Yes yes yes I am aware that this is the LAST thing I need to be doing at the moment but whatever. Its new Fic time!!

Longer Author Note at the bottom.

The loaf of bread in his hands felt like it weighed a ton.

He ignored that as he raced down the street as fast as his skinny legs would let him. He had snatched an entire loaf of bread from one of the few bakers in the Sixtieth District of Rukongai and ran like hell. It was dusk and he hadn't eaten all day. Unfortunately the baker happened to have seen him. While there was no police force in Rukongai the citizens sometimes did take things into their own hands and when they did it was usually bad for street thieves like him. If his stomach hadn't been growling so loudly he probably could've gotten away with it too. But as it was he was stuck running across the roof tops trying to put as much distance between him and the shop keeper as he could.

"Get back here thief!"

He jumped over a stack of crates and kept running. Fortunately the baker had stuffed himself on his own loaves and that slowed him down somewhat. Bolting around the corner he wove his way through the narrow streets of the Sixtieth district. Though it was chaotic, the Sixtieth was the last District it was safe to run through without shoes. Then people started throwing glass and other things down on the ground. He still had the scars on the bottom of his feet from the last time he dared venture into the Sixty First and didn't stay on the roof tops. Finally his eyes spotted a group of buildings clustered together.

He bolted for it, diving through the doorway and running up the stairs. Unfortunately the moment he raced in the women's screams alerted the baker to his location. Ignoring that he pounded up the stairs as fast as he could and finally raced out onto the roof of the building. The gap between the buildings wasn't more than a foot or two and he cleared it easily, his recent growth spurt making such a thing possible. He heard the baker come up to the roof, swearing and sweating. His feet slowed as he turned to face the baker. The man heaved himself over to the edge of the roof but they both knew that he wasn't going to make it across the gap. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the thief who stole the bread.

"You thief! Give that back!" he snarled furiously.

"You want it back?" he grinned, tearing off a piece of the still warm bread and sticking it in his mouth, "you gotta catch me," he said around the mouthful.

"Why you--"

He flashed the man a bright grin and raced off, leaping over roof tops and debris as he ran. The little bit of bread he ate made him feel like he could fly. He didn't understand why though, none of his friends got hungry as fast as he did and he was the skinniest o them all even though he stole and ate more than they ever could. He didn't feel bad about stealing either, stealing was just something that he did to survive. Besides that baker couldn't really miss one loaf, he was probably going to eat it himself anyway and the last thing that man needed was more food. He grinned and took another mouthful, chewing even as he ran. That was right, he was doing that guy a favor. A big fat favor for a big fat man.

Finally he slowed his feet, confident the baker wasn't coming for him. He was out of breath but that was to be expected considering his run. Turning he walked down the stairs of the building he was on top of, coming out on the street with a minimum amount of screams. He turned and began to walk towards the lowliest part of the Fifty Eighth District where he lived. He tried not to steal from the District he lived in, that was a bad idea. He didn't want people to memorize his face, then he would have to move again and he was finding his current living arrangements actually rather nice. He made his way down the street, eating the bread he stole slowly, trying to savor it as much as he could.

As the streets began to narrow and crowd he got closer to home. The people got dirtier as the street lamps began to be spaced farther and farther apart. Even when the sky was blue it was hard to see with the narrow, crowded buildings. Many of the windows were open to let in the cool night breeze despite the warm summer air. Ahead of him a woman with long blond hair walked slowly, her hips swaying side to side. Given her lack of clothing there was no doubt to her occupation. He frowned and pulled a lock of his hair, he had blond hair too. Not as pale as hers but blond none the less. Or it would be if it wasn't quite so dirty. The woman turned around and looked at him. He grinned, he knew her.

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" she demanded.

"No trouble," he said with a smile, "I didn't know it was you, you changed your outfit."

"Gotta keep things fresh," she said with a pout of bright pink lips, "always remember, you gotta keep things fresh. Old is boring and boring doesn't get you paid."

"Keep it fresh," he repeated obediently.

"Stay out of trouble!" she called.

He waved and trotted down the street. A few men came to talk to her and he kept going, not wanting to get her in trouble. He swiped a hand through his dirty hair and wondered what it would look like long. He kept hacking it off since it was easy to take care of but still, he wondered if wearing it long would make him look girly. He supposed that it wold and the last thing he wanted to look like was girly. Girly boys got their asses caught--or kicked. Finally he found his way to the narrow buildings that made up his home. Pushing aside the curtain of laundry that served as a door to the courtyard in the center of the buildings.

There were four of them at the moment, Riku, Takuya, Hana and him. Each of them got their own building thanks to the fact that they were so broken down there was really only one livable space in each of them. Others came and went but they were the core four. Selfishly he kind of liked it that way. The four of them got along much better when it was just them, especially the three boys since Hana had the bad habit of attracting boys and that caused a whole set of trouble. Sighing he walked through the courtyard towards the building he was living in.

The sound of chiming alerted him to another presence in the courtyard. He turned and looked over his shoulder. Hana peeked her head out of her building, the bells she had recently secured her braids with jingling. Her eyes widened as she jumped down from the low window that marked the place she lived in and landed on the stones in front of the building. He turned and walked over to her as she all but skipped over to him, the bells still chiming happily in her hair. In spite of himself

he felt his lips curve into a smile in response to her sheer joy at nothing but the world they lived in.

"You were back late," she said looking at him for any sort of injuries, "you're all stinky and dirty."

"I was hungry," he said.

"You're always hungry," she said making a face, "you should wash up before bedtime or you'll get sick."

"Dirt never hurt anyone," he said crossing his arms defensively.

"Sure it did," she said with a grin, shaking her head so the bells jingled.

"Would you two shut up?!" Takuya shouted, "I'm tryin' to sleep!"

"Go to bed dumbass!" he shouted up at him as Hana laughed, "I'm goin to bed," he said with a non-jingling shake of his head, "you should go to sleep too."

"Okay!" she said with a grin walking back to her building.

He walked back to his and climbed through one of the low windows, knowing that the door wouldn't open. None of the buildings were more than a few stories of actual building, the rest was just a skeleton of uninhabitable framework. He stepped into the darkened room that he called home with a sigh and began to pick his way through the clutter towards his bed. Shiny things reflected the moonlight, interesting trinkets that he had stolen or found around the Districts. In the light the room was full of color and wonder but at night it was as cool and calm as the rest of the world. He climbed up the few steps to where he spread the thick mattress to sleep on. Beside him was a big window through which he could see most of the District and sparkling in the distance he could even see a flicker of white that he knew was the Court of Pure Souls.

Crossing his arms under his head he looked at the nighttime landscape of Rukongai and let out a sigh, looking up at the sliver of sky he could just barely see through the narrow buildings next to him. With a sigh he closed his eyes, letting the lights play across his shut eyelids. He didn't think it would be possible to sleep if the District ever got truly dark. He liked the lights, he liked the bright, thriving place that was Rukongai. It was as alive, as real as he was. He didn't shut down, even when he slept and he'd be sorry if the city he lived in did too. Reaching out he pressed one of his hands to the glass, wondering if it was possible to hold one of the lights in his hands. If he did could he see the way to an easier life? Did he really want an easier life? He liked his life, he just wished he wasn't so hungry all the time. That got annoying. He'd like it if he had more food.

"Goodnight Takuya!" he heard Hana call.

"I'm tryin to sleep!"

"Goodnight Riku!"

There was an audible groan as Riku protested waking up.

"Goodnight Hana," he called to her and was rewarded with a giggle and the chime of bells.

"Goodnight Shinji!"

So I agree with all the comments from people that the Vizards don't get enough love. Since Shinji happens to be my favorite Vizard so, I'm writing a story about him. Now this starts when he's young, before being a Shinigami. Given the length of his sleeves and a few other enigmatic quotes I'm a supporter of the theory that he was in that first graduating class with Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku. They are all going to make appearances along with other favorites and OC's. Anyway this obviously takes place in the past. Don't worry, Shinji and Hiyori are going to meet but not for a bit. Please R & R and i'll see you soon!