~Perception~

"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

Aizen is watching you. No one could tell you exactly when all these posters started appearing. Just that now, it was more common to see them then it was to see gum on the sidewalk. The colorless buildings on either side were peppered with these posters, complete with a dark looming silhouette with only the reflection of its glasses whited out. People were everywhere on the street; hanging laundry, yelling at rambunctious children or just shuffling by. The run down shops in their graffiti covered buildings only added to the already dilapidated atmosphere. The smell emanating from some of the elderly was enough to make a passerby question if their dirt streaked faces were, in fact, the cleanest area of their body. Keeping an eye on his wallet, Ichigo Kurosaki stuck out like a diamond among swine. A mess of orange hair tousled above his harsh, clean-shaven face caused wandering eyes to look him up and down. The plain black t-shirt he wore paired with dark, cut up jeans did little to hide the fact that he was definitely upper class. Even out of his uniform, the Rooks, as the impoverished were called, could see the rippling of hardened muscle beneath the cloth. Children took one look at the scowl across his face and scurried out of the way. Everyone kept their distance and that's exactly what Ichigo wanted. Alone. Well as alone as you can be with televisors in every room of every house, monitoring your actions complete with Thought Police congesting every street corner. These Rooks don't know how lucky they are. The government doesn't bother watching those that it doesn't consider a threat. With a small sigh, Ichigo ran his hand through his hair, turning to step inside a small shop. Ichigo really wasn't sure why he had come down to this store. It was just a random thought while he was eating dinner. A hunch almost. His instincts were what kept him alive all those years ago and got him to the top of his squad. Why stop now?

The shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen so Ichigo began wandering the aisles, looking at the different trinkets for sale. Most of these items were dated pre-Aizen and so were not allowed to be sold within the upper sections. But down here, in the Rukon District, these shops were pretty common. Hearing a crash on the other side of the store, Ichigo turned away suddenly stopping as something caught his eye. A sparkle in the fading sunlight peeked his curiosity. "Hm?" He bent down and picked up a small charm. It was a beautifully carved moon, a face in the center with wings outstretched on either side for the crescent peaks. From the top curve, a small sun dangled precariously, silver accenting its features with a face in the center as well. The sun appeared to be carved from tourmaline while the moon had pieces of moonstone carved into it. Ichigo couldn't explain why but he felt like the charm was meant for him. A small groan snapped him back to the present. He stood up and walked over to the where a pile of boxes were. "Hanataro, are you alright?" Lifting some boxes out of the way, Ichigo managed to help the shop keeper back to his feet.
"Y-yes! Thank you, Ichigo. I'm alright." Hanataro bowed deeply. "It's lucky you came into my shop so close to closing time. I might have been stuck there." He laughed nervously, his fingers fidgeting with the front of his shirt.

"No problem. I actually just want to buy this." Ichigo lifted up the charm, showing it to the shopkeeper who waved him to the register.

"Of course! It's only 10 dollars!" he scribbled something down on a pad and rang Ichigo up.

After paying, Ichigo shoved the charm deep into his pocket and left. He walked silently back to his house in the Upper Section, avoiding any glances or stares by scowling deeper until he shut his front door, locking it securely. Going through his evening routine, Ichigo continued to think about the charm he had bought. It wasn't exactly illegal. Having items like that was against one of those useless rules that Aizen choose to ignore until it bothered him. The strength with which he was drawn to it though- that bothered him. The bedroom was dark now that the sun had set. The only light shone from the televisor at the far end of the room, a small yellow dot to indicate power was running through the tv despite the black screen. Ichigo knew…even if the screen was black and seemed off…Aizen was still watching. His room, however, was special. It was precisely for this reason alone that he had chosen to live in this smaller apartment despite being able to afford a lavish suite. Unlike most rooms, this bedroom was not square. For some reason, the builder added a small knook in the corner of the room, probably for a reading chair or small table. Ichigo had crammed his mattress into the small space instead. Even if the majority of his bed stuck out in full view of the televisor, Ichigo's head and upper body were covered. It's not that he was keeping some huge secret. Ichigo just liked the idea of having a small corner to go to when he truly wanted to be alone with his thoughts. No one had mentioned anything to him and his purchase of the apartment was approved without question. He laid down, his vision of the television blocked off as he pulled out the charm, holding it above his head. The dim moonlight from the window caught the silver and moonstone, sparkling off the charm and into Ichigo's amber eyes. His breath caught slightly in the simple beauty of the way the moon complimented the sun perfectly.

I wonder what the people who made this were like? They must have had free time to be able to carve such a beautiful piece. I wonder how they survived without Aizen controlling everything? They seem to be so innocent…so free…not like me. Keepers are never free or innocent. Ichigo's scowl returned as he thought about work. As a member of squad 5, he was called a Keeper. Each squad had a different purpose for Aizen. The most famous squad being Squad 12 which was more commonly known as the Thought Police. No one was entirely sure what their training was or what went on in that building. Not even other squad leaders. The ominous structure combined with the squad leader's deformed face everywhere was more than enough incentive to stay away. Ichigo's squad was only slightly less infamous. Their role involved keeping Aizen's secrets safe. If anyone discovered evidence such an unaltered document or video from a pre Aizen period, Ichigo and his squad members were sent out to recover both the article and the person. "Perception is reality. Control what the people perceive and you control their minds." This was what Aizen fondly referred to as the Suigetsu method. There were so many things Aizen covered up about his past…Ichigo knew…He had seen the evidence first hand. He knew Aizen didn't save everyone from the brink of war. He knew Aizen had lied when he said there was more food now than their ever had been. If Ichigo's calculations were correct…there was less food now and more people dying of starvation every day.

But the worst part of his job was the people. He hated bringing in those people who found the offending article, sometimes by accident, sometimes children. They were ordinary people living ordinary lives who were suddenly criminals. The children… He still had nightmares about that. Having to pull them from their parents arms, kicking and screaming while the women begged and the men shouted. But they knew. No one but the Thought Police could challenge the authority of a Keeper. Another soft sigh escaped his lips. He hated his job but was unable to leave. You sooner quit breathing than quit being a Keeper. It was a common mantra Ichigo had heard all his life. It was even more solidified when his partner Kaien Shiba was…eliminated. He looked like Ichigo, had a similar personality but was a bit more gentle hearted. One night, after bringing in several children who had accidently come across and old music playing device, Kaien became angry. He couldn't blame the children for what they had done and pleaded with their squad captain, Gin Ichimaru, to release the children back to their parents with a warning. Gin would not budge, saying the High Council had given them strict orders and they must be followed. Kaien was furious, ranting and waving until Ichigo forced him back outside. The next day, Kaien never reported for work. Ichigo searched for him the whole day, not seeing him at all. After work, he ran straight to Kaien's house where he and his wife lived. It was taped off, government officials from squad 12 swarming all over. Without being seen, Ichigo had slipped back to his own apartment. Later on, the Keepers were all told that Kaien had snapped, killing his wife and himself. But Ichigo knew better. Kaien loved his wife more than anything. He would never have betrayed her. However, such thinking fell under the "thought crime" category so the partner-less keeper stayed quiet about any suspicions, watching carefully to make sure he stayed alive. This meant attending all the Council's events, including the daily chants.

That's where I first saw them. The man with the blonde hair and the violet eyed girl. Ichigo thought, setting the charm down beside him. The daily chants were held every morning in the center of the Council's buildings. All squad members were required to attend and no excuse was acceptable for absence. "War is peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Aizen is god." Yesterday morning, while Ichigo had been muttering the chant, he had locked eyes with the blonde haired man. He didn't know his name, only that he was in the same squad as Ichigo. But the look in his eyes seemed to mirror Ichigo's hatred for the Aizen and the Council so precisely. Ichigo had wondered if he might be part of the rebellion. It was just when he glanced away that his amber eyes spotted her. A delicately small girl standing nearby the 13th squads captain. Her short black hair fell to just above her shoulders while her mouth barely moved. The way her arms were crossed and her body language spoke volumes on how she felt about muttering the chant. But what made Ichigo's breath catch were those deep violet eyes. They reflected the sunlight in brilliant ways whenever she blinked. It took him a moment to register he was staring until she locked eyes with him. Violet met amber across the crowd. She didn't move or acknowledge him in anyway but the deep intensity of her eyes made his heart flutter. She only blinked, staring back at him until the chant was over and everyone began to leave. He searched for her beyond the Keepers that crossed his line of sight but she was gone. Nowhere to be seen or found. It was so sudden, Ichigo thought that perhaps he had imagined it.

If this was a different time, maybe I would ask her out. If Aizen didn't exist maybe I could marry her. She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I would have definitely wanted to get closer. I don't understand why I feel so drawn to her. Did she feel drawn to me too? Am I just crazy? Maybe she knows the answer. What if she's a spy from Aizen? Or from the rebellion? Ichigo shook his head slightly. Thinking like this…if anyone ever found out, the Thought Police would be after him for sure. With a small sigh, Ichigo turned on his side, staring silently at the charm on the pillow next to him. He just didn't want to go to work the next day. He could feel sleep calling his name as his eyes grew heavy. The last thing Ichigo remembered thinking was how much the face in the moon reminded him of the violet-eyed girl.

"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."