Typewriterman: ...go away...
...Goes back to playing Xbox 360...
Renji sifted through the crowd of people, hoping to find some way out of it. It came out of nowhere, this explosion of people that burst through the auditorium doors without so much as a warning. The couple he ran into in the front of the school seemed to have managed to melt into the crowd, giving him for the first time in a while to sigh in relief.
The guy was a nut…always talking about his ex, or whatever… the red haired man shuffled through the turbulent seas of play-watchers, as he somehow managed to secure a cup of punch and a white macadamia nut cookie for himself. From the chatter he'd overhead from those around, the play was so far a marvelous success.
"…that Emiko Arisawa was actually tutored by Rukia Kurosaki, you know, the wife of Doctor Kurosaki?"
"Oh yes, I've heard a lot about her…I used to go to Karakura high school, myself…"
So many positive reviews… Renji somehow managed a smile. He sat on the first free bench he could find, which happened to be behind the same group that he heard sifting through the crowd. He took a small bite of the cookie in his hand, savoring the sweet taste before washing it down with the sweet red punch.
"…yes, but I've heard that her mother just got through a turbulent divorce a year ago…turns out her husband for ten years wasn't even Emiko's father…!"
"It's a shame that such a girl can have such a distressing life at home…"
Before he knew it, the cookie in Renji's hand had exploded into bits and pieces that flew off every which way and garnered more attention than he wanted. "Oh, uh…excuse me…" he tried to play off nervously, and cautiously slipped back into the crowd, making sure to dust himself off of any remaining crumbs.
I think I'll just grab a seat…
--
"They're talking about you again…" he told Tatsuki, looking about with a level of annoying that she never thought possible before. "Why don't you go kick some asses, get them to shut up once and for all? You know, like Hiya!! Or, Waah-ho!!"
Of all the times… Tatsuki groaned. Taking another look back and forth, and up and down the hallways, Tatsuki grinned just slightly when confidence sprang that no one was around to see her do her deed. Reaching into her purse, she took out the small tin container and opened the top with a practiced hand. Without ceremony, she poured the brown liquid contents of the tin into the red plastic cup filled with punch, and when she felt the cup was full enough, she carefully hid the tin after screwing its top back tightly again.
A sour taste that slipped down her throat did nothing to make the transparent man in front of her disappear, and resigned to try it for a second time—no dice….
"Since when have you been drinking!?" the apparition gasped, covering his gaping mouth with his hand in an openly effeminate way.
"Since when did you care?" She sighed back softly; more than aware of how crazy she would look, speaking to no one in front of her. She took a second swig. "It's just this much, ok?"
"Hmph…" the transparent man huffed, and tried to ignore the raven haired woman in front of him. Unsuccessfully, of course. "Now Tatsuki, does anyone else know ab-"
"Hey there Tatsuki…" The bespectacled orange Quincy called from down the hallway, a red plastic cup in each hand. "They're calling for everyone to get back to their seats—do I know you?" He squinted slightly at the spirit following shortly behind the woman.
"…I promised I won't say anything…and I'm doing that!" The spirit suddenly blurted out, causing more sighing from her. "Right, Ms. Tatsuki!?"
"…I can't wait until someone finally decides to takes you away…"
--
The eldest Kurosaki daughter had had enough of this. For the past week, the small blue haired girl had been acting strange…well, stranger than usual, anyways.
The bespectacled young girl sifted through the crowds without a problem, using her size to her advantage. What…is she doing? Aiko asked herself, as she trailed the girl, weaving in and out of the now dispersing crowd. "Setsuko, get back here! The play's going to start back up again, soon!"
Rather than heed the older girl's warning, Setsuko continued around, as if searching for something. Albeit a strange thing to teach her daughter, Orihime had in fact instructed Setsuko in the use of her nose when else in doubt or something seemed wrong.
Indeed, something didn't smell right, or more specifically, someone didn't smell right…it was that woman who had trailed them around the other night. There was a strange reiatsu that came off her, not one that was small, but that was being restrained or covered up somehow.
Whichever the case, there was a second smell floating about similar to the woman's although it was unfamiliar at best. If she had to guess, it might belong to that one man who appeared and disappeared with that brunette woman.
"Say Aiko, who's 'Shan'?" Setsuko promptly stopped sniffing around and looked back at the taller girl.
"What?"
"That guy called you Shan the other day…" the taller girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and Aiko's hesitance to answer said enough. "…whatever…let's get back to our seats." Setsuko said emotionlessly. She turned around and began to follow the crowd towards the open auditorium doors.
After some hesitation, Aiko followed after the small girl as well, although she bumped into the smaller girl on her way. "Uh, Setsuko?" she exclaimed, nearly losing her balance when stumbling backwards. The blue haired girl only stood there, completely still in the middle of the hallway. "Setsuko?"
Setsuko turned around, her eyes focused and eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?" She sniffed the air again, and darted her head back and forth where she stood. "What happened, Setsuko?"
"…It's Hollow bait…" she breathed out.
"What?"
Setsuko looked at the older girl straight in her eyes, not blinking once. "…someone's released Hollow bait…"
--
"Show time in five minutes, everyone!" yelled the stage manager.
While the stage crew scurried about, setting up the props and fixing the lights for the second half, the actors prepped themselves and each other for the last performance of the year. It had been a anxious few months since she had auditioned for the role of Haruhi, the protagonist housewife, and a nerve wracking week as she performed two times already.
So far, nothing had gone wrong. Emiko just hoped it would stay that way.
Kon: Alright, Kon's back baby!! Last chapter I said there'd be a new after-chapter bonus, so without further ado, here's the...
-- OC Trivia Corner!!! -- (part 1)
Setsuko Ishida is the daughter of Orihime and Uryuu Ishida. A prodigy at the age 11, she attends the local high school with Aiko Kurosaki and Emiko Arisawa. Also a Quincy, she had been unaware of what happened to the Hollows that she fought until confronted by Aiko. She shares her mother's strange taste buds, her eccentric sense of smell and her father's need for glasses and mostly disciplined nature. Unless there's a lion involved, that is.
Height: 139 cm
Likes: lions, reading, spending time with her parents, spending time with friends (secretly). pan fried noodles and borscht
Dislikes: being made fun of because of her small stature
Birthday: June 22
Favorite Shows: anything with lions
--
Kon: ...that Setsuko nee-chan scares me...and she doesn't even look like her mom at all! Too much like that annoying Uryuu, if you ask me...
