[R] Week 86: What Lies Beyond Looks

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too_lazy

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Chapter 1: The Old And The New



"Kyaaaaa, this blows hard," a youth bitterly exclaimed. Garbed in entirely black robes, a mask obscuring his face, he kicked aside a pebble in frustration.

"Relax," murmured the juvenile man's companion, in a soft and even younger tone. He was clad in the same uniform, though hooded and sans mask, a shadowy visage was all that could be seen.

"I can't help it!" screamed the other, leaping up into the air to further signify his internal anguish. "What else can I do? I mean, look..."

Sighing, his partner refused to listen to the rest of his 'friend's' diatribe. More or less, he would complain about being given such a meager duty when they, members of the Keigun, a high and prestigious faction within the Gotei, should be within Seireitei aiding the Shinigami in tracking the Ryoka. After all, they were experts at such a task. Their life's work focused upon looming within the Court of Pure Souls, remaining relatively in the shadows, enforcing the law. So why not do their actual job, instead of patrolling the Bloodstone Gates surrounding the City?

To be frank, the more immature of the two didn't know anything.

Genki Daitokuji was a fresh recruit in the Keigun. Or rather, he was relatively new. He was accepted into the ranks several months ago. Further upping the standard for the police force's inductees, he was flawless in every tested rank. The son of a great squad's leader Genki was raised to be as such; to not be accepted into the Keigun would mean disownment, or a fate similar to death. Constantly pushing himself to his limits, the young man was now eager to test his prowess. The only thing visible on the man's facade was his shining steel eyes, ablaze with determination.

However that left Genki under the care of a more experienced 'veteran'. Although physically appearing younger than the green soldier, Tian Cai contained knowledge well beyond his stature seemed to dictate. Roughly his body was that of a thirteen year old- but the truth was he had been alive for well over a century, learning, watching time pass by. Tian Cai's 'lone wolf' persona didn't bode too well with many of his superiors and peers, so he was assigned to someone whom he would be forced to get along with. He knew all too well of Genki's situation. Like the youth's name dictated, he was robust, full of energy, invigorated through the core with the passion of his duties.

The hooded Tian Cai was indifferent; he was more suited to sitting back in the shadows, preferring to wage mental wars. At times he thought that was why he was inducted to the Keigun instead of-

"Are you even listening?!?" hissed Genki, interrupting Tian Cai's dwellings.

"Yes," his shining auburn eyes shied away from the attentive gaze of Genki's. "You find it insulting to us that we're relegated to such a lowly task as 'patrol'."

"Exactly, man, you seem like such a space cadet sometimes." The mentally younger of the two folded his arms behind his head, huffing with disdain. Characters like Tian Cai were a let down; their dreary 'keep to yourself' attitude only frustrated him, for expressing yourself was something that Genki held vital to living. "You know that there's going to be nothing out here... all the action is within Seireitei, with those four Ryoka floating around. There's only four of them for crying out loud! We could-"

"Be in there, finding all of them before those Shinigami could. Am I correct?" Tian Cai finished Genki's apparent statement. He didn't need to listen to his partner, hence his mind roaming elsewhere. Genki was easier to read than an open book. That and he showed no respect for his superior; it reminded him greatly of someone he knew well.

"Yeah! Can you believe this?! I want to be in there, not out here... this is ridiculous. Show me the action, not some pointless duty that some other bumbling Shinigami could do. We're protecting empty areas of Rukongai!" The fire within the masked man's eyes flared momentarily, as he gripped the Zanpakutou to his side, his knuckles turning white.

"You've heard of diversions, correct?" Tian Cai lazily turned his head to his partner. "What if, just perchance, that these Ryoka are only here to throw us in disarray. While another force, far greater than four outsiders, is waiting for us to run around as if we were headless chickens. Which is where we come in, along with the others relegated to this task- Soutaichou Amagawa Sougen-sama and the other Captains have assigned their own forces to mobilize, whereas the rest of the Gotei is performing their normal routine." The hooded man sighed heavily; Genki was far too caught up in the prospect of action to think of the larger picture. Though it made him smile underneath his darkened visage. The exuberant partner of his, in all their time together, reminded him greatly of Jinsoku sometimes...

"Oh," halted Genki, having finally soaked in the obvious. "But still! The likelihood of that is nil. The Hollow Army is almost nonexistent after the Battle of Ultimo Crepsculo. The eventuality that Vizards would want to send in Ryoka, let alone work with others besides their own stature, is infeasible. So... what I'm thinking is that these Ryoka are here for... is that they're part of a Rogue group of Shinigami. Perhaps those that Shinkou Masaru led?"

"Interesting theory," smirked Tian Cai. For once the green recruit was thinking... and that was a good thing. The similarity to Jin was becoming more and more apparent. "Though that's highly doubtful. One of the men who left with former Soutaichou Shinkou-sama, the ex Captain of the Tenth, Jinsoku, is one of my great and old friends from the Academy. There's no possible way that he would suddenly turn against Seireitei... let alone Shinkou-sama and the others. That is for certain," his voice left the childish preteen tone he normally carried and entered one of confidence. His hazel eyes locked with Genki's for a moment, their nearly frozen exterior seeming to radiate with positive and vibrant feelings.

"I'll believe you..." the rookie murmured, never seeing the usually cold superior of his speak with utmost certainty. "But man! I really wanted to see how Daikiri here fared against others..." a downtrodden voice of his trailed off, tapping the Zanpakutou at his side.

"Easy killer," the veteran began walking, continuing their patrol around the perimeter of Seireitei. A light smile was now gracing his features; the straightforwardness and fight lust of Genki truly did remind him of Jin sometimes. "Let's actually hope that we won't have to encounter anything too serious- remember, the Gotei is in chaos due to so many Captains taking their leave, and our numbers having been thinned since the Battle of Ultimo Crepsculo. The new Soutaichou, Amagawa Sougen-sama, is a strong individual. But personally, all the strength in the world holds little value if there isn't any morale. I sincerely wish that we don't encounter anything out of our control."

The prayers of Tian Cai would not be heard or so it seemed. For blaring through the empty areas of the First Districts of Rukongai, an eerie fanfare of a trumpet could be heard billowing- cutting through the silence.

[1,220]​
 

too_lazy

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Chapter 2: Devil's Concerto



"You hear that?!?" exclaimed Genki, clearly enthused by the sudden rouse in their once mundane assignment. Tired of the conversation with his partner, there was finally something that was worth his attention. His steel gray eyes widened with glee and shock; if one could see through his mask, it would be all too evident that he was smiling heavily. A hand tightened about his Zanpakutou, Daikiri, as he rushed forth in a burst of shunpo, towards the ominous direction of the music.

"Baka!" Tian Cai hissed from underneath his hood. "Don't charge in blindly-"

But the easily excitable youth had already disappeared, his form lost to the winding alleys and streets that lined Rukongai. With a deep and heavy grumble, the annoyed Tian Cai would have to apply physical effort- something he wasn't too fond of, despite being in the Keigun- and catch up to the rookie. "You're so dead."

Rounding about one of the many corners of avenues, forging a path for the unknown melody, the hooded boy finally caught a sight of the speeding Genki. Sadly, he found their current situation to be the proverbial rats in a maze- their goal the indescribable song, threading their way through desolate and unkempt streets. His young voice shrill, cracking in a high pitch in the midst of his chase (which he hated due to his preteen body), he spoke loudly enough over the disconcerting tune, but just enough so that his subordinate would listen.

"Dammit, Genki, back down! This is an order! We aren't supposed to fully engage anything without the proper precautions!"

"Don't be such a tightwad, ne, Tian Cai?" the gunmetal eyed rookie growled back, still on a full sprint for the echoing song. "You think it's that much of a danger if it's someone playing an instrument? It's probably just a stubborn old geezer who doesn't want to leave his home..."

"Che! Then why are you running so fast?! This presence... I don't like it," huffed the physically inept 'veteran'. He was ultimately faster than Genki, that was for sure- but stamina was another problem for the nearly emaciated man. "I know you're running so fast because you know it's an enemy!"

"Whatever! How would I know?!" the lively youth continued his fevered dash without delay. Using a bit of reverse psychology to mess with the smarter of the two, he added, "Why are you so afraid of a song? Despite your age, you really are just a kid! Have some guts, gaki!"

"You don't know what you're getting into, moron!" snarled the hooded fellow, knowing full well of Genki's attempt to manipulate him. He was chasing the rookie in a desperate wheeze to stop him, not find out what that blasted tune was. "For all you know this could be-"

Genki had stopped at the mouth of an enormous plaza, before hiding back in the shadows. It was what used to be a market square with all the shops taken down, their wares packed up along with their owners. What would normally have a lineup of merchants peddling their wares, was now an empty bazaar, the dirt filled ground of Rukongai leaving footsteps of the evacuees. The hotheaded one tilted his gaze upwards to the point of origin of music, which was now tearing through the air with a howling perforation, at its loudest. Tian Cai followed the younger one's lead... his auburn eyes catching a hold of the musician, on top of a temple roof- the center and farthest point in the elliptical shape of the market 'square'.

The childlike veteran could only let out a shocked gasp as by coincidence, by fate, the face became more and more recognizable. Medium length peppery silver hair with black streaks in spiked disarray... dark skin... a uniform similar to the old modified Captain's Haori he used to wear. Though this time it was nearly pure white instead, covered his arms, and was now laced with zippers and long straps of fabric instead of chains and buckles. The figure seemed far too immersed within the rapturous tune he weaved, his body swayed, danced, his eyes were closed, as he played the trumpet with all of his soul.

"J... Jinsoku?!?" the hooded boy cried out, not so that he would get heard, but rather, just in pure amazement.

"That's the former Captain of the Tenth?!" Genki quipped, also astonished. For there was also a reward for capturing the Rogue Captains who abandoned their posts. The vision of possible success snaked its way through the wishful one. Nudging his superior's arm Genki offhandedly noted, "Man he's a sneaky one. Coming out to Rukongai when it's evacuated! It's almost as if he's taunting us! But hey- maybe we can 'coerce' your old friend to come back with us to Seireitei, na, Tian Cai?"

"No..." locked up the elder of the two, completely frozen as his eyes fixated on their oblivious performer.

"What do you mean, 'No'?! This guy's wanted... look at him! He's just asking to be caught. If you're too chicken-**** to go against your old friend, I don't have any problems with trying to take down this guy myself. And if you don't help, and I get beaten, well, I can always say that you were an accomplice and aiding one of our enemies- that's why we're not calling in for backup! So... you either help me, Tian Cai, or I frame you. Either way's fine with me..."

"That's not it, dammit, Genki," Tian Cai's normally ashen face turned even paler underneath his hood, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. "It looks like Jin... but it isn't him, in a way. It's hard to explain! It just doesn't... feel right..."

"You're trying to help out your friend, aren't you," the grey eyes of Genki's shone brilliantly for a moment. "I can't believe-"

"What the hell did I just say to you?! Weren't you listening? Or are you too blinded by success that-"

"You had your chance," the corners of Genki's mask rose, indicating a voracious sneer. He whipped out into the open courtyard and performed a series of flash steps straight for the roof of the temple, seeking his prize that was known as the former Captain of the Tenth.

"Idiot!" Tian Cai followed suit in their soon to be collision with fate.


[1,054]






If anyone's curious in the what the song sounds like... listen to the melody of this tune:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/eG3iCFOMbWx5TA==
 

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