Well, that was the short version of how she was feeling, anyways. Although she could always thank her acting teacher for all she's done, Emiko could only really thank Mrs. Kurosaki and her own strangely gifted acting ability, and all of the knowledge that she had imparted upon her. And her mom too, of course…that was a given.
Speaking of which; Her mom…such a strong willed woman. And that's to say in her personality, drive and in the literal sense as well. Despite a fruitless marriage in the end, Emiko knew her parents tried to stay together just for her. Although every so often they argued, bickered or snapped at each other, at the same time, she knew that they had such great times together. The divorce was a lot less messy than the newspapers and tabloids or rumors made it. They printed articles with headings such as "Celebrity fighter throws her husband out of the house", "Money woes for relationship, alimony or prenuptual agreement gone astray?" or "Fighting both in the ring, and at home: Tatsuki, a marriage gone sour". In fact, from what she knew of the settlement, it was really quick and painless.
Life for them after the breakup though, wasn't.
-
"Alright everyone, intermission's almost over! Places, people, places!" The stage director yelled out. At this, crew and other actors quickly began moving, "Emiko, what are you doing just standing around? Move!"
"What? Oh…sorry!" she stuttered, although the small man didn't wait for her explanation, and pushed Emiko toward the costume area.
-
It wasn't as though they were homeless or anything, no. Instead, she and her mom lived with family, whether extended or direct. It was just that Tatsuki couldn't stand depending on them for so long, as if seeming that she needed handouts. And so, they've been nearly all over Japan as house guests, and once or twice in a hotel or motel. Wherever they stayed, Tatsuki applied for a steady job, but her career in the spotlight more often than not messed up her chances. It took a while, but news from a dear old friend who had found a quaint little town outside Karakura was too intriguing to pass up…after a little pestering of course. Actually, it was quite the concerted effort for Orihime to be able to help her. How it was possible? It was Orihime who did it…so who really knows?
-
"Everyone's starting to filter in, Mr. Shiseki!" a stage hand popped his head in. "The set should be ready in five!" he informed the two before disappearing behind the curtain.
"Oh geez…Emiko! Hurry up with that costume change!" The man absentmindedly latched on the girl's shirt in an attempt to tug it off, only to have his hand bruised heavily and flinch out of pain. "Yaaagh!!" He winced and glanced at the culprit, but was caught off guard by a wide eyed, nervous looking woman. "Who the heck are you!?"
"…um…excuse me…" she began, but glanced backwards to the dressing room curtain for some sort of inspiration.
"Ururu, you're doing great…We'll be around, don't worry…"
"…ok…" the meek looking raven haired woman looked back to Emiko and the pain stricken stage manager, and cleared her throat. "Sir…let me handle that….uh, you still have to deal with everything else before the intermission ends…right…?"
"…Oh no! You're right!" the man exclaimed, "thanks for reminding me, kid. I'll make sure the drama teacher gives you extra credit!" Despite his injured hand, he hurried back out and disappeared behind the curtain.
The two girls looked at the curtain, now moving slowly from the previous sudden movement. Then their eyes turned to each other. Emiko's blush of embarrassment began to recede from the presence of the second girl, and Ururu felt calmer now that the small loud man was gone. "He thought I went to school here…" Ururu giggled softly, and Emiko chuckled as well. She brushed her hand through her raven hair, littered with several purple streaks. "It's nice to see you again, Ms. Arisawa." She bowed slightly.
"Oh…" Emiko was taken slightly off guard by such a polite gesture, "...nice to see you too, Ms.Tsumugiya."
--
"We've got one minute, people." The stage manager said. The raucous ramblings of the audience could be heard from behind the curtain stage, and some beams of light managed to pierce through the openings made by curious students who peered outwards while dressed in their costume garb.
"Hey there, guys…" Emiko said hushed, while still adjusting her kimono. "Sorry, there was a bit of wardrobe malfunction." Although a few of the students snickered, the stage manager focused more on the play than lightening up.
"Alright, are you all ok?" it was a habit of his, to ask that as if something monumental had just happened, and he needed to make sure the actors were capable of performing. But everyone was used to it, and all nodded their heads silently.
The click of spotlights, and waning house lights signaled the last few seconds before the performance began again, along with hushes and loudly whispered comments from the audience. The two actors on stage—three if you counted Emiko—swiftly moved to their spots among the props and scenery, as the narrator's voice recapped what had happened in the story so far, and explained the situation since the end of the first act. In reality, it was just Mr. Shiseki reading from the script into a microphone, with the practiced voice from his voice-over work for the local anime.
"You ready?"
"You bet!"
"That's good to hear. What about you, Emiko?"
"Uh, definitely!" Her heart was racing now. This was no different than any of her other performances, since she always had one distinct face in the crowd, a woman who was always there when she needed support. And tonight's performance was slightly more special; her friends Aiko and Setsuko would be there as well, but there was one more presence that was attending. She couldn't put her finger on it, but although it was unfamiliar, it felt close to her somehow.
The curtain began to draw open, and the audience came into view of the actors. As perfect as the night had been so far, a single shriek threw all notions of that asunder...
The sight of it chilled her to the bones. The white demon face leered at her, its inner set of teeth howled with indescribable pain. Its freakish muscles tensed as the devilish claws tore through the wooden stage; splinters sprayed and flew in all manner of courses through the air. Her glance flickered to her left and right, as the other students watched in disbelief at the sudden explosion of the scene around them, though still unaware of the ghastly beast that drew its breath again.
A claw raised high into the air, and cast a shadow as it silhouetted the stage lights above. A spray of red suddenly splashed against her face, as the hand meant to harm her flew in an opposite direction; sharply torn off at the wrist. A second screech sounded out now from its inhuman mouth, and sang a disgusting background to a blur of black and red that soared towards them.
His eyes shone with the fury of hellfire itself, his teeth bare and hands wrapped against the hilt of his weapon. With the speed that no human could possess, he flew through the air like a madman. "ROAR…" his voice boomed, with his hand placed flat against his blade. "…ZABIMA-" he hesitated; shocked at the bladed weapon that pierced through him from behind. Renji turned his head, and laid his eyes upon the masked assailant.
"Can't have that happen now, can we…?" The attacker's eyes coolly looked at his victim's own with deranged pleasure. With a sick grunt, Renji collapsed to the stage, as the masked man's sword pointed downwards, drenched in blood. He slid his mask to reveal his face, as his eyes were darkened to a hazel brown; the whites receded to the powers of Hollowification. "…just before you finally keel over, Shinigami, I want you to know the name of the man responsible for your death, is Ping Ju…"
All around them, screams of shrieks burst out as those unaware tried to escape. Through the chaos of it all, they paid no notice to the battlefield, only fearing some sort of explosion had gone off. Without any sign of spirit power, the terrified audience could not see the dying man who lay on an unbroken piece of the wooden stage, unconscious from pain and shock.
Ping grinned. Without even looking, the Hollowfied attacker blocked the raven haired woman's destructive kick with his forearm. "…must destroy…the enemy…" her voice in a trance, Ururu focused on the now unmasked swordsman.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Ping scoffed with a smile, until he felt the sharp of the blade pressed against his throat. It was then he realized that everything around them was standing still, somehow frozen in place. The terrified civilians caught in a moment of time, like that of a photograph. A soft breeze blew granules of sand about him, where wind could not have entered, and there was no sand before.
"…no, we're not…" pressed between his two opponents, Ping took little chance against the woman's inhuman leg strength against his right arm, and maneuvered to push his dripping sword edge against the blade attempting to slit his throat. "…just so you know…" the man behind him growled, "…the Shinigami whom you attacked is my comrade…the Vice Captain of Squad six…so it would only be appropriate for you to be killed by a fellow Vice Captain…of the thirteenth squad…"
--End of Story Arc part 1--
---
--
-
-- OC Trivia Corner!!! -- (part 3)
Ping Ju was once a Shinigami, but left Sereitei along with Kazuhiro and his comrades into hiding. Years later, he and an enigmatic old man named Hisashi surfaced to kidnap Aiko Kurosaki in a failed attempt to have her father, Ichigo, join the Ataenushi no Ouju (Death Givers). Infatuated with Aiko to almost an obsession, Ping took a lethal strike from a Hollow to save her from harm, and was dragged into Hueco Mundo where he fought to stay alive and keep his soul and mind intact.
His time in Hueco Mundo brought endless attacks by Hollows upon his weakened form, all looking to devour him. One had succeeded in digesting him, but was soon destroyed however when it attempted to take control of his body, and allowed Ping to take control of the Hollow instead, thus creating a Vizard. Wild in sword style, his Zanpakuto's name had lost meaning to him since his Hollowfication, though it is unclear whether he lost memory of it, or if he just thinks lesser of the Shinigami since his transformation. This leaves him to rely solely on speed and on his unpredictability in combat.
Height: 175 cm
Obsessed: Shan Xiu aka Aiko Kurosaki, marshmallow peeps
Hates: Obstacles to his goals, Chin, Mikio
Birthday: July 28
Favorite U.S. President: Theodore Roosevelt
--
Kon: I don't know what to say about that Ping-teme...he's a jerk, and just plain flipped out crazy!
