was the strangest person he had ever seen - and that was saying something, considering the crazed shikigami he had the misfortune of getting tangled with a good few months back.

Pale, almost ghostly features - albeit good-looking - and a strange sort of...was that some kind of broken helmet or mask he was wearing? Now that the shock of finding an eyeball was over, he had the chance to study Ulquiorra more intently.

His presence was just a tad bit unsettling, and Okita instinctively sensed something...off about him. Or rather, them. However, the feeling was so faint that it was inconsequential. It was perhaps yet another product of acute paranoia.

Relaxing slightly, the Shinsengumi Captain simply nodded, accepting the explanation. Aizen and Hinamori both seemed to be pretty decent people, and that was a good reason to stay silent.

"I see."

Hinamori bit her lip, silently seething as Aizen gave his explanation of what had taken place since his own arrival in Paixao. He'd only been looking for a place to stay! Not to say she exactly blamed Gotei 13 for acting the way they had; of course they'd attack. Both Aizen and Ichimaru were considered traitors.

The rest of Soul Society simply didn't know Aizen like she did, or else they would have known he wasn't really capable of commiting such evil. She was sure that once the truth came out and it was revealed that Ichimaru was the one truly responsible, her captain would be welcomed back with open arms. Besides, who knew? Maybe the Gotei 13 hadn't gone entirely unprovoked... Aizen had gotten there after Ichimaru had...

Part of Hinamori almost wished she'd gotten here sooner than she had; she could have been there to protect him, maybe talk some sense into the other shinigami. At least her captain didn't seem to have been injured in the attack.

The vice-captain turned her attention to Okita, flashing him a small smile when he seemed to agree with Aizen's request. "Thank you, Souji-san, " she said, relief evident in her voice.

Once the explanation was finished, Aizen glanced over at the Arrankar. Ulquiorra was always patient and obedient. Once this was all finished with, there was something very important that he’d have to speak to him about.

“I see.” was Okita’s only response. Aizen almost expected to hear more or get more questions in return. Normally the mentioning of the ‘Gods of Death’ to the living would invoke more of a reaction.

“Perhaps I shall go on then?” Aizen asked. He was quite sure that the man knew nothing of what he was dealing with. That and he was already a valuable asset whose trust needed to be gained.

“Let me explain what the Soul Society is to you, Okita-kun. It would be best to know exactly who you may be facing. Should you be seen with me, these other shinigami would be sure to attack.

“To begin with, shinigami are exactly as they are: they control death. But that also means they are just what they control. They are dead souls with incredible spirit power, reitsu. They are the leaders of the Soul Society. What is odd that souls are ordinarily invisible to the living like yourself, Okita-kun. Why you see us is something that I’ll have to research.

“Also… each shinigami has a very special weapon called a soul cutter or zanpaktou.” The tawny-haired man’s hand reached for the hilt of a sword that lay dormant at his side. It came out with the sharp ring of blade against sheath. He held it out for all to see. Rarely did was this sword seen so easily.

“This… is my zanpaktou.” The soul cutter suddenly released, its blade elongating and guard and hilt turning a deep teal. “Its name is Kyouka Suigetsu and this is the shape of my spirit power. Each shinigami’s zanpaktou is unique. You will never find a duplicate. Also, each sword has its own unique traits and abilities along with two universal abilities: shikai and bankai. But be sure that each zanpaktou is powerful, especially if its owner is well-trained.”

Finally, Aizen paused, explanation finished. “Perhaps that is enough explaining for one night. Would you all like to see your rooms?” The shinigami had to continue the conversation and keep everything rolling… but one thing was for sure.

Step one was completed.

Acknowledging Hinamori's words with a short nod and sparing her a faint smile, he noted the older man's slight surprise at his lack of reaction. Truth was, when one had a Third Captain who could speak to ghosts and exorcise them on a regular basis, things like this kind of lost it's edge. He'd seen too much odd things in his Shinsengumi days to be too shocked by what he was hearing, a murderous ghost-wizard and an unexplained, entirely too psychotic...'twin' - Kichisaburou - of his included.

As much as he could gather, Aizen and the others probably came from a much different world from his, and this...Gotei 13 was after someone named Ichimaru Gin and Aizen himself. Beyond that, he had no idea what these purported...'Death Gods' really did. Perhaps they were something like the insane wizard he had dealt with months prior to this?

As Aizen continued to explain, the young Captain took everything in, the pieces of the puzzle already - mostly - falling into place. Or so he liked to think.

“Let me explain what the Soul Society is to you, Okita-kun. It would be best to know exactly who you may be facing. Should you be seen with me, these other shinigami would be sure to attack."

He was not surprised at this. It was standard procedure, after all. If a person was caught with a particular group, he was more than likely to be linked to said group than anything else. And if they were as bad as Aizen had made them out to be, then he had no qualms about fighting against them in any way he could. He was, however, more interested in this thing called Soul Society. It was such an odd term.

Controlling death? That in itself was a hard concept to grasp, but he forced himself to keep silent and to listen. It was no use wondering if this was some sort of bizarre dream -

What is odd that souls are ordinarily invisible to the living like yourself, Okita-kun. Why you see us is something that I’ll have to research.

Wait. If everything Aizen said was true, then did it mean that he was somehow...dead? If this was some sort of heaven, then it was very, very strange indeed.

The violet-haired young man did not have too much time to dwell on it, however, because he immediately tensed when he saw the other man drawing his sword, his own hand on the hilt of the Kikuichimonji. It was an instinct that he could never shake off, and it had served him very well over the years.

However, this particular sword...it had Okita's full attention as he watched, almost mesmerized at the elongating blade. So this...was a soul cutter?

A blade like that can cut souls...? It was safe to say that he was both impressed and shocked. That, and a vague feeling that Saitou Hajime would very much like to be acquaintances with Aizen, indeed.

Shikai...and bankai...? What the hell was that?

The entire event was becoming more and more surreal by the minute, and he struggled to try to make sense of it all. So there was more to this...Death God business; most of which he barely managed to understand. He knew swords had their own unique traits, but what he didn't know was that they even had abilities?
But then again, this was an entirely different make of sword they were talking about, one that apparently was formed by...spirit power.

It was definitely an entire lot to take in, and Okita himself was looking forward to having the night to himself to think everything through. It all made sense, but some things were not quite adding up. He didn't know what it was exactly, but there was just...something.

Perhaps if he had enough time to sift through the information and piece them together, he would probably get the whole picture, or be able to form some questions for Aizen come morning.

[OOC: @_@ OMG sorry, LJ rejected the whole post because it was too long...damn it I have word diarrhea again. Sorry, everyone! @___@;;; ]

It was just too much information for the Shinsengumi captain to properly assimilate at the current moment. Death Gods, zanpaktous… To think, he had simply been patrolling the streets of Kyoto a few hours prior to this, and here he was, probably very much dead and in a strange place he had no idea existed and talking to people he had never known before about strange things only the Third Captain of the Shinsengumi Saitou Hajime would probably know about.

Deciding not to say anything more, a deeply thoughtful Okita Souji simply nodded to Aizen's question of lodgings for the night. Casting another glance at the three of them and drawing his own conclusions, Okita knew that there would be no sleep for him tonight.

Hinamori was only really half-listening to Aizen's explanation; to her, this was all common knowledge. She couldn't help wondering if Aizen's words would apply to her, too; would Gotei 13 turn their blades on her so easily if she was spotted beside her captain? She'd already attacked both Kira and Hitsugaya... neither was something she wanted to do again. She didn't even know if they'd be willing to forgive her for the first time. Kira was one thing, but Hitsugaya...

I suppose... that's something I'll deal with when the time comes. Maybe the others would understand; maybe she'd even be able to talk some sense into them. Hinamori already knew where she stood with Aizen. All she could really do was try her best, and hope for the same.

By the time Aizen's question had rolled around, Hinamori was stifling a yawn. Not that she was bored, far from it. But when the vice-captain got tired, sleep had a way of catching up to her, fast and furious. That, and she hadn't been sleeping very well since she'd awoken from her coma. She often spent them lying awake, dark thoughts plauging her mind; when she did manage to nod off, more often than naught, she'd been awoken by nightmares of what had taken place.

"Yes please, Captain Aizen, " she said, smiling faintly as she nodded. Tonight would be different. She was sure she'd sleep just fine.

((Gyah, so short. XD; *dies*))

Aizen smiled and sheathed his zanpaktou that hung faithfully by his side. He then nodded as he made his way across the rather large lobby and stood between to pedestals that marked the beginning of the stairs.

“When I arrived at the museum, I supervised renovations that were made below in the basement of this building. It is a rather large space now and there are rooms for all three of you. However, I suggest you stick close to me because it is easy to get lost down there.”

The shinigami made his way passed the stairs now to the opposite side of the room where there was a door that was less plain than the rest. He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and the lock opened with a click. The large hand of Aizen turned the knob and pulled the door open, revealing the darkness below.

”Forgive me. There aren’t many lights yet and it is hard to navigate. These renovations are very new and aren’t fully complete yet…”

A hand gestured to the opened door. “Now, shall we?”

The lack of lights didn't quite faze him in the least, although it unsettled him slightly. A strange world, with strange people in strange places; he was only beginning to make sense of it all.

His hand automatically lingering on the hilt of his own sword, Okita nodded silently at the man's explanation, his own senses keeping in tune with his surroundings, silently watching for any form of threat or danger.

The young Miburo took a step towards the door, then paused and smiled pleasantly, azure eyes meeting the other man's gaze. "After you, Aizen-san." It was more than mere courtesy; he had no idea what was down there, and it would be prudent to have someone to take the lead, in case it was some kind of trap, or something equally annoying.

Aizen smiled at Okita's gesture. "Of course," he replied, stepping to darkness, a darkness that conceiled the eviler twist in his grin. The boy was cautious, another aspect that Aizen could use. This plan of his was slowly forming but something was missing... how would he start it off?

That sneer slowly pulled a 180 as these thoughts ran through the shinigami's mind. You could never execute something unless it is complete. You cannot have a clock without its hands. You cannot have a sword without a blade. And he cannot...

"Oh. Here we are!" Aizen turned, smiling again and stopping at the first door. "Hinamori-chan, this'll be where you stay." He turned the knob and pulled the door open, revealing a lavishly furnished room, one of many that lie hidden beneath the museum. "I hope it will be suiting. I would stay an speak more but I am in a terrible rush and must be off with these two. I hope I can speak with you in the morning."

He gave the small girl one more smile before turning and continuing down the dark corridor. Soon enough, Aizen reached yet another door and opened it.

"And this room is for you, Okita-kun."

"And this room is for you, Okita-kun."

As such, the young swordsman had not been paying attention. The darkened corridors that surrounded him bore no threat, but the memory of the bloodbath in the Ikedaya Incident had made itself clear in his mind. In fact, those corridors looked just like these, only without so much of the blood.

And speaking of blood, he knew it was coming. Ever since the first time he had coughed up blood, it had been coming intermittently, crimson splatters against a battle-roughened hand, hastily hidden before any of his men could see. It was a terrifying disease, but Okita Souji would not allow himself to dwell overmuch on it.

Except when it came, of course, and he was left staring down at the droplets of blood that stained his hand. The same disease took the lives of so many people, and the Miburo had known that he would be next.

He would not fall to the sword, but to a disease that ate him from inside out.

No, he thought desperately even as he felt the familiar tightening of his chest; it was only the beginning. Not now.

Unfortunately, diseases never discriminated. It would not spare the ones in it's deadly grasp, and Okita succumbed to a violent bout of coughing, his hand clamped over his mouth to muffle the sounds even as he doubled over, his lungs burning and clenching all at the same time. It was pure hell, the mere seconds becoming agonizing hours as he struggled not to cough his internal organs out.

And finally, it was over, the sudden attack leaving him momentarily off-balance. And there it was, the dark splatter of blood that seeped through the material of his handguard, and the familiar taste of blood in his mouth. The metallic tang that was in his mouth threatened to choke him, and he swallowed hard and clenched his fist, wiping at the telltale streak at the side of his mouth swiftly, hiding all the traces of the attack.

None of them needed to know that their newest guest was slowly dying.

Hinamori simply smiled and nodded at her captain's words, for the most part unphased as he and the others hurried away, vanishing into the darkness. It wasn't the first time other obligations had caused Aizen to rush off in such a way. He was a captain, after all. These sort of things happened. That was something she'd learned early on. Even if it wasn't the same situation anymore, the same principle still applied in her mind.

Besides... at least now, she knew she would be seeing him again. No more doubt, no more indecisions, no more fears that Unohana may come in the next morning and tell her the 'traitor' had been dealt with. She would see him again.

"Goodnight, Captain Aizen... , " she half-whispered, more to herself than anything. She cast her best effort at a sunny smile in the direction her captain had gone... but no matter how bright it may have been, it did nothing to ease the eerie darkness of the corridor. With that, she turned and headed into her room, shutting the door behind her.

She silently marveled at how lovely it was, but nothing looked half as appealing as the bed did right at that moment. Hinamori kicked off her sandals, setting Tobiume propped up against a nearby nightstand. She stole a glance at the crumpled, ripped pamphlet she'd ended up taking a good deal of her shock and stress out on over the course of the day. 'This thing probably won't help me too much now...' If it had ever really been able to help her in the first place. (She could swear she saw an advertisement for some resturant poking out at her!)

Hinamori flopped backwards onto her bed, a contented sigh escaping the dark haired girl. So comfy! The beds in the fourth division hadn't been nearly this soft; her own normal bed back in Soul Society wasn't even this nice! Aizen really had done a fantastic job on this place, and in such a short span of time... then again, what didn't he do well?

The vice-captain fished out the journal she'd been toting around since she'd arrived. Maybe the pamphlet wasn't any good now, but going by what Aizen had said before, the little electronic gadget was definately worth trying to figure out. Hinamori flipped it open for the first time, and found herself surprised by it a second time. "So many buttons... , " she murmured to herself in mild awe, jabbing lightly at one with her index finger. "Will I really be able to use this?"

She poked at a few more, a satisfied little smile creeping onto her face as the screen finally lit up. "Alright! Now, I wonder what this..."

((Fine by me~! ^_^ <3))

Have you ever noticed how fate can work wonders? Aizen surely did. A shadow and a sneer passed over his face as the young samurai revealed his secret, though it surely wasn't by will. Blood found its way into the man's hands and the last part of Aizen's plan was complete. The hands on the clock, if you will.

The man turned to arrankar beside him. He truly needed to speak with Ulquiorra but now that had to wait. One cannot miss their opportunity....

The shinigami put a hand on Okita's shoulder. "Are you alright, Okita-kun?" The paused for a moment, but a it was merely another one of his ruses. A pause, a time to consider, to act worried, to act like you cared...

"I think I know of what is wrong, Okita-kun. Do you want me to rid you of that problem?" He smiled yet again.

"I think I know of what is wrong, Okita-kun. Do you want me to rid you of that problem?"

Okita froze at the hand on his shoulder, although it was more at Aizen's words than his touch. How had he known--? The words I'm fine died on his lips even as he considered the possibilitiees. Aizen and the others were clearly from a different world than he was, and those words, spoken in such confidence...

Did he really have the cure?

He frowned slightly as he swallowed once more, trying to dissipate the taste of blood that lingered in his mouth almost mockingly. The prospect of allowing the other man to take the disease away was extremely tempting; at least he didn't have to worry about it anymore...

But could the Miburo trust Aizen? He knew he was going to die soon; diseases like this took only a year - or sometimes less - to claim a life, and Okita fully intended to go down like a samurai. If Aizen had a way to get rid of it, then Okita would accept, even though that would put him much deeper in the other man's debt.

If Aizen got rid of it, then Okita Souji would not worry about the next time the attack came anymore.

Finally, the young samurai nodded, lavender eyes meeting his squarely. "I will be very grateful for the favor, Aizen-san."

The hesitation of the samurai was to be expected. What would you do if suddenly someone found out that you were secretly dying but offered to cure you. They offered to cure something that could never be cured. They offered a miracle that seemed to be nonexistent.

It actually took a good deal of effort for Aizen to let his kind smile mutate into a sinister grin when he heard Okita's response. All the pieces were set...

"I am really glad to here that, Souji-kun." Aizen replied. "It would be devastating to loose such a wonderful young man like yourself. I will do everything I can to help."

But of course there was one more piece to be set. The shinigami turned to Ulquiorra. The ever faithful Ulquiorra. He leaned in close to the arrankar and whispered, "I have an assignment for you. Head out as soon as possible and scout the city. I want to know everything that is out there."

With a sweep of his stark white coat, Aizen turned, facing the young man. Seriously, he waved, "Come this way, Okita-kun." Instantly, he turned and proceeded to lead the sickly samurai through the darkness.

Hidden in the shadows.

A grin hidden.

Check mate.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And Then They Were Five [Completed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject