City of Adventure
Hoo boy! Had to rush this chapter because I'm leaving to go join the army on Tuesday (joining the army for two years is compulsory for 18-year-old Singaporean males). I won't be back for roughly the next three weeks. So, until then, I'll leave you with this, the second chapter of City of Adventure.
Note: In the previous chapter, there were some formatting errors. Apparently, this website doesn't accept the "at" symbol used in email addresses. So, I'm switching to "a" instead. So when you see something like "a Miyano", it's the "at" symbol followed by the name Miyano. Also, I can't write email addresses, so I've left it something like this: SoAndSo a tmail (dot) com. I've already amended the previous chapter.
Chapter 2: The Ibex and the Panther
My life – and death – is full of ups and downs. I died an impossibly long time ago, possibly during the Renaissance period of human history. I have no idea where I was even born, but I do remember dying in Switzerland, from which I was trying to travel to Italy as a young woman to catch the sights and sounds of Florence. I remember falling seriously ill and being cared for in a convent. Unfortunately, the standards of medicine at that time were not enough to cure me, and I died in that very same convent. When my soul emerged from my body, with a broken chain attached to my chest, I was shocked to death, if you'll excuse the pun. But soon I got used to it, and I realised that I had to move on to the afterlife…
…Which was easier said than done! Each day, the chain started eating at itself and becoming shorter. I didn't know what would happen when the chain completely disappeared, but I didn't want to find out. Some primeval instinct told me nothing good would come of letting that rope chew itself into oblivion. With each passing day, my desperation grew. Other spirits I happened to see around the city were baffled. All of them had chains, but none of the others' chains were fading away this fast. They advised me to seek out the Reapers. I tried looking for them left, right and centre, hoping that one of them would find me already and give me peace. But unfortunately, I never managed to find them. Before I could see any trace of the legendary black-robed spirits who went around giving peace to use powerless spirits, my chain completely eroded – and I fell.
My soul exploded violently – but that was fine, because it was quickly pieced together again in the form of a creature vaguely resembling an alpine ibex, a kind of wild goat. The difference between me and an actual ibex was that actual ibexes don't have pure-white masks or holes in their abdomens. A visceral hunger overcame me and I ripped through the town, eating any unfortunate souls that crossed my path. Even when the whole town lay in ruins and all the souls had been completely devoured, I was not content. I needed more, and I knew exactly where to get it. I held out my hoof and ripped the very air. I walked into the dark tunnel between worlds and when I emerged on the other side, a feast was waiting for me. There were thousands of other heartless negative spirits like me in this sandy desert, where the night ruled undisputed. I fought and fought, and ate to my heart's content. And ultimately, after decades, I disintegrated once again.
This time, I was transformed into something different. I became a massive spirit, clothed in a simple back robe, and with a white mask – what we call a Gillian. There were thousands of other such spirits with me in the so-called Forest of Menos, and they were all identical in every way. All were black-robed, all had the same mask with the pointy nose and round black eyes – and every single one of them was brainless, with only the capacity to eat, fight – or run – and to obey the orders of the more powerful Hollows in the forest. But not me. I retained my individuality and intelligence, and my abnormal hunger. I feasted on Hollows continuously, even making a massive meal out of the other Gillians if they strayed too far from their herd.
After many, many years of staying as a Gillian, I had eaten enough to move on to the next stage of my life after death as a Hollow. I disintegrated for the third time, and became a smaller, but more powerful Hollow. Once again, I had the features of the ibex, except with sharper teeth, which made sense given that I was really a carnivore. Also, I was able to actually use my mouth – something that is impossible for a Gillian. I was finally able to express myself, after more than two centuries of being little more than a beast. My intellect had sharpened, along with my instincts and my abilities. My hunger had also increased, but this time, there was another feeling that I suddenly felt: fear. I had realised subconsciously that once I stopped feeding for a while, I would degenerate, physically, spiritually, and mentally. I would go back to the way things were, and I'd never get a chance to evolve anymore. I ate as I had never eaten before. Any hollow that dared come too close was instantly shredded to pieces and digested. I acted quickly out of fear. I also found that I needed something to cling to, something that would comfort me and keep me going in these times. I needed a name.
Nelliel.
Nelliel tu Odelschwanck.
Nel.
I was freed from my fear centuries later. I – a simple girl from Switzerland – had done what only a select handful of Hollows have ever accomplished in the long and bloody history of Hollows. I became a Vasto Lorde – the final stage in a Hollow's evolution. I was at my prime, at the pinnacle of evolutionary success. And, on top of that, I was free. I no longer needed to feed like I used to. I was now free to take on other pursuits. I made quick trips to the real world and pilfered items like books and manuals. I educated myself thoroughly on a wide range of subjects, the most interesting of which were finance and accounting. I also went to meet other Hollows. I met two Adjuchas who decided to stick with me for protection and for a better chance to find food. I didn't really mind; they were intelligent and rather refined for Adjuchas. The three of us stayed together in the desert for a long time, protecting each other and staying alive in the lifeless world of Hueco Mundo.
And then, Aizen came along. He was a Shinigami, and yet he greeted me like one would greet an equal. He requested me to join his army against the Shinigami. He was an interesting man, and his company would prove much better than that of the Hollows outside in Hueco Mundo. And so, with my two familiars, I became an Arrancar in the service of Aizen Sosuke. I was given the post of Tercera Espada – Espada number three. I made friends as an Espada member, including Number 1, Coyote Starrk, Number four, Tier Harribel and Number 5, Ulquiorra Cifer. And I also made enemies – Number 8, Nnoitra Gilga. Still, all went well…until, well…until I was attacked by Number 8. That attack left me in the vulnerable form of a mere child.
Thank goodness for the presence of my two loyal followers, Pesche and Dondochakka, who took care of me in the desert and protected me. Thank goodness for the new 'pet' they found, Bawa-Bawa, who helped us escape our enemies countless times. And thank goodness for Kurosaki Ichigo. He - the Shinigami who came into Hueco Mundo to rescue a friend, and was so magnanimous that he even took me under his wing even though I was deadweight and contributed nothing to his mission. Without him, I would merely have survived. But because of him, I survived, and became the person I used to be. I grew back my mask fragments and became an adult again, if only for a brief few minutes. After that one time, I gradually grew again, and this time, the change was permanent. I was an adult, once again.
Now I had a lot of time on my hands. The war was over and Aizen was either dead or a prisoner of the Shinigami. I no longer had to fight. After loitering around in Las Noches for a while, where Arrancar sat around dejectedly, having lost the will to fight after their crushing defeat, I spoke to my old friend Tier Harribel. She had somehow survived, and was very bitter towards Aizen, who had apparently betrayed her. We both spoke for a long time; both of us had been betrayed by the people around us who were supposed to be our comrades, and just being with one another was cathartic. About one and a half months ago, we both made a decision to move on. Harribel gathered the remaining Arrancar and became their leader. She offered to share power with me, but I declined. I had better things on my mind.
I had to meet Ichigo again.
Therefore, I opened a Garganta and went to the real world. When I first got in, two Shinigami, a Quincy and a human girl appeared before me and they all seemed hostile – at first. But when I told them my story, they backed down. The girl – Inoue Orihime – vouched for me once she saw me, having seen me transform between my child and adult forms before. The Quincy boy – Ishida Uryu – also vouched for me when he realised that I was the child he had met together with Ichigo. The two Shinigami listened to the children's words and did not attack me. I inquired as to what had happened to Ichigo. When I asked them this, the three guys became grim and the girl looked close to tears. Apparently he was unconscious and looked unlikely to wake up from his coma any time soon. Ichigo's father, Isshin (one of the two Shinigami), told me tightly that he would most likely wake up in another two weeks due to the after-effects of a certain technique Ichigo had used, but he seemed worried nonetheless. He also mentioned that Ichigo would never be able to see spirits again. I thanked them for their cooperation and three of them left at that point to go back to Ichigo's side. I could've gone with them, but I chose not to. The last man, Urahara Kisuke, seemed interested in my decision and invited me to his shop for tea.
"How can I trust you? You have every reason to arrest me, or even kill me. I am an Arrancar, and you're a Shinigami,"
He simply smiled, "Ah, but I'm an underground Shinigami. I don't work with the 'official Shinigami' anymore, even though I used to be one of them. Relax, I promise I won't attack you," he wiggled his eyebrows as he spoke. A smile tugged at my lips, in spite of myself. Here was another interesting man. I accepted his invitation and had tea and snacks at his little candy shop. There, he revealed that he was in fact a freelance scientist and inventor and helped the Shinigami who came along once in a while. He also mentioned that he made reiatsu-concealing Faux Bodies for Shinigami to use in the real world, and offered some of his services. I wasn't interested in them, because I had no need of services that were usually needed by Shinigami, but his mention of Faux Bodies intrigued me.
"So faux bodies are used by Shinigami in the real world?"
"Indeed, Ms Odelschwanck! They suppress reiatsu and allow the Shinigami to be seen readily by others, which is a great help in some of their missions!"
"Do you think it might work for Arrancar?"
"Well, I've never tried. It's not like I've had any willing volunteers to try!" he laughed. "But why would you ask that?"
I fell silent and thought about it. When I'd made up my mind, I spoke.
"I don't want to go back to Hueco Mundo. I've had enough of Hollows and Menos. I want to disappear, and just live in the Human World,"
He asked meaningfully, "How can I trust you? If I help you with this, I'd essentially be setting a powerful Hollow loose into the world of humans. That's not something any sane man would do," he tilted his head, having turned my earlier question right back at me.
Sweat rolled down my forehead. After coming back to the human world for the first time in many, many years, I had absolutely no intention of returning to Hueco Mundo. And for that, I had to get a faux body or my reiatsu would cause me to stand out. And besides, I wanted to see Ichigo again. For that, I had to get a Faux Body.
"I'm an Arrancar. We have no need to feed anymore. I can get by eating the same kind of food as normal humans, in fact,"
He narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly.
"You really don't want to go back, do you?"
"No," I replied resolutely.
"Well, it's not like me to refuse a damsel in distress," he said, suddenly cheerful again. "I'll make you a faux body. But I have a condition,"
"What would that be?"
"In order to eject your soul from your faux body, you have to have soul pills, or a special glove. My condition is that you get by without these items,"
"So, you're basically imprisoning me inside a Faux Body?"
"Not really," he waved my concerns aside. "You can always come to me for a pill or the glove if you really have to. If I think you have a good reason to get out of your body, I'll give it to you for that one time. But if not…" he shrugs.
I narrowed my eyes. "You do realise I can always get out of my own body by killing myself? As in, by killing the physical body?"
"That's true. And I've already thought of that. But if you do that, I will hunt you down, Ms Odelschwanck," he said. All the time, his voice had the same cheerful tone. It suddenly became hard as he said this, "It's simply not natural for a Hollow to live among humans, even if you're an Arrancar. If you want to do so anyway, you should expect harsh regulations like these. Know that if the Shinigami find you, they'll be a hell of a lot harsher than me,"
I shook my head and sighed, "Ok. Fine. I'll agree to your conditions,"
"I'm delighted to hear that! For an extra 1000 US Dollars, I can throw in other knick-knacks like a place to live, a wardrobe, and even a job!"
"A job?"
"Well, yes! If you want to fit in here, you need a job! Plus clothes and a place to live!"
I thought about it, then a thought crossed my mind and I talked to Urahara about it. When he heard about my plan, he laughed out loud. In fact, he was so entertained that he offered to knock off 300 dollars from my bill. It worked beautifully and soon, I was working at the local bank as an accountant.
What was this idea of mine? It simply involved a forged certificate which declared me a qualified accountant – Being the crook he was, Urahara found the idea extremely entertaining. The hiring manager at the bank fell for it instantly and I managed to smoke my way through the interview. I was a little rusty, given that it had been years since I'd last read a book on accounting, but I had more or less all the skills in my head, and soon, I got the hang of it. Very soon, I repaid Urahara all the money I owed him. It's been only about a month since I started working, but I'm already settled into the real world. I've already started working on my investment portfolio and I'm thinking of buying my own place to live next. Goaded on by some stock tips I shared with him, Urahara's become friendlier and has even hinted that he might give me control over my own faux body soon.
Also, Ichigo woke up from his coma. It was just as his father had said; he lacked the ability to see spirits anymore. I haven't gone to see him yet, though. I wondered if I really should see him, actually. He was no longer part of the world of spirits; isn't it time to let him relax without coming back into his life so suddenly? My presence would simply remind him of the world he left behind. There's no point in seeing him anymore. So instead, I decided to help him in other ways. Whenever I saw a Hollow, I'd call Ishida or Urahara and alert them. I wasn't able to use my full power from my faux body, being capable only of small things like a low-powered bala. But I could still help out in the quest to protect the town from Hollows.
I also donated money. My lifestyle didn't take up much money, and the rent was surprisingly cheap for an apartment in the commercial district. A lot of my money went into Ichigo's school, through anonymous donations. The same went for his sisters' school too. The rest of my income went straight to the bank or to my investments.
I was fortunate. I came from an entirely different world, but thanks to a few good friends and connections, plus my knowledge gained from reading a variety of good books decades back, I was able to settle into a very comfortable and secure life in Karakura Town. All this was done in the short space of one month. It's awe-inspiring what one can do with a single month's salary.
Then, something out of the ordinary happened to me about one and a half months after my visit to the real world. Just as I was about to leave the office for the day, I found a letter on my desk addressed to me. It must have been simply laid there (rather than sent through the postal service) as there was no stamp or sender's address on it.
Email: Newcomer_156 a tmail (dot) com
Password: Gt65d7Fr
Dear Newcomer,
A warm welcome to KarakuraRei – the only online community of ghost-watchers from the lovely Karakura Town! I am the group administrator, Sakurai Youhei, and I am sending you this letter acting on a tip-off from one of our members that you may be knowledgeable about spirits. We are always pleased to welcome people like you into our community, and so, I have taken the liberty to create an account for you so that you can join us on Twitter. I hope you enjoy your time with us! Attached are some instructions. Please do read through them before you log in!
Sakurai Youhei
Instructions
This email and password are for a group on Twitter. Once you log in, please open your account settings and make a few changes: firstly, change the name to an online handle (pseudonym) of your choice. This group is anonymous and we will not force anyone to reveal their identity, unless they voluntarily wish to share such information (we do not recommend this, however, for privacy's sake). Also, please do remember to change your password.
Also, check your location settings, and change it such that Twitter does not add a location to your tweets. This is to ensure that you do not inadvertently give away your own home address whenever you tweet. However, it is perfectly fine to add a location when outside.
Finally, please do not spam or advertise in this group. Also, do note that this group is a private one. If you think someone should join this group, please submit a request to me via email (to the address sakuraiyouhei a tmail (dot) com) and I will create a new account for this new member.
That will be all. Once again, welcome to KarakuraRei, and enjoy your time here!
I read through the whole letter on my way out of my office and as I walked along to my apartment. I was so engrossed that I only looked up once, when a motorbike sped past, ridden by two students (wearing the uniform of Ichigo's school!). So this was a society of people who could see spirits and they wanted me to join because they knew I was "knowledgeable about spirits", in their own words. I was at first tempted to dismiss these guys as a bunch of amateurs who believed in urban legends and superstitions. But that one phrase caught me. How would these people know about me and my "special knowledge"? They suddenly didn't seem like a bunch of amateurs and horror otakus. My heart races as another possibility enters my mind: someone is trying to manipulate me. Maybe it's Aizen, or someone like him, trying to recruit an army. Maybe someone wants my power and is trying to take me out of my 'retirement' for that reason.
Well, whatever. I stuff the envelope into my bag and walk faster. I can think about this at home instead. I could also try calling Urahara to ask him about this. I could do that right now, but I'd rather not use the phone while walking.
"Nelliel? Nelliel, is that you?"
What? Did someone just call me?
"NELLIEL!" I turn around, startled, as the male voice suddenly shouts my name. Who could that be? It's a rough voice, and one that's oddly familiar. Then I see who it is. Bright blue hair and blue eyes – there's no mistake about it.
It's Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The Sexta Espada in Aizen's army. As soon as I get over my shock, I glare at him. I still remember his cruelty and the way he fought so viciously with Ichigo – all without any reason. Right now, he's in a faux body, which is evident from his lack of a Hollow hole and mask fragments, and his reiatsu, which has been concealed almost perfectly. He's wearing blue jeans, tough-looking leather shoes and dark blue hoodie over a black V-necked T-shirt.
"So it's really you. I heard from Urahara that you're in this city, but I didn't see you around until now," he says casually.
"Grimmjow. What're you doing here?"
"Same as you," he shrugs. "I decided to get out of Hueco Mundo for a while and live here – in the human world. Urahara set me up with the Faux Body,"
I glare at him condescendingly. "You just came looking for Ichigo, didn't you?"
"Huh? Kurosaki? Well, yeah, I guess. I still got a score to settle with him, after all,"
"Well, too bad he's no longer able to fight spirits again. He can't even see spirits any longer," I roll my eyes, knowing that the fight means nothing to Grimmjow if they don't do it in their spirit bodies.
He smiles, with a faraway look in his eyes. "I know! But things aren't gonna stay this way forever. That guy'll reclaim his power sooner or later – and I'm betting sooner. It's just not like him to sit by idly while his friends fight the battles he's supposed to be fighting"
He's certainly got a point. "So you're just gonna sit tight and wait for him to get back his power?"
"Nothing else I can do. I could go back to Hueco Mundo, but that'd mean I'd have to kowtow to Harribel. That doesn't sit well with me,"
"Harribel doesn't make anyone kowtow to her!"
"What's the difference?" he snaps. "Either way it means I've got to be someone's subordinate. I don't want that kinda life – even if I have to leave Hueco Mundo!"
I shake my head at him, then I realise something and laugh. "I bet Urahara's keeping you on a short leash,"
I'm right – he turns bright red and looks away. "Shut up!"
"Oh, it's been too long, Grimmjow," I laugh. "Even if you were a major jerk back when you were in Aizen's army. Well, not that you've changed much,"
He smirks. "Speaking of changing, I hear you've been doing it a lot lately,"
"Well, yeah. That scumbag Nnoitra sneak-attacked me and broke my mask,"
"Broke your mask? Whoa," he winces. "What happened to you after that?"
Before I can reply, he holds up his hand and says, "No, wait. I'm thirsty. Let's go grab a drink; we can talk then,"
Rolling my eyes again, I follow him. My alcohol tolerance is pretty high, a fact I'm thankful for. We step inside a bar nearby and order our drinks. Grimmjow has a beer while I get a martini.
"So? What happened after your mask broke?"
"You know what happened," I frowned.
"No, I don't," he frowns back.
"I became a child, remember? You even saw me in Hueco Mundo. I was there beside Ichigo when you brought the girl, Inoue Orihime, in to heal him before you fought him," As an afterthought, I add, "before you lost to him,"
"Shut up! Wait…that kid…was you? Seriously?"
I facepalmed. What was this guy? Stupidity Incarnate? Or just plain unobservant and forgetful?
"Yes. I was that kid. I turned back after a while, though. I came to this town after a while to see Ichigo, but apparently, he'd lost his powers and the ability to see spirits,"
"Well that sucks. And then you decided to stay here?"
"Yup. I'm working at the bank. Thank goodness for gender equality – I'm in a high-powered job now, even though I've only been working for about a month now. Although…the hiring manager was pretty shocked because of my hair. He was probably in half a mind to reject me because of it. But I was qualified, so he didn't want to lose me to some competitor,"
"As expected of you," he says and I smile, pleased.
"What about you? What've you been doing?"
"Well…it's only been about half a month since I arrived here. But it's not like I've been idle. I'm a professional fighter now,"
"Fighter?"
"Yup. Savate," Upon seeing my puzzled expression, he explains, "It's a French Martial Arts style involving kickboxing. I also occasionally give lessons at the new Martial Arts training centre that opened up recently,"
"Well…good for you that you're actually putting some of that destructive energy to a good use," I say, raising my glass. "It's kinda hard to imagine you as a teacher, though," I giggle.
"Hey – I'm pretty good at it, ok!" he says, and downs his beer. "Y'know, speaking of that new Martial Arts centre, I've seen Kurosaki there before,"
"Really? He does martial arts?"
"Yup. The centre teaches various arts. I teach Savate sometimes, but they also teach other styles like Mixed Martial Arts or Krav Maga. I remember he was in the MMA class. He left after class chatting away with some hottie,"
I snort. "Huh! Well, I guess he is at that age. Though he seemed pretty clueless when it came to girls back in Hueco Mundo,"
"Yeah. He's an idiot through and through,"
"Not like your love life has been any better!"
"Same goes for you!" he says triumphantly, and I turn red. That was a stupid thing to say.
"What else do you do in your free time, though? Well, that is, if you do have free time when you're not training or fighting or teaching,"
"Well, I initially had nothing to do, but for the past week, I found a new hobby – Twitter,"
"What?"
He frowns. "Twitter. It's a social networking site,"
"I know! What I meant was – you actually know how to use a computer?"
"Well, of course! What kind of idiot doesn't know how to use computers these days?
We both laugh and he continues, "I got an invite to join this closed group on Twitter, see, and I accepted. Most of my free time, I spend chatting with them. It's funny how entertaining humans can be. For all their weakness, they sure can be fun to talk to,"
"Hang on – a closed group?" instantly, the letter I received comes to mind. Did Grimmjow too receive this same letter?
"Yeah. It's private, I mean,"
"Is it, by any chance…named KarakuraRei?" I ask innocently.
"Yeah, it is!" he says incredulously. "How'd you know? Unless…you're a member too?"
Instead of saying anything, I hand him the letter.
"Wow. So you just got invited, huh?"
"Yeah. At first, I had no idea what to do with it. I was thinking, what if it was Aizen or someone and they wanted my power for some reason or another,"
"Nah. Relax, they're all humans," he says, chewing on some peanuts.
"How'd you know?"
"Because I've met some of them before," he says seriously. "I've gotten in a few illegal street fights before and met some underground guys. Believe it or not, there's a pretty big underground in this city,"
"Underground? You mean like the subway?"
He facepalms. It's ironic to see him facepalm at something I just said.
"No! Underground as in secret societies, shady organisations and what-have-you! Not literally underground! Anyway, some of them also belong to this group, and those guys told me that it's made of humans. You know that this city is a spirit nexus right?"
"Yeah. It's the reason why Aizen targeted this city in the first place,"
"Exactly. As a nexus, a greater proportion of its population is spiritually aware. And many of these people are on Twitter, on this group, and chatting with one another. Normally, you've got book clubs, fight clubs, even food clubs. But for this town, you've got a ghost club. And these guys aren't a bunch of Otakus obsessed over horror stories and urban legends," I chuckle at his choice of words. "They actually can see spirits and just gather online to share their experiences and make new friends,"
"So, it's just an online club for ghost-watchers? Sounds like a waste of time,"
"Not really. Sometimes they even have useful things like job offers online. Just two days ago someone requested a strong guy to help with some of his errands and I signed up. I made 100 US dollars from that one job. Who knows? Maybe someone'll offer good money for stock tips or accounting services!"
"Still, it sounds kinda shady. Didn't you just say there were some underground people in this club?"
"Well, yeah. But not everyone's like that. How do I put this? Think of it as a party where you meet people both legal and illegal, involved in normal and shady activities. You can go and talk to anyone, and you can walk out of the party alone or with a date who can be either legal or illegal. It's all up to you, really,"
I mulled it over once again. It really didn't seem too bad an idea from what Grimmjow's just told me.
"You know what? I think I'll try it. It could be fun!"
"Oh, trust me, it will be!" he laughs.
Later that evening
I followed all the instructions and soon, my secret online identity had been crafted. It was Time To Tweet!
Shibusawa Sanae a HelloSanae 10s
Good evening, everyone! Thank you for inviting me to this society. I hope we can all get along well!
I wrote the above in formal Japanese. I randomly chose my handle and disabled my location settings. After a few minutes, I refreshed the page and there were a few replies.
Ono Gustave a Gus 10s
Glad you decided to take up the invitation, number Three! Have fun!
"Number three"? Oh, I get it – it's a reference to my old Espada number. So that's Grimmjow!It's so amusing to see him using formal language on the web! Chuckling lightly, I move on to the other replies.
Sawashiro Misaki a Misaki 1m
Welcome aboard, Shibusawa-san! It's always nice to have new members. I hope you enjoy your time here!
Hiroshi Akane a RedStar 2m
It's good to have you here, Shibusawa-san! Please do tell us when you see spirits around! And when you hear other interesting stuff :P
There were a few more replies, and then someone made a post about Korean pop music and sparked off a lively discussion which I joined with gusto. Luckily, there were no flamers or trolls and, just as Grimmjow had said, it was fun to chat with these people. It looks like my life's gonna be a lot more fun from now on. I laugh as I think about all the people I've left behind in Hueco Mundo. I'm lucky I made the decision to come here instead of stay behind there. While they go by their lives eating other Hollows and fighting, I'm here working in a high-powered job and chatting with interesting people on Twitter.
My life is full of ups and downs. But it's awesome!
To be continued
Just in case it wasn't clear, in the first part of the story, when Nel was passed by two people on a bike – that was actually Tatsuki and Ichigo, on their way to the Commercial District for their coffee, as described in the previous chapter.
This meeting between Grimmjow and Nel takes place on the same day Tatsuki and Ichigo went out for coffee. This is about a week before Ichigo himself joins KarakuraRei as described in the previous chapter. Nelliel's handle is Shibusawa Sanae and Grimmjow's is Ono Gustave.
