Ch.3
Meetings
Ichimaru woke up to the soft chirping of birds and sunlight flitting through leaves…leaves. He slowly raised a hand to his face and gingerly inspected his cheek which was now a rosy red purple bruise, he sighed and looked up "bastard…" and tears fell anew from his eyes. Ichimaru remembered killing Katto, and running away…everything was as clear as a knife, and it twisted in his heart. He wasn't a bad person…he kept on reminding himself that he wasn't in the wrong, he had been attacked… "It was self defense" he told himself. He leapt out of the tree he had rested in for the night and making sure no one was around he took a quick swig from his stolen canteen and started off towards the second to next village, knowing full well the closest is where everyone who was no doubt hunting him right now would look.
His trek took him over the course of an hour just to avoid the said village where he would for certain be spotted and then another hour just to get to the next village, west Rukongai, he would be relatively safe there, seeing as that is where the white gate guard was stationed and no one dared make trouble there.
Inspecting the village cautiously he made his way down from the hills and walked in unafraid, many barely stopped to look at the strange youth and those who did nodded at him in greeting and went about their daily un lives.
He was free of some of the weight on his shoulders at least, this gave him some hope…first thing was first though.
He looked around for some inkling of where food would be, no normal person would be seen eating because again souls didn't need food to survive, he however was simply another matter! He had to find some right away for the mushroom feast he had devoured hours before had already vanished.
He stopped on the road and looked for more offshoot places where those like him who had spirit force would reside. He calmly walked over to an old woman selling water in large ceramic jars and honey sticks and playing with a scruffy puppy " Um, mam" he said softly she frowned at him " what do you want kid? I'm busy right now!" he rubbed the back of his head nervously "d'ya happen ta know where da kids are? I am lost." The woman tossed a look at a dirt road that split from the main one; he thanked her and went on.
Grumpy lot these people, "gee, see'n as kids 'ave more spirit force n adults id better look 'der." As the child he was he was curios about this village for really he had never been outside his respected village before, but first things first growled his stomach, he sighed and took the dark path that zigzagged through steep walled buildings and dripping pipes with rats in residence until he came to a surprising halt. a large obelisk standing twice as tall as he was and painted black, like a large wardrobe door it stood out of place before him in the world it had been built in, Ichimaru stared. "S'cant be right…" he mumbled under his breath and just as he turned on his heel to go give that lady a piece of his mind he heard a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise…the doors behind him gave a slight moan and the giant wooden doors slowly, ever so slowly started to creak open.
Ichimaru stood in surprise as the heavy wooden doors opened before him, he turned fully back around and raised an arm to shield his eyes from the light that shone through the doors opening, "What the?"
He saw a person then, a dark shadow against the light in white robes and glasses, as the person stepped out of the light and into the alley, brown eyes stared at him coldly, cementing him Ichimaru to the ground only a mere foot or two away.
"Well now…what do we have here? A child from Rukongai able to see this door…how…unusual" Ichimaru blanched for "unusual" was said a little too creepy like. The man loomed before him, Ichimaru was scared, more scared of the spirit force that sent every molecule in his body shivering than he had ever been of anything else in the world, then his hand came down. And rested upon his head, Ichimaru blinked "Ah…" The man smiled at him kindly and looked through fine lensed glasses at him, he also wore a long white robe over a simple yukata "it's dangerous to be here you know…evil things guard this gate, your lucky I was around" He released Ichimaru from his spirit hold and chuckled "I thought you were a hollow for a minute" he turned and rested a hand on one door of the black gate that stood open still " for you see" he turned again and fixed Ichimaru with a dark look unbecoming of his kind features " no human soul should be able to see it…" Ichimaru gulped, the man smiled and held out his hand "Your hungry aren't you? Come with me and I will give you something to eat…by the way, what is your name?" Ichimaru looked at the hand strangely but untrembling took it in his own "Ichimaru, Ichimaru Gin" The man smiled, Ichimaru looked up at him "an yor's?" The man raised an eyebrow at his accent but shrugged and smiled yet wider "Aizen."
Badger Notes
Feels reminiscent to this scene
Aizen: leans over Ichimaru's shoulder hey kid, I've got some candy in my house…come with me.
Ichimaru: OO;;;; Ummmmm….
Lesson one kids; never go with or take candy from strangers, even if they are bishounen!
