One year. One long, aggravating, bloody year and five more to go. Ain had only THOUGHT that the boot camp years were bad. However, after enrolling and participating in the Shinigami Academy, American basic boot camps were a vacation. In fact she was more that sure that she would rather be back in a cold damp swamp with Push breathing down her neck and OFF of midol than be in the spot she was right now.

It wasn't the fact she was cold from the morning warm ups that involved dodging missiles in the shape of icicles. It wasn't the fact that they'd been pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed until it felt like maybe they might not be able to breath tomorrow let a lone walk by the hand to hand drills. It was the short and very tiny fact that right now at this very particular class they were expected to be at their upmost serious in their actions and strategic placing of...flowers.

Ain for the life of her didn't understand why this class existed for this particular ...occupation, but hey it was a required course. As an added bonus she also could send the things to Hugo for table decorations. He seemed to like them better than her cooking for sure.

Ain was currently trying to figure out what to put in her current vase. The vase was a hand painted hand made earthen ware vase. It had been glazed in a high fire so the result was a glassy surface of green with light purple and golden yellow flecks closer toward the top.

She was trying to decide between two accenting flowers that had been put into her bundle this time for the assignment. One of the flowers were golden yellow in color and looked almost like tiny pom poms. They sprouted out from a dark twigs which lead Ain to think maybe they'd come off a bush rather than a flower plant. The other group of accent flowers grew from a tall dark green stalk. The tiny flowers looked like floating stars as they sprouted out of the stalk in a hanging fashion. Ain had no clue as to what their names were, but they both would look cool with the vase that had the same colors. Which was why she didn't know which to use.

Ain looked around at what her other class mates were doing with their bundles. Some were using all pom poms and others were using purple stars and even others were tossing the two out all together and opting for some that they'd bought and brought outside of the class.

Ain refaced her dilemma. The assignment only allowed a certain amount of flowers by quantity not by type. She sat looking between the two accenting blossoms puzzled as to which would get her a better grade. Finally in her state of cluelessness Ain halved the number of both the pom poms and purple stars then put them both in with the main flower haphazardly. She then pushed the vase back curious to see if it looked ok or not.

The instructor, Unohana Taichou, was there suddenly to observe the results as well. Ain had stiffened once she realized the squad four captain was looking over her right shoulder. It had begun to become an automatic reflex when ever any captain got that close to her. It wasn't out of fear so much as a personal bubble issue.

Ain slowly reached out to one of the yellow pom pom flowers and pushed it down further in the vase. It wasn't so much as to make it look better but more a nervous fidget. She then, as another nervous twitch to having the captain so close, pushed a cluster of the tiny purple stars away from the center where the main orchid flower was showing.

Unohana 'hmmm'ed softly behind Ain and reached over and took up the vase and began to walk toward the front where her desk was. She motion Ain to follow. Ain slowly rose from her little seating pillow and followed the captain unsure to if she was in trouble or not for using half and half on the flowers. Come to think of it each accent hand been bundled in specific number so it probably meant use one or the other and not both.

Unohana placed the vase on her desk and opened a small black book that always seemed to be there. The woman scanned over what appeared to be a seating chart then looked up at Ain with a kind smile. "Cordare-san." The taichou started. "You are always a pleasure to watch." Ain shifted her weight a bit uncomfortable at the thought of being watched. Something that seemed to amuse the healing captain in a small way. "Your solutions are always so innovative. I don't seem to be able to find a combination to stump you." Unohana admitted to a very confused looking Ain. She scribed something on a slip of parchment and handed it over to the student.

"I..?" Ain started after a bit of uncomfortable moments. "Do not understand?" Ain said looking at the paper then back at the captain.

Unohana smiled up at the girl then pointed at the busy class behind Ain. "You knew what to do." She stated simply. "You even improved on the original solution."

Ain turned slightly over her shoulder and still totally didn't get it. She just did what she always did. Threw the flowers in pushed them around a bit then had the vase taken from her when it was her turn to have it critiqued. Ain looked over the other class' vases then slowly but surely the light bulb when on.

"They haven't put in the big flower yet..." Ain said a bit confused to that. Ain had automatically just thrown in the larger blossoms of the orchids they'd been assigned first. It didn't occur to her that deciding on what to do with the main flower was the problem they'd been assigned.

"You have a knack for recognizing what should be what Cordare-san." Unohana said getting Ain's attention back. "It's important to be able to identify those of rank in a combative situation." She further explained to the woman standing in front of her. "I'm transferring you to another class." Unohana said as she pointed to the paper. "Give that to the instructor in classroom 3-B. I think you'll enjoy the challenge a bit more than flower making."

Ain's face lit up. She was getting out of the weird class? FINALLY! Ain bowed respectively to the praise and instruction, properly excused herself then headed to class room 3-B. She was smiling as she walked down the hall in wonder of what new class she'd be in now. Ain knocked politely then entered when the permission came.

Ain handed the paper to a blonde man who's hair was covering one eye. Ain fought the urge to move the hair out of his eye as the instructor read the paper. It always bothered her not to be able to see somebody's face fully. Ain stiffened in automatic fashion as the man stood from his seated position. He seemed to be regarding her strangely as if not sure if the note was real or not.

"Have a seat Cordare-san. I am your instructor Kira" The blonde so informed her. As she turned to sit she noticed that the class size was rather small compared to Unohana's. In fact, there were still empty stations at the front of the class. Ain began to walk toward one of the front seats when Kira-sempai finished the rest of his greeting. "Welcome to my Haiku Workshop."

Ain about tripped and seriously fell on her face "H-haiku?" She stated in disbelief. Wasn't that poetry? All hopes of a normal hollow killing class faded as Kira-sempai nodded his head in one slow nod. Ain sat down in her seat with a defeated look as the instructor too took his once again as well.

Ain picked up one of the brushed and dipped in unceremoniously in the ink well she'd been assigned. Then in brazing English she wrote on the rice paper in front of her..

The last of days come,

Are the ones that make head aches.

In nonsense again.

PPW Golden

I know nothing of flowers and I apologize for being too lazy to look up real flowers.