My pain is real!

During her pause, Hao took the chance to stretch his arm towards his coat. Quickly pulling it on through his right arm, the end of the garment making a nice looking turn with the winds, before his left arm went through the other sleeve. His trusted dark coat back where it belonged. This time keeping his hood off. Most would consider the wearing of a hood as a rude act after all. And he wanted to feel the breeze better as well. His attention brought back to her words. "While advanced, seems like technology still has its limits. Something without a soul can't be entirely alive after all, or so it seems. By the way, good work going against Lucifer", his words contained mild amusement. The scientists of the Gotei 13 sure were effective. The male then turned around, finding a clock located right behind of him. It was a bit earlier than 11 pm. For someone who enjoyed the night like he did, it was still early enough. A stop to listen to the words of Kemiko, before turning his head towards her, the faintest of smiles back on his face. Offering his right arm towards her. "The night is still young. Do you want to hang out with me some more?" his invitation stood. Truth to be told, he had a nice place in mind, if she felt like having a change of scenery soon.

As Hao finished up his first segment of words, Kemiko could`t help but to smile a little. "..More unstable, true...but if you look at what that had to go through in order to enter las noches, they are bound to be a bit unstable...when you become a hollow, you enter the path of "kill or get killed", something you will have to follow for the rest of your life. I`m glad to see that someone are trying to find a way out of that path". It was obivious that by "someone", she meant him. Her face seemed to yet again having soften up a bit, her shoulders hanging loose. Turning her back to him for a moment, she walked over to the bench and placed her shinigami badge over her chest. The moment it touched her, she dissapeared into the artificial body, the badge ending on the ground with a small thud.

After a few moments life signs, such as a rising chest and moving fingers, could be seen on the body. "...It is warm...odd", she said as she sat up, cracking her fingers and neck slightly in order to get used to the body again. She spend one or two minutes on fixing herself up, finishing by placing the shinigami badge into her left pocket once again. Kemiko closed her eyes briefly and felt the cold wind play around with her coat and hair, first opening them when Hao commented onto her words about the body, complementing her in the process for taking down Lucifer. "I could easily have taken them both down you know..but i figured a little fight would keep you interest while i finished up Lucifer".

The words was spoken with a amused smirk over her lips, was she teasing him? The smirk dissapeared as they once again was intterupted, yet this time by serval voices yelling out her rank and last name. "Vice captain Hijami-sama, were are you!?". Kemiko turned her head towards the direction of the sound, letting out a breathless gasp as she saw members from her own division walking towards them. Kemiko held her left hand towards the east, her expression showing that their arrival annoyed her."Way of destruction number four, pale lighting..". A lighting stroke shot out of her index finger, flying between the trees. The feeling of her reaitsu caused the shinigami to run towards the east were the lighting was headed, meaning that the kido had been meant as an distraction.

As usual, Hao nodded along to Kemiko's words. You could say that the two were on the same wavelength. They had their differences, yet it seemed like they could easily understand one another. Such a connection was rare between people, especially those who didn't even know one another that well just yet. But this was a nice development, one the male didn't mind at all. The replies she provided were interesting as well. "That's right, I am bored of how stagnant and unchanging this world is", the male replied with a nonchalant tone of voice, closing his eyes and shrugging at the same time. Opening up his right eye soon to take a look at what the female was up to. In the blink of an eyes, she had already entered that faux body of hers. While the way of dressing was very different, it really did look quite a lot like she really did. You could say that she passed perfectly as an average human being. The body also sealing up a part of her innate reiatsu. It'd be nice to have an artificial body. Perhaps then he could mingle with the people of Karakura properly.

It seemed like a pleasant surprise waited for them. Despite the odds, it seemed like her body had warmed up. Even he found himself reacting with a bit of surprise towards her words. Something strange had happened. What a fun night this proved to be so far, despite the annoying little disturbances. "Eh..." he replied with a silent voice, his own surprise reflected in a visible manner. He kept looking at how the female stretched around. It seemed like these bodies were nice to have around, but maintaining them still proved troublesome. The wind coming into play once more. A couple of clouds now obscuring the skies that were clear just a while ago. At this rate, the first snows could come soon. He left out a breath, the air making up a faintly visible trail of steam. Thinking about fighting in the meanwhile. "Fighting seems like a bore these days. The enemies are all the same. It's always kill or be killed. That's all there is to it, unless you find a higher purpose for your fight", he shrugged, contemplating over his earlier experiences. Rubbing his shoulder with a sort of bothered look on his face. About the only thing with the Bounto that interested him was the unique doll. It was a new experience, yet he found the fight more of a bother in the end. That is why he put such a crude and swift end to the fight.

More voices ringing out from the distance. Yet another disturbance to their otherwise peaceful night. Sounds of other people running after the female he had spent time with until now. The life of a Vice-Captain certainly seemed busy. The male sighed, taking a closer look towards him. They were most likely thinking about the same thing. To ditch the place and go somewhere more peaceful. The others might make a big deal out of her hanging out with an Arrancar after all. Their hands now connected. Even through her hand, he could still feel a certain amount of warmness. His own hand, despite being bare, also having the warm of a male to it. Her little distraction seemed to work. It was good enough. The male took a short moment to focus, figuring out his path. "Don't worry about it. The place I have in mind, we will most likely have complete peace to ourselves", he told Kemiko, having made up his mind on where to go. The destination was on the other side of the town, even going a bit further than that. The trip would take 10 minutes if he wanted to keep them undercover. But the place he had in mind. It would be peaceful at this time of the year around there. In the end it would be well worth it. His faint smile turned into a smirk, before his face became the same as ever. Ending up carrying the female around in his arms once more. A silent blur passed, leaving the search party biting the dust.

During their trip, Hao remained quiet for the most part. The female cradled in his arms. Whenever Kemiko wanted to talk, he would of course reply, but his sights were set somewhere else. His appearance a bit lonesome and mystifying once again. He wanted to keep the destination a secret. Passing from rooftop to rooftop in a fast blur, trying to keep it down. The journey took them right through the town of Karakura. Passing further away from the outskirts as well. Following a lone road that seemed to go higher up. Until they came upon a relatively large cliff, toppling higher than the highest buildings of the town. A single road running through the cliff, a way for some to pass through it. During the spring it was a popular sight seeing spot. But during the winter, the top of the cliff was mostly abandoned. The male had stopped his rush at a spot made for situations like these. Surprisingly few people even knew there was a cliff like this there. The edge of the steep piece of land guarded by an elegantly built rail. The two of them could now see the entire town rising below of them. The bright lights only making it more beautiful in the night. The moon and the stars looming behind of it in the horizon. He wanted to hear her thoughts about the place, before speaking up himself. Hoping she'd be one to enjoy the sights, especially since it was quite a peaceful spot as well.

Kemiko lifted her eyebrow a little over his words, but he could almost see on her that the thought of not having to deal with any more time consuming distractions, made her relax a little bit. When he lifted her up in his arms once more, she was taken by surprise, clinging onto him for a moment before realizing that he was carrying her once again. She let out a light sigh and rested her cheek against his chest, hugging her own body for warmth. Despite he was only a half head or so higher than her, she was much lighter, weighting only 102 lbs, her light weight was probably due to her thin and slender figure. Even through he was jumping rather high and in a fast speed, she didn`t seem bothered by it at all, in fact she seemed to enjoy the trip. Kemiko lifted her head slightly, looking up at his face while trying to ignore the small bone fragment. His skin was warm, he had a like able personality, at least in her eyes, was complety different from all the other espada and had the same view on the world as herself on most parts. Once again the idea of them meeting was fate or coincidence was brought up in her mind, making her head hurt a bit. Kemiko pushed the thoughts aside, closed her eyes, leaned her cheek against his chest again, letting her ponytail hang loosely over his arm.

In what seemed like hours to her, she noticed that he had stopped moving. Opening her eyes again, she found herself looking out at a amazing sight of most of the city during night, the lights making it appear like a ocean of starts. She had seen pretty things through her life as a shinigami, the seireitei during the sakura blossoming season as an example, but the view from the cliff seemed to over shine it all. "..Pretty..", she mumbled out loud to herself, being to lost away in amazement to care if Hao heard it or not. After a few moments in silence, she noticed that she was still laying in the arms of the arrancar, enjoying the heart and comfort the body contact with anthoder being gave her. Before she had indicated that she wanted to be carried to her body since she didn`t know the location of it and that it would save time, that shorter trip had been relaxing, of cause, but somehow being held like this again felt..different. Was it because that the stress of having to worry about her artificial body was gone, because she had come into the body, or was it the fact that she had send her own division members out on a wild goose chase just to be with Hao longer? Since Hao didn`t say anything, probably enjoying the silence again, she had time to think over an answer...but the thing was that she didn`t want to, she simply wanted to enjoy the moment and maybe discovery something more about Hao, while revealing something about herself in the process.

"...Say, Hao-san...how come a arrancar of your rank...has decided to share this beautiful place with a high ranking shinigami whom you have known for less than two hours?...". Kemiko didn`t have a answer for it herself, or rather she could`t pick a answer, so she had decided to ask him...maybe he had an idea? She lifted her head slightly, looking up into his face once again, her yellow eyes taking in the features of his face once again.

Hao noticed that Kemiko's grasp on his shirt got tighter. Without noticing, she had already clinged against of his body. Lost in a short ideal that seemed to last for a short eternity. It was hard to say what was going on in their heads at the time. The two of them searching company from very unusual avenues. Currently on the run from the curious eyes of others from the very same Division the female came from. The male felt his new companion resting her head head against his chest. It was no bother to him. He let her have a peaceful rest, at least within this fleeting moment that seemed to last so long. Truth to be told, the Arrancar himself was somewhat lonesome, maybe even anti-social deep inside. An apathy towards many things having developed over the years. Yet there still were certain things that could pull him out of this vanity. Perhaps he was drawn to the female due to their certain similarities, yet minor differences. None of it really mattered to him though. He always went along with his own will. And right now he wanted to spend time with her, and share something special as well. He didn't need to know the reasons for doing such things just yet.

And so, he stood up there on the cliff, staring up at the stars. The skies above the town of Karakura mostly clear and free of clouds. Looking at the twinkling lights alone was enough. Sometime long ago he had knowledge of the constellations, but he couldn't remember anymore. The skies were certainly more beautiful than those of his home realm, Hueco Mundo. Not to mention the lights of the town. This show of light that seemed to change every now and then to reflect different colors of the world was one of the things to keep him attracted towards Karakura. Hearing Kemiko's amazed comment as well. He flashed her a quick smile, having taken a look at her face. Appearances didn't matter that much to him, but it certainly was nice to have a fine lady around. Especially since they already seemed to share some kind of a strange connection. Holding so close to one another, despite having only known for such a very short time. Whatever they were doing, it felt right. The ever-present feeling of apathy replaces by a faint rush of sentimentality. Such an effect did the passage of time start to have on him.

What Kemiko asked him came as a bit of a surprise, yet something he figured out that she would eventually ask. The male left out a soft sigh, before lifting his eyes up towards the stars once more. A gentle breeze making his spiky flocks flow along with the currents. "Arrancars or whatever, I don't really care. I am myself and nothing else, the same applies for others too. I don't really have any friends or allies either. Living along my life in a sense of vanity. In this harsh reality there truly are only very few you can trust in. My race has got nothing to do with what I am for real. We're all our own persons, right?" he spoke to her with soothing voice, tilting his head slightly towards his right as he finished. Making it more apparent that he wanted to hear for her input. But he did have more to add. "I have no special reason for taking you here. It's just something I felt like I wanted to do, so I went along with the feeling and brought you here", his tone remaining the same as before. If he just felt like he should take Kemiko there, then the reason had to lie somewhere else. Maybe he just saw something special in her at that time? Bringing her there, just for being the kind of person she was.

Kemiko closed her eyes and let the taller arrancar finish up his first answer, taking every word he said to her. "...do you even have to ask if i agree?", she said in a gentle voice, a soft smile coming across her lips. Even if Kemiko wasen`t aware of it, her gentle nature made the double wielding former member in the eleventh division seem..more mature you could say. The way she spoke and acted right now made her appear like the kind of warm hearted woman who had seen everything and wanted to take life step by step, enjoying each of them even if they were painful. Kemiko slided the palm of her left hand across his chest, poking her fingers slightly against his skin until she found his hollow hole. She let her hand rest onto the hole and reached up with her right hand, lightly tracing her fingers over his mask fragment under his eye. "The two of once aren`t so different you know...we have both been humans before and died...we have both tried to be souls..we have both surpassed the tests that life put us through as we became more powerful...we have both experienced a lot through our lifes that has become boring to us...and now we both seek something that can bring us out of this boredom and satisfy our curiosity, even if it is just for a moment..". Kemiko let her hands stay where they were, smiling yet anthoder soft smile that, for a change, stayed on her lips. "It`s funny to think that the only two things besides our looks and gender that separate us are that hole and the tiny fragment ..".

The shinigami removed her hands from the mask and hole, hugging herself one again. "I guess that`s reason enough...i should`t even have asked, after all it was me who agreed to follow with you...". Even through the sky was clearing up, letting more and more of the moon become visible, the chilly winds seemed to have picked up for a moment, rustling their coat`s and Kemiko`s blood red hair. Kemiko closed her eyes a little and rested her cheek against his chest again, slipping into silence as she awaited for him to speak. She found it a bit funny, before he had put down immediately, saying sorry if it had been to direct, and now he was carrying her in his arms, having not mentioned even once if she wanted to stand on her own or not. In truth, Kemiko did enjoy the warmth that came from him and wanted to stay like this for as long as Hao allowed it, speaking with him about whatever was on her or his mind.

There he stood, gazing at the stars just like before. Like he always did. Still holding the female close to him in his arms. Now noticing just how light she was. Almost like holding a feather, or a fragile porcelain. Of course, despite appearances, it seemed like Kemiko was far from fragile. The moment they shared was perhaps amusing, but still more touching than that. That is why he kept these thoughts to himself, only looking on with her. Being there with someone else was more than enough. The male noticed that his companion was searching for something. The palm of her left arm reaching the hole on his chest soon enough. He focused his gaze towards her face again, perhaps curious as to why she wanted to feel such a place. Finding her other hand soon resting over the bony fragment on his face. He accepted it as a part of her innate gentleness, hearing her out in peace. Her words coming from somewhere deep within. Both having gone through the difficulties of life. Starting over, reaching over any and all challenges, experiencing new things, learning from them, and now trying to find the purpose behind of it all. The male had a faint smile on his face as well, nodding softly as he agreed with her words.

The female really made him wonder. For a while, Hao even doubted his way of thinking. Having lost faith in many things of this world. Rejected by many, and distancing himself from everything as well. It could even be because he didn't even try trusting in people anymore. He nodded once, deciding to at least try and place is trust in someone like her. A silent chuckle following after her words. The male brushed the palm of his right face through her hair, softly against her cheek. Again taking in more of her features. "Yeah, it's an amusing thought. We are so much alike in certain ways. This strange sense of familiarity we already feel... But I'm pretty sure, both of us have more different sides to us", his words came out with honesty and clarity. From the tone of his voice, it could be easily judged that he thought it was a good thing. That they were so similar, yet so different. What he meant was, that they still had some differences in their personality, something which he thought to be for the best as well. That way they could understand one another, yet have certain differing views to broaden the way they looked at the word.

A chilly breeze passed, tugging at their coats and hair once more. The air had gotten colder again. They were still holding out pretty well, perhaps due to their clothing and being so close. Since it was already this late, the air would most likely stay like this. The male turned around and began walking for slightly higher grounds again. His feet peacefully tapping through the grass. They reached a small bump on the cliff, the highest spot. His intention to bring them somewhere more comfortable. A single old oak still standing there. The male sat himself down, still keeping Kemiko cradled in his arms. Now resting his back against the trunk of the tree. The views were still stunning, for the city of Karakura could still be seen from there. Above them and the cliff, a formation of dark clouds had gathered. A pleasant surprise waiting for the two. Small flakes of white fluttering around gradually. "Snow...?" he asked with a silent tone in wonder, surprised at this development. The male himself was fine with it, he enjoyed snowy weather. Especially since this was the first snow of the year.

'Different sides to us huh?", she said in a almost dreamily manner, seeming to be relaxing even more than she had before. Kemiko found herself tugging the sides of her coat rather tightly when she felt his hand run through the hair on her head, ending at the cheek with soft touches. "..I guess your right...", she said in a low voice as if she was about to fall asleep. Kemiko closed her eyes once more, seeming to ignore the fact that the cold wind was playing around with her ponytail. She could feel that Hao had begun to move once again, this time walking for a minute or so before sitting down up against a large oak tree. Kemiko started to move a bit, through the movement was only so her head was fully resting against Hao`s chest, the top of his head being tugged against his chin gently.

Kemiko lifted her right hand slightly and watched as the small flakes of white landed onto her warm skin, melting away into droplets of water. "..It`s been a long time since ive seen neutral snow before...", she mumbled to herself, yet again not caring if Hao heard it or not. She turned her head slightly to the left and looked up at Hao once again, wanting to say something that she had been keeping in for awhile now. "...You know, you mind me of Senshi and Byoga...you have the calm and mysterious apperance and personality of Senshi...and within you lies fearsome powers. Ah sorry, you won`t understand until i tell you about zanpaktou`s..."

A soft smile came accros her lips and she tugged her hand away inside the sleeve of her coat. "Whenever a shinigami is awaken, a zanpaktou is born from their soul. Throughout their life, the zanpaktou will try to contact the shinigami, mostly through dreams. There`s no way to tell when the shinigami will hear the calling of their zanpaktou, some hears it within their first 10 years as a shinigami, others never hear it. If the zanpaktou manages to make contact with it´s shinigami, the real test beings. In order to obtain shikai, and use the powers of the zanpaktou, the shinigami must know the name of their zanpaktou. Once they hear the name, the shinigami will be able to speak with their zanpaktou freely in their spirit world, a inner world that`s unique for each person".

Kemiko laid her right hand onto the left side of her chest, looking out on the pretty sight of Karakura in night time again. "I myself heard the calling of Senshi and Byoga during my 67st year in the eleventh division...at first i was scared of cause, Senshi is a tall swordsman dressed in a red cloak and Byoga is a large dragon...but over the years we have together grown stronger and stronger..". Kemiko laid her head a little closer against his chest, feeling the chilly winds once again. "...it gives me a nostalgic feeling to know that i will be turning 161 this summer...to think i have lived so long with Senshi and Byoga by my side...".

The male and female were now closer than ever. Kemiko's head now rested fully against Hao's chest, the chin of the male barely tugging against the top of her head. An outsider would think that the situation looked amusing, most likely. Usually only lovers would hold one another so close, within such a scenery too. Their situation was somewhat special. Perhaps there was some kind of a strange attraction present. But they really didn't know one another well enough to be called a couple. Staying by one another's side there in the silence, discussing life, getting to know one another better. Neither never minding the weirdness of the situation. It felt like the right thing after all. He held the female close to him, in a tight yet gentle grasp, looking out to the sky. Taking a better look at the flakes of white fluttering down while listening to what the female had to say. An interesting story about herself and her Zanpakutou. It was an enlightening tale. He knew that the Zanpakutou was a part of the soul of the wielder, a different personification, but the rest was all theories. Now he knew how it was for real.

He took a short while to take it all in, nodding slightly as she finished. Now taking a look at the handle of a sword poking out from under his coat. "Hunh... So that's the connection between a Shinigami and her Zanpakutou. I'm sure you know by now, the Zanpakutou of an Arrancar acts very differently. It is not something born from the soul, but rather a part of oneself. The true power of an Arrancar sealed in the form of a sword or some other weapon. While releasing it, we tap into the full power of our Hollow side. Releasing our full potentials and taking on a form similar to how we looked like sometime in the past. The revival of the corrupt powers and instincts of the past. It's not like the release is going to make you into a monster though. Many releases of the stronger Arrancars are actually very humanoid in appearance. It's all about how you use the power", he replied, also doing some explaining about how his Zanpakutou worked. The male sighed a little, steam pouring out of his mouth just a little. His own coat, and the female held around his arms, rested on his lap warming himself. Perhaps she would feel warmer that way too. Luckily, the air still wasn't too cold, despite their steamy breath and the first snows. Instinct alone isn't good enough. You can truly shine only by bringing it together with reason, the male thought, closing his eyes for a short while.

"Kurokemono..." he mumbled to himself, reminiscing a little. It was not the name of his Zanpakutou, but rather another name he could barely remember. Certain parts of his memory were rather obscured. Due to a long life, parts of it spent in very different forms. Faintly smiling at her words about the spirit of her Zanpakutou. Now that she had more experience, such things most likely wouldn't scare her anymore. But he couldn't know for sure. For a soul, she was still rather young. Especially having reached such a standing already. He looked over her for a moment, somewhere into the distance. Making a thoughtful statement himself. "I am not entirely sure how long my soul has existed, but I think that I have lived in some form for around 600 years now. Age seems like such a relative thing for us souls. I guess such progress at your age is very good though. I heard it takes hundreds of years for most souls to reach such a standing", he spoke out with a thoughtful tone. Returning her sights towards the female.