Hello and welcome!

I have no excuses, to be honest. I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter… I've started college classes once more and between that and two jobs, I've been a bit busy…

On the other note, I'm officially looking for a beta for Daisy. If anyone is interested, feel free to PM me at any time.

Also, if you need your Tōshirō fix before I update again, I'm suggesting: Kitai by mellmel a really nice story which I've recently stumbled onto :D A great, but short read!

OCs appearing in this chapter:

Kobashigawa Hinagiku

Kida Rini (mentioned)

Matsushita Koichi (mentioned)

Tsutsui Tomoka

I hope that you enjoy this quote as much as I did:

"A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you. And then you have to put it back into the sky. And it's the most painful thing you'll ever have to do and that you've ever done. But what's yours is yours. Whether it's up in the sky or here in your hands. And one day, it'll fall from the sky and hit you in the head real hard and that time, you won't have to put it back in the sky again."

- C. JoyBell C.

Chapter 12: Tournament II: Exigent

It is dark. Dark and loud. And warm. And oh so warm. I wish for the cold. I pray for the winter. I like winter.

I enjoy snow. Snow, from what I remember, is beautiful. Pure, white, just like paper. It is so fragile, yet, so deadly. Pure. Joyful. Yet, serious and deadly. One wouldn't want to be left alone in the snowstorm, after all.

She likes snow as well. I would know.

She likes the cold.

She likes the ice.

She likes the numb.

She is too numb.

I'm not.

I feel the rage. I feel the anger.

I like that. I like feeling. I like letting go. There is nothing in discipline.

Only darkness.

And I'm sick of the dark.

"This way, taicho." Tomoka climbed the last flight of the stairs leading to the top of the bleachers and smiled at her Captain from above. She waited for him for a moment, as he was looking around, taking everything in.

"Are the seats assigned?" He asked when he finally reached the top as well, panting a bit. He breathed out a sigh and Tomoka pitied him for a moment. With his ice Zanpakutō, she could only imagine just how much of a strain the hot weather was putting on him. She had noticed him slow down his Shunpo twice on the way to the camp.

"Knowing Hina-chan, they are, but nobody's respecting it." She giggled to herself, a cute, practiced sound, her hand coming up to her mouth. "Shall we sit over here?" She pointed at the nearby empty spots and after she got a nod from her Captain the two settled there.

The 13th Division's training area had been completely transformed. The normally rocky area with a large, deep hole in the middle had become a huge coliseum of sorts, with an arena in the center. The bleachers were tall, obviously designed by the 12th Division, stretching from the bottom of the pit all the way to the top and beyond on a strong construction of metal and stone. The arena was like a rocky desert, with uneven terrain, providing the young Shinigami-to-be with the option of sneak attacks and a certain amount of stealth or cover, should they choose to use it. The dust and sand which covered the arena in a thin sheet had risen in the midst of all the fighting, creating a small yellow and brown cloud, making the visibility a bit low for the spectators. Through, it provided a good cover for those who were lying in wait inside the arena.

Tōshirō leaned forwards in his seat, his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, taking in the scene. It was a well thought-through battle, if anyone asked him. He had doubted Hinagiku's battle experience when he'd realized that it was her who would be organizing the event, but he had obviously been sorely mistaken. That, or she had had help from an experienced fighter.

The simplicity of the arena allowed for the young graduates to test their abilities in battle freely, using their surroundings to the best of their ability. Yet, the scenery wasn't overly complex, demanding certain tactics, like an arena could. It was a great choice, he concluded with a small nod to himself.

And that was without even mentioning the style of the battle. It was an all-on-all. While it didn't allow for any one person to shine completely, it successfully eliminated a number of participants and provided the chance for the future officers to get a feel for battle. If they were attacked by Hollow, it was highly probable that they would be outnumbered. He had been quite impressed with one small group of four, which had decided to band together to win the competition. They had each provided support for the other members. The young Captain had memorized their names as the commentator shouted them out to the cheering crowd.

And, that was another reason why this type of battle had been perfectly chosen. It allowed for the Captains to take notes on each member of the graduating class and then decide who they would invite to their Division. Tōshirō leaned back in his seat, looking around to see the mastermind of the tournament, but he couldn't find her. Truly, he was impressed. But, he hadn't expected anything less. From her skills in shogi to her background as a veteran of the 11th Division, Hinagiku had had to have a set of impressive skills, especially for something like this.

"Hitsugaya-taicho?" Tomoka's voice next to him brought him out of his thoughts. His eyes darted to her, but he didn't give her any other sign that he was listening. "Do you know the rules of the battle?" She asked, searching through the pamphlet which they'd been given at the entrance to the camp.

"Just watch." He told her and she looked back down at the fighting. "See there, they took that one out." Truly, a member of the 11th Division had darted forwards, taking an unconscious applicant from the arena and towards the wide green tent in the corner of the field. "Anyone who is knocked out or unable to fight is disqualified." Tōshirō noted the young girl who had stepped out of the rocky arena and been approached by a Shinigami as well. "Anyone who steps out of bounds is out, also. Kidō is apparently allowed, but blades aren't." He concluded, taking note of the numerous bokken, bo staffs and even kendo swords that the graduates were using. "It's a fairly good set of rules. Though, I would've probably banned Kido as well." He huffed from the heat, as the sun was high above them in the sky and there was no cover. Tōshirō felt like he, himself, was melting.

"Why?" The girl next to him asked, and he suddenly realized that she had, in fact, been listening. It's not Matsumoto, he scolded himself.

"I doubt that they want anyone to be seriously injured or even die in the altercation." The young Captain explained. "Untrained Kidō, especially in a situation like this, can be quite dangerous."

"I see." Tomoka nodded and the two lapsed into a short silence. The battle was paused after a couple of hours for a short break and Tōshirō practically flew from his seat. He could feel the heat radiating from his black uniform that had soaked up the rays greedily. Yes, he was positively cooking. He allowed Tomoka to lead him around, his mind hazy from the heat. "Would you like some ice-cream, taicho?" She'd asked at some point and he'd nodded wordlessly. He didn't have the strength. Perhaps he should've stayed in, like he had been planning.

"Thanks." He'd said once the girl had placed a cone in his hand with smile.

"It's nothing, taicho!~" Tomoka had chirped happily and continued to flutter from one stand to the other. Tōshirō followed, his brain taking the back seat. Everything seemed like a wild, multicolored dream at that point. The first lick of his ice-cream told him that it was vanilla and he wondered if the vendor had had watermelon. He liked watermelon flavor. "Hina-chan!~" Tomoka was talking to another one of her acquaintances, but Tōshirō didn't follow the conversation. He had managed to find some shade under a stall and he was quite content to stay there for the rest of the unbearably hot day. Maybe even leak some reiatsu to try and cool down.

"Hitsugaya-taicho?" Hinagiku's face appeared in his vision and he absentmindedly took in her violet eyes. They really were quite a fascinating shade of purple. She blushed in front of him and then grabbed one of the passing Shinigami. He was a Seated officer in the 11th Division, Tōshirō knew. He'd carefully remembered the important officers from each Division, after all. Hinagiku had handed the man her clipboard and instructed him to do something, but all that Tōshirō could hear was a dull thrum in the back of his head. Then, she focused on him once more and he found himself smiling at her goofily.

She was speaking something to him, but, he couldn't really hear it.

Though, after she gently snaked her arm around his, her fingers coming into the crook of his elbow and leading him away, he didn't really protest.

Indulge, right? His overheated brain had oh so helpfully supplied.

Hinagiku was at her wit's end.

She had been in the middle of completely freaking out over the number of cups and the amount of bandages when Rini had told her that they needed to proceed with the match. The 15th Seat had explained that with the rising heat, both the spectators and the fighters were getting increasingly cranky. Some had even left. As if that one newbie tossing a badly aimed, yet rather strong, Hadō wasn't enough. They'd had to immediately stop the match, despite their plan for a single battle. Koichi had done a splendid job of making the impromptu break seem completely intentional.

But, as Hinagiku was on her way to check out the Shin'ō graduates in the green and white tents of the 4th Division, she'd seen them. She didn't know why, but instantly, she boiled. She had literally felt herself squeeze the teacup in her hand so tight that it burst, sending the cool liquid down her fingers. Now, you need to understand something, Hinagiku wasn't used to feeling strong emotions. She'd lived a fairly sheltered life of pleasure with her status as a granddaughter of a famous judge. Her mother had made sure that her only daughter and heir only felt joy at its finest. The last time that Hinagiku had felt so strongly had been her parent's death. And even then, those emotions had been numb somehow. She was used to that state. She was used to being numb.

But, this. This was different. The Shinigami had felt her reiatsu spin and rage and go out of control and wrestled with it to reign it back in in mere seconds at the sight. She didn't know why she'd reacted like that. They were in the same Division. He was her Captain. Why in the world did she feel so… so… livid?

"Hina-chan!~" Tomoka had spotted her and bounded over, hugging the petite Shinigami with a smile. Hinagiku returned the embrace stiffly, painfully aware of the couple of small cuts on her hand from the porcelain of the cup that had dug into her skin. "Oh dear!~" Tomoka exclaimed, noticing the trouble. "What happened, Hina-chan? Mou!~ You need to take better care of yourself!~" The noblewoman didn't stop talking, as usual. "Don't you agree, taicho?"

But, the young Captain quite obviously wasn't listening. He was standing under the shade of one of the stalls and licking an ice-cream, looking around seemingly in a daze. Hinagiku instantly knew that something was wrong with that picture. Her eyes narrowed as she looked more carefully at the man, focusing her reiatsu so that she could feel his. Tomoka was chattering about the battle in the background, not really needing another person to converse with. Hinagiku sucked in a breath as soon as she felt the immense power that the young Captain wielded.

It was like an iceberg, if she would have to compare it to anything. And, she could only see the top of it with her reiatsu. There was an impressive amount of power hidden, out of her sight, but she could feel it. It was positively suffocating and she couldn't really imagine it being let loose. But, that wasn't what worried her. She'd already known just how powerful a Captain must be. Her own was the loose cannon of loose cannons, Zaraki Kenpachi.

What got Hinagiku worried was the state of that top of the enormous iceberg. If one considered the way she saw a person's reiatsu, her Captain's as a wild, electric yellow storm. Her own as a purple smoke, gentle, willowy and sparkling as it waved about in the wind. She saw Captain Hitsugaya's as a layer of cool air. You know, when you leave ice out in the heat and you see a cloud of white engulf it. It was a cool, pleasant air, and she could swear that it smelled faintly of watermelons. Hinagiku had always been able to tell the white haired Captain's reiatsu apart because of the smell. She wasn't too fond of them, but she didn't mind the fruit. Somehow, it made the reiatsu seem even cooler.

But, that wasn't the case at the moment. Now that Hinagiku had prodded the Captain's reiatsu gently with her own, it didn't swirl around the purple smoke in a gentle, yet icy cloud, but it simply flopped to the side, almost like jelly. Something was terribly wrong with the man.

"Hitsugaya-taicho?" Hinagiku carefully asked, keeping her voice just strong enough so that he would hear her over the chatter around them. His eyes focused on her, trapping her in place and the girl sucked in a ragged breath at the intense gaze. Then again, he'd never looked at her without seeing her, like she was used to being looked at at her Grandmother's compound.

"Really purple." He murmured, and Hinagiku wasn't sure if he meant for her to hear it or not. However, she felt herself blushing profusely at the comment. Tomoka had stopped speaking in the background, finally, supplied Hinagiku's mind, and she was now gaping in disbelief. The petite Shinigami made an instant decision.

She grabbed one of the passing Shinigami, recognizing his reiatsu as one of those that usually followed Ikkaku's around. She gave the man her clipboard and gave him strict instructions, all while keeping the white haired Captain in the corner of her vision field. He was looking at her, but his eyes didn't have the usual power which they did. They were unfocused. She knew, even if they locked gazes now, he wouldn't be able to trap her, like he usually did. Something was undeniably wrong.

"Hitsugaya-taicho?" Hinagiku gently spoke to him once more when the young Captain smiled at her, rather lopsidedly, if she might add. She'd never known that he could make that kind of an expression. Hinagiku was a little puzzled by the way her stomach did a small jump, but she ignored it. "Are you alright?" She asked the white haired man softly. He looked like he was ready to fall over, whether from Tomoka dragging him around or from the intense heat, she wasn't sure.

"Hina-chan?~" Tomoka spoke behind her, her voice slowly moving away. "I'll be right back, alright?~" But, Hinagiku wasn't listening to her anymore, either. Instead, the short Shinigami reached out slowly, snaking her arm around the young Captain's, pulling him along with her tentatively at first, expecting him to move away.

Though, he just followed obediently and she couldn't help the way her cheeks went red.

Yamada Hanatarō wasn't having a good day. It had nothing to do with the usual things which disturbed his regular duties. No, the 11th Division wasn't hunting him down once again, like they enjoyed doing purely for sport, as he cleaned their barracks. No. His trouble was a bit direr this time.

He'd been ecstatic when Captain Unohana, the gentlest and kindest Captain, if you asked him, invited him into her office a few months ago. When he'd been handed the usual promotion papers, saying that he could accept the Seated number if he wished, he had been beyond himself with joy. After signing his name, taking on the promotion, he's spent some time staring into the new plaque which the Captain had given him.

Yamada Hanatarō, 7th Seat of the 4th Division it read.

He'd hung it proudly in front of his new office, getting settled in. And then, this had come. The request for aid during the Tournament in the 11th Division. His Captain hadn't given him that mission as an order. No, she'd asked him if he wanted it. (That's why Captain Unohana was the gentlest and kindest.) And he had, of course, accepted it. He wanted to prove to the woman that she had chosen correctly when she had promoted him.

He'd made a big mistake.

Two weeks after accepting the mission and preparing for it, here he was, in the middle of utter chaos, attempting to control both his unit and the rowdy group of 11th Division Shinigami who'd come in for treatment. One had a severed leg. A severed leg, mind you! And, what did the stupid warrior tell him? Can you just… sew it back on… or something? The audacity! Healing wasn't a swing of the sword! No, healing Kidō took time and precision. Patience. Energy. It had taken him three hours and an energy pill to get that leg back on, all nerves and muscles properly attached. And the Shinigami had just jumped up and left back for the arena!

"7th Seat Yamada-san!" A nervous looking Shinigami, obviously new to the Gotei, poked his head into the healing tents.

"That's me." Hanatarō peeped up, standing up from his position next to a man with a gash wound across his chest. The slash had been cleaned and cauterized, so all that was left was for one of his team members to apply some anti-scarring salve on it. "How can I be of help?" He asked the shifty officer.

"Kobashigawa-san asked for someone. It's urgent." Hanatarō frowned, taking off his long, skin colored gloves, and quickly grabbing a few things. He'd officially met Kobashigawa Hinagiku once, when he'd first accepted this mission. She was a serious, no nonsense, kind of person, always lugging around some paperwork and of course, a detailed plan of activities. If she was asking for him, it meant trouble. The unnamed officer led Hanatarō to a nearby tent, leaving as soon as the medic knew where he was to go.

The inside of the tent was hot. Hotter than even his own, medical tent. Hanatarō sighed, reaching back and trying his medium length hair into a small ponytail. That allowed the hot air to move around his neck, cooling him down a bit. When he looked around, he realized that Hinagiku Kobashigawa was nowhere to be found.

"Kobashigawa-san?" He called out to the suffocating tent, hoping that she indeed wasn't inside, so that he could leave as soon as possible.

"Behind the screen, Yamada-dono." Her voice came, leveled, the only tone Hanatarō had known her to make. As he went towards the only screen in the room, he wondered about Hinagiku for a moment. In all honesty, he'd been surprised at her overall persona. She was polite, above all things, and very careful about procedure and protocol. Not only that, but Hinagiku had a certain face which she made when she saw the other members of the 11th Division 'hunting' Hanatarō. The left side of her lips would go up, like she was suppressing a smile or biting the inside of her mouth. At first, Hanatarō had thought that she enjoyed the shenanigans of her Division members from afar, but later, he'd learnt that that face meant worry and disapproval. After all, she'd personally sent him a letter of apology, along with a generous gift basket for his trouble.

As soon as Hanatarō rounded the small divider, he felt his jaw drop. Hinagiku Kobashigawa was kneeling next to a makeshift bed, like all the beds in the camp, trying to push a rather red faced Captain Hitsugaya back down into a lying position. He couldn't help but stare as the two Shinigami in front of him shared a couple of words, ridiculous sounding, considering who the two were, concerning the young Captain's health.

"You can see why your discretion would be most welcome, Yamada-dono." Said Kobashigawa breathlessly as she finally managed to get the stubborn superior officer into his bed.

"W-what happened, Kobashigawa-san?" Hanatarō blanched, stumbling towards the duo.

"I'm not certain." Replied the female Shinigami in a low tone, as if not to upset the currently drifting Captain. "When I encountered Hitsugaya-don- taicho he was already like this. I fear it's an illness of sorts." She turned to Hanatarō, and the officer found himself noticing just how purple her eyes were. "I was never any good at Healing Kidō, I fear. What do you reckon, Yamada-dono?"

"Oh, I'm sure that you were a great student, regardless of the subject, Kobashigawa-san." Replied Hanatarō, nodding.

Finally, the small crease of worry in between the woman's eyebrows vanished and she smiled a bit, looking at the healer with gentler eyes. "I was talking about the Captain's state, Yamada-dono."

"Oh." Exclaimed the officer, ducking to hide his blush and coming closer to examine the Captain. He was used to using his abilities by now. The focus, which used to take him hours in the Academy, now took mere seconds, and his hands felt numb, like they'd fallen asleep. Yet, he could feel more than usual through them. Much more than just touch. He could feel the pure reishi that was in the air. Only then did he lower his palms to the Captain's form. One went to his forehead, the mind, and the other to his heart, the soul.

Hinagiku bit her lip, anxiously waiting for the 4th Division member to finish his work. She'd met Yamada Hanatarō some time ago. She had remembered him easily enough: he was a mousy, quiet type, always apologizing about one thing or the other. In all honesty, she hadn't thought much of him. Her Grandmother would be ashamed and enraged, probably. The old judge had always taught her granddaughter that one must not underestimate even but an ant, for it could turn out to be a lion instead. Hinagiku had never really understood those words.

Now, watching the officer work, she felt like a small wave of clarity had washed over her. Hanatarō working and Hanatarō cleaning were two completely different people. This person, this healer, he had no hesitation in his movements. He took mere seconds to manifest his Kidō and used it with complete accuracy, making it seem effortless. Hinagiku found herself being quite envious of his abilities.

"Phew." Exclaimed the young Shinigami after a couple of moments, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. The heat of the tent combined with the exertion from his work had gotten to him. "There is nothing wrong with the Captain, physically." The healer concluded. "I fear that it's simply the nature of his reiryoku which is being affected."

"Nature of his reiryoku?" Asked Hinagiku, frowning. Her minds had begun sifting through the excess information which she'd gathered from the numerous textbooks about Zanpakutōs which she'd read. Though, the healer interrupted her inner musings.

"Ice." Explained Hanatarō. "The Captain's Zanpakutō is an ice-based katana. The more powerful the sword, the more powerful the bond between nature and Shinigami."

"I see." Hinagiku murmured. She'd heard of the extent of the Captain's powers and how he could control the weather itself, but, she'd never thought that the nature would be able to reciprocate the influence. "So, he was simply in the heat for too long?"

Hanatarō nodded. "That is the only diagnosis which I'm comfortable with giving him. Nothing else is wrong."

"What should we do with him?" Hinagiku frowned, suddenly realizing that the Captain was in no state to return to his quarters on his own, and she had much more pressing matters to attend to, no matter how much she wished to stay and watch over his state.

"I will assign an officer to be with him at all times." Hanatarō nodded, standing up. "I will check on him from time to time as well." Before leaving, the young healer bowed respectfully, despite being a higher rank from the woman before him. "Good day, Kobashigawa-san." He told her, before exiting. He heard her voice reply, absent-mindedly after him and wondered about her relationship with the prodigious Captain.

One didn't just look at anyone like that, after all.

Hinagiku had briefly heard from Kida Rini about a movie that her newfound friend enjoyed immensely. A movie. A moving picture from the Gense. Hinagiku had quickly become quite adept at navigating through a large number of characters and actors (what was the difference, anyways?) that Rini loved referencing. And, there was one that came to mind which described her state for the rest of the first day of the Tournament.

Scrat.

It was a sort of a squirrel, completely obsessed with its acorn, except that Hinagiku was pretty sure that her own nut was fictional. Thankfully, the large fight had ended by sunset, with ten new graduates from the Academy as proud winners who would be eligible to participate in the fights of the fourth day, as well. There had been no major injuries, only a couple of broken bones and bruises. Even one nasty burn. But, Yamada Hanatarō had proven a very capable squad commander and he'd dealt with the problems with a cool head and skilled hand. Hinagiku had made a note on her clipboard to mention his calm and diligent work to his Captain in her report. She was definitely looking forward to working with the man some more.

There had been a thing, like an itch, in the back of Hinagiku's mind the whole day, telling her that she needed to do something, which she hadn't quite been able to think away. So, after finishing all the paperwork and checking for the first successful day of her project, the tired and sweaty officer headed slowly towards the Medical section of the tents. She easily slipped into one of them, no-one really taking notice of her, as most of the Shinigami were heading towards the 1st section of the camp, where Zaraki Kenpachi and Shunsui Kyōraku had opened the celebratory sake.

Hinagiku entered the dark tent, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the lack of lighting. She easily noticed that it was empty, as the screen had been moved to the side, giving her a clear view of the previously occupied bed. With a sigh, the short girl turned around, leaving the tent, completely drained, of both her energy and spirit.

She simply felt... exhausted.

That's all folks!

Anyways, thank you so much for all the favorites and alerts! You know that I usually personally contact each and every one of you and I will continue doing so from today :)

Also, thank you sooooo much for the numerous lovely reviews! I'm quite flattered :D

I just wanted to clear up something regarding the Rukia and Renji snippet I added in the last chapter. I feel like I gave you the wrong impression. I really support their friendship, but I don't think that they are a good romantic couple. I'm IchiRuki all the way!
Though, I do think that Renji has a bit of a crush on Rukia.

Again, once more: If anyone is interested in being a beta for Daisy, please contact me.

Reviews:

Guest:

Thank you so much for the lovely note! Welcome to the family!
I'm glad that you liked how Hina started the brawl! Unintentionally, though xD Hahahahaha xD I always felt like she was a bit too formal… I simply needed her to screw up a bit and let go :) She is in the 11th Division for a reason, yeah? And Kenpachi… Yeah… I love him a little bit too much :P
I completely understand what you mean about the Rukia and Renji at the end. It's an extra of sorts, like Shinigami Golden or something of that sort… Regarding them hanging out, I also agree with you that they don't have much contact. But, they are still friends, and, it's pretty obvious that Renji likes Rukia. So, I felt like he would invite her to go together to one of these 'extracurricular' activities, no? Besides, Koichi ruined their outing anyways :P Or was that Byakuya?

Girl-luvs-manga:

I completely agree! I think that Hina has bitten off more than she can chew this time xD Especially with the rowdy Ikkaku there to mess it up :P

Love'sPoison:

Thank you very much for the lovely review!
Riiiiight? I can totally see Byakuya escaping in a sneaky manner xD Or even, coming to see Renji embarrass himself hahahahaha
Hmmmm Tōshirō getting into a brawl? Doubtful at this point…. Maybe some other time, though? Hahahaha, when he's not all 'Captain-mode'.

d0wn-t0-mars:

This chapter is totally for you, since you said that you haven't had enough Hina-Shiro action :) Hopefully, this will be ok until next week or so?
I look forward to hearing from you some more!

Passerbye:

Thank you very much for the lovely review! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story :D
I can't help it, I'm always worrying if the fic is too boring or too much of a filler… I know that my storytelling can't compare to some of the authors on FFN, much less Kubo xD
Anyways, I'm glad that you'll be back! I'm looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts :D

mayalewis16:

I'm totally blushing right now… Ten times over xD
You read my story more than once! I'm soooo flattered! I'm sorry for the long wait for the new chapter, as well… I'll try and keep up a more frequent writing pace…
I'm looking forward to seeing your name in the review section again :D

Sassifrass:

Thank you so much for the kind review! Welcome to the family! :D
I'm never giving up on this, don't worry :D I love Hina and all the other OCs, they are all so special to me :) I will do my best to update more frequently as well.
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts again :D

Joli Lapin:

Thank you very much for the two lovely reviews! I'm so glad that you liked my story xD
As for calling it your Holy Grail… Oh my xD You're flattering me too much! I actually squealed when I read the review xD
I'm so happy that we both like Julie Martinez as well! She is such an underrated poet… I love her writing :D
I'm glad that you enjoy our poor little Hina as well… She was such a darling to make and I'm having a lot of fun writing her :) She would probably annoy me in RL, as well :P I would likely make it my mission to get her to loosen up hahahaha I think that her personality is a great match for Tōshirō, though :) They are both hotheaded, no matter how calm and collected they seem :P
I'll be waiting for those comments, then :P Cheers!

blob80:

Thank you for the kind comment!
I completely agree xD I had a complete meltdown after seeing his adult form! I think that it completely broke the internet xD I wonder how Hinagiku will react to it? :3
I'm sooo glad that I met your expectations and then some! I was really going for a more original angle in the Bleach 'verse, as a lot of them had already been explored. I figured that an ordinary bookkeeper would be interesting to write about :P
Thank you so much for the good wishes and I look forward to hearing from you more!

KoreanMusicFan:

Hmmmmmm not yet…. But I promise that she will! Simply, a Zanpakutō is a bit too much 'inside peace' oriented and Hina doesn't have that yet.

Mx. Irony:

Thank you sooooo much for the lovely review! You made me sit down and begin writing again xD
I'm glad that you enjoy my version of Tōshirō! He is definitely a hard one to write, but I do enjoy him tremendously... He is like a weird mix of an old person and a complete teenager xD I love showing the more 'human' side of him in my writing :D

Ahhhh thank you for enjoying the Zanpakutō buildup! I really took a big gamble there, as many people are probably very annoyed with me right now, since there has still been no magical Shikai action xD Though, I need to show Hina's growth first, I think. I mean, she's been in the Gotei 13 for 50 bloody years! I need to show why is she getting her Shikai now :) I'm happy that I've made you impatient :D I hope that the reveal won't be too disappointing xD What are your thoughts on the Asauchi? What kind of a katana do you think it will be?

I'm glad that you like Hina! I tried to make her as 'human' as the 'verse allows in my story. Hopefully, I haven't failed xD
I really love the whole accent and personality thing as well :) Makes me giddy every time I write it! We'll see when she'll show it in front of Tōshirō, though… She is pretty embarrassed of her accent, after all, and she sees him as a handsome superior :D
Regarding the making 11th Division proud – soon! I promise!
I look forward to hearing from you again :D

GreenOnBlack:

Hmmmmmm are we talking about the same Shinigami? I was talking about my OC, Nakajima Hideki-san xD
Though, I agree that Tōshirō is responsible for a few deaths xD

A note at the end: I will be setting up a poll on my profile regarding updating my stories. Please, vote if you want Daisy to be updated more frequently!