My pain is real!

To pass her time a bit more, the female grabbed a book and began reading it. Having also taken another warm look at the male. His head having now fallen on his left shoulder, using it as a cushion. The look on his face having turned into what looked like a faint frown. His most usual expression, that didn't have that much meaning to it. But he looked somewhat lonesome nonetheless. He was seeing a dream, a long one. It wasn't necessarily a sweet one, yet not a nightmare either. His dreams had a tendency to either be deep or meaningful in some other ways. His body moving a little as the vision moved forward. Somewhere within his subconsciousness he could see it. His body falling into a pool of dark water. He could see right through it, yet he could also see that it was darker than normal water. Faint lights shining somewhere far above, giving more light to the obscure pool. Despite reaching his hand up, and even trying to move upwards, nothing happened. He just kept sinking further in, complete peace surrounding him. This again? Hmh... How stagnant. It's always the same everywhere. How dull. If only I could see the light, the male closed his eyes in his sleep as well, contemplating more on how he felt about the world at times. It was a familiar and nostalgic dream. Still asleep, the time around of him passing minute by minute.

Some time passed before the female put the book back into the shelve, being careful so the pages would`t be destroyed. The book was probably one of his oldest once since the paper was made out of dried rice paper, and that the cover was very fragile and could be destroyed if it was held to hard. The content of the book had been about the old china and japan, how the two cultures were alike on some parts, yet so different from each other. She didn`t really know how long she had been reading, but the moon was still visible through the thinning clouds, so she guessed on it was around two, maybe three at night. Kemiko turned her gaze back onto the sleeping espada, her curiosity for his number being reawakened. It would be to direct to awake him and ask...and it would be wrong to search his body for the tattoo just to answer her pointless question. She reached up and untied the ponytail, causing the blood red hair to fall down her back, lower legs and her chest. When she wasen`t in combat and was simply relaxing, that were the only occasions she ever let her hair complety loose. With the hair down, she seemed much more harmless and innocent, almost like a shrine maiden.

Kemiko tied the black ribbon she had used to keep her hair in place around her wrist, a old habit she had picked up so long ago that she could`t remember when. She remained were she was and felt a sudden burst of heat flow through the room, the reaitsu being all to familiar. The figure of a male dressed in a black and red armor, wearing a blood red cloak that was open in the front, stepped out from the shadows that the candles on the table was making the furniture cast. "What an honor...its been awhile since you materialized yourself..Senshi", the female spoke as she turned halfway towards the armored man, who was standing an impressive 6.5. "It was you who called me fourth...i sensed your loneliness, Kemiko-sama..", the zanpaktou spoke, the outline of him being a bit blurry. "I`m not lonley...i`m simply letting Hao-san sleep..". Kemiko looked away from the spirit of her zanpaktou and began to walk towards hao, only to be stopped when the room got even hotter. The flames of the candles grew in size and gathered togeder in one large flame, that oddly enough didn`t burn the table or roof. A large yellow eye of a dragon appeared in the flames, the outline of it being blurry just like Senshi`s.

"Byoga...you as well?", the female this, this time not turning around to look at the reptile eye. "Why are you so calm when you are in the same room as an espada!? Have your warrior heart grown weak, Kemiko!?", the roaring voice of her zanpaktou`s second spirit shouted, without doubt awaking Hao. Kemiko let out a light sigh and reached out, shaking Hao`s shoulder a few times in an attempt to awake him..her zanpaktou`s needed to be assured that he wasen`t an enemy, at least not to Kemiko, else it would cause conflict between her and them..which would make obtainning bankai almost impossible for her. Kemiko was fully aware of that fact, that the sight of a large yellow dragon eye in a ball of flames, and a armored man with a surprisingly handsome face, dressed in a blood red cloak, had appeared in the room. Senshi and Byoga wasen`t fully materialized, they could only touch Kemiko since she was their master.

The male was deep in his thoughtful slumber. It felt like a short eternity. While his life proved to be quite eventful, his dreams were always peaceful. Always, whenever, always, wherever, he saw himself falling into that dark ocean. It was sort of peaceful, yet still annoying. Constantly having dreams like those. Perhaps he'd feel better if he sometimes had other dreams as well. But something out of the ordinary happened. He finally opened his eyes, within his dreams as well. Something felt warm. Much to his surprise, bubbles forming in the water around of him. The water was heating up for some reason. It felt like he got the strength to push himself up now. It was a refreshing feeling. He wouldn't have to think about it for long. Making the decision to try and push himself up. And so he began rising towards the surface. All the way to the top before his hand came out from the water, meeting the air. He was not out, the brightness of the outside world illuminating him. What a weird dream... he thought to himself, before starting to slowly open his.

This happened just as Kemiko was about to converse with her Zanpakutou spirits. His surroundings still a bit hazy, he stayed completely still without making any movements different from how he was before. Basically acting as though he was sleeping while his consciousness was still returning to him. This was sort of unusual, usually the male got annoyed when others disturbed his sleep. But he was in different moods now. The heat of the room sort of reminded him of what he felt when the female was fighting with the Bount. But it was sort of different, similar, yet not entirely the same. His ears twitched as he heard her calling out the name of Senshi, faintly as he heard it. Was she having a conversation or something with her Zanpakutou spirit? He heard that things like that happened as well. His vision wasn't still the same it usually was. He was a bit tired after all. Only slightly opening his eyes to see his surroundings bit by bit. A mysterious new figure having appeared in the room, another one of the manifestations of her sword. A large shadows casted over the furniture. Then, a larger flame growing out of both of the candles.

This happened just as Kemiko was about to converse with her Zanpakutou spirits. His surroundings still a bit hazy, he stayed completely still without making any movements different from how he was before. Basically acting as though he was sleeping while his consciousness was still returning to him. This was sort of unusual, usually the male got annoyed when others disturbed his sleep. But he was in different moods now. The heat of the room sort of reminded him of what he felt when the female was fighting with the Bount. But it was sort of different, similar, yet not entirely the same. His ears twitched as he heard her calling out the name of Senshi, faintly as he heard it. Was she having a conversation or something with her Zanpakutou spirit? He heard that things like that happened as well. His vision wasn't still the same it usually was. He was a bit tired after all. Only slightly opening his eyes to see his surroundings bit by bit. A mysterious new figure having appeared in the room, another one of the manifestations of her sword. A large shadows casted over the furniture. Then, a larger flame growing out of both of the candles.

The words of Byoga mostly fell to deaf ears. Hao didn't even properly register them. That's just how calm and comfortable he was with the situation. If only all the sounds and voices would stop, they could return to sleeping peacefully. Maybe he had to wake up and figure out a way to settle them down. So he opened his eyes completely, taking a look right at Kemiko's eyes. Reaching out from his corner, now properly sitting on the bed. Still no reaction to Byoga. No, the male brought his right hand over his mouth and yawned. He was still a bit tired after all. Taking in the female's features. She looked sort of bothered as well. Not to mention that having her hair open also fit her. The male then turned his gaze towards the reptilian eye resting in the middle of the flames. Blinking twice. Yet his expression didn't change one bit. There was no fear, no hesitation. Nor any other emotions for that matter. You could say that he was being completely natural despite having ended up in another bothersome situation.

Hao turned his head towards Kemiko. "Is he always like this?" he asked, obviously referring to the dragon. Oh well. Seemed like all spirits had certain quirks to them. Not to be too disrespectful, he turned his attention towards the eye once more. A surprising silence, the two spent time looking at one another. Simply enough, the male had a feeling that a being such as Byoga would be able to tell more about people through looking at the, rather than hearing out empty words. The raging roar suggesting he was someone who desired action rather than stillness. He sighed, scratching his head a little. Before standing up and completely throwing his shirt off. His body was well-toned, complete with abs and everything. But he wasn't exactly bulky, just a bit muscular. As expected of someone who spent a lot of his time wandering around. The number six tattooed on his lower abdomen. "Here I am standing completely open. If either one of us really wanted to harm one another, we could have done so ages ago. Me, abusing the trust we have already built. She, abusing the fact that I haven't done anything harmful towards her and have left myself completely open. But neither of us are really like that. So what are you exactly worried about?", the male spoke with a completely calm tone, nodding towards a corner of the room. His Zanpakutou resting against it. While he was powerful without it, this also meant he was letting himself open.

As Hao sat up, the entire room laid their eyes open him. While Byoga`s one visible eye was "burning" with an angry fire, both Senshi and Kemiko stayed complety silent and watched him with unreadable eyes. Already from the first glance it was easy to tell how the two zanpaktou spirit`s reflected Kemiko`s personality. Senshi had her silent and calm traits, as well as the mysterious aura that seemed to surround the shinigami now and then. Byoga had the rage and inner fighter, that most likely had been shaped during her days in the combat division. As for appearance, they didn`t resemble her much. Senshi had the open hooded cape, that had the same color as Kemiko`s hair, and Byoga had her eyes, through it was hard to see due to the rage that was being displayed in the lizard`s eyes. When Hao stood up and removed his shirt complety, it didn`t affect the female in any way. Kemiko had seen men loose her eleventh division comrades loose their shirts countless of times, and even seen the naked male body in the few sexual relationships she had, had due to boredom.

"The sixth espada hmm? You pick your allies well, Kemiko-sama...master are you alright?", the tall spirit said as he looked at Kemiko, who had frozen with her eyes stuck onto the tattoo located on Hao`s lower abdomen. "It`s...nothing Senshi...thankes for worrying through..", the female spoke, feeling the armored hand of her spirit being placed onto her shoulder in a comforting manner. Senshi and Kemiko turned their attention to the arrancar and Byoga, they were both curios to see how the arrancar`s words would affect the always kill hungry dragon. Through Kemiko knew Hao was wise and knew how to pick his words wisely, it would take a lot to get her zanpaktou to listen to reason. Byoga had always been a stubborn zanpaktou, he was basically the only thing preventing her from obtaining bankai since she had been unable to tame him yet.

"Don`t speak like you know my master!", the beast roared out, the heat in the room getting more intense. "You really think your safe, don`t you? Like Senshi, master has the skill to manipulate others by using the right words and right movements...she still strike you when you least await it!...it dosen`t matter if your the sixth espada, she could easily handle a soft hearted boy like you..isen`t that right, Kemiko-san?"". The large yellow eye looked over at Kemiko, based on the change of tone from a roaring one to an almost sadistic one, it probably meant that the dragon was smirking to itself. "Maybe i could, or maybe i can`t...there is no reason for me to attack Hao, who`s company i actually enjoy. Byoga, you should have realized that brute stentgh isen`t enough to get me forward in life...the only reason i have been able to obtain shikai was because i listened to Senshi and used your powers. The three of us need to work together to obtain our goal, but it`s impossible to do so if you keep that attitude up..". The scene of Kemiko scrolding the large eye was quite amusing, it was like a mother telling her child to behave nicely towards new people.

"..Your really a troublesome one....master", the dragon said with an anger filled tone. "There there, Byoga..", the armored male said as he walked over to the window and tried to open it, his hands going right through it. Kemiko walked up to his side and opened it for him, enjoying the amazed face of her zanpaktou, that was seeing snow for the first time. "...What is this?", "Snow...its pretty, isen`t it?". "yes", "yes", the two spirits spoke in union. Kemiko let out a relaxed sigh and looked over her shoulder at Hao, holding her hand out towards him, inviting him to watch the snow with her and her zanpaktou`s.

The situation was almost as amusing, as it was boring. Hao really didn't want to end up in an argument with a being who would most likely keep at it until the very end. Byoga seemed just as headstrong as he was quick to jump the gun. Perhaps Senshi was a representation of the more peaceful side of fire, with Byoga being the raging flare that kept spreading and consuming that which came in his path. There always was more than one side to everything after all. Anyways, the dragon seemed like someone who wouldn't want to give in so easily. So he doubted the being could be convinced that easily. Certainly, the calmer of the two, the tall swordsman mentioned something about the female knowing how to pick her allies well. His eyes went through the two others, before returning to the reptilian eye. His eyes still showed no worry. He had seen all kinds of things in his life after all. And he knew that spirits couldn't influence the real world that much unless they manifested entirely. All in all, he knew that he had seen enough. The female was trustworthy, at least right now she was.

And so the dragon roared, as expected. The heat spreading out even more. The roar was in fact so powerful, his hair began moving due to the force. Yet the male still wouldn't budge. Instead, his glare became more intense, piercing as it usually was. He wasn't showing himself as a threat. Rather, he was trying to read through Byoga without faltering one bit. The statement of the dragon sounding rather. Silly. Of course he knew that people could manipulate, and be manipulated easily. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know much about Kemiko yet. But I want to hear more and learn how to truly understand her", was his confident and honest reply, everything else kept inside. He really didn't even mind if people tried manipulating him. Because it was always about his own will. If he wanted to follow along others, he would do so. If he didn't want to, then he'd just make his own way or figure out a way to exploit the situation. But those were impure thoughts. No wonder, he himself could be quite a dark person when he wanted to. He was sure Byoga could see it in his eyes too. The experience that came with life was engraved deep within those pure yellow optics.

The female spoke once more, apparently telling the dragon off. The sight itself proved quite amusing. Still sounding angry, the representation of the fiery tempest was quick to change it's mind, if only for a little. Despite being so very different they were all connected after all. At the very least they managed to avoid any grander argument. The male left out a quick smile, noticing the temperature of the room turning colder. The heat from before was almost gone. And now a chilly breeze entering the room. Hao quite enjoyed it himself. For some he reason, he found the season of winter fascinating. The male closed his eyes, keeping that faint smile up, before walking forward. Joining the three in their gazing of the snow. The male laid his elbows against the edge of the window, his head barely poking out of the room. Standing right besides Kemiko. Despite the cold, he enjoyed the breeze. "Snow huh... Such a nostalgic thing", he spoke with a surprisingly warm tone of voice, allowing a couple of flakes to fall on his hands. Melting into water all too soon. He wasn't expecting anyone to understand what he said. He just happened to find the season very memorable for some reason. The passage of life.

Kemiko surpressed the urge to rest her head against Hao or Senshi`s shoulder, placing both of her hands onto the window frame, resting her head onto the back of her palms. Even through Senshi was her zanpaktou, he was still a proud swordsman, so laying her head onto his shoulder without premission would be an insult to his honor. As for Hao...well, even through he had, had more body contact with her than any for the past two years, she still saw it as to direct to do such a thing all of a sudden. "Kemiko-sama...what is snow?..", the zanpaktou spirit spoke with a almost dreamy tone, being amazed to his heart by the discovery of the beautiful white weather phenomena. Kemiko smiled a little and reached out with her left hand, catching a few of the snowflakes. "Well...its like rain, exsept that the droplets are frozen into endless ice crystals that fall when the air is cold enough...they melt very fast, and when they do, they turn back into water..". "Your heart has always been too kind, Master...explaining things so simply that even Senshi can understand them...", the beast commented from its flame, its visibel eye focusing onto the backs of the three.

"The fact that you have begun to insult me, means that you have calmed down..", the armored male said with a amused little smirk, the realtionship between the two spirits being revealed a little more. Senshi removed himself from the window and walked over to Hao`s sword, looking at with his deep blue eyes. "Espada-san...have you ever been a shinigami? Have you ever heard the voice of a zanpaktou? Have you ever felt the life of a zanpaktou rest within your soul?". Even through the swordsman`s words were a bit cryptic, it appeared as Kemiko understtod his intension with the words. "Hao-san, you don`t have to answer his to sudden questions...", the female said as she placed a hand onto the arrancar`s shoulder, her eyes focusing onto Senshi.

Senshi had kneeled down and was running a few fingers over the handle of Hao`s sword, standing up as fast as he had kneeled. "No voice...no life...rare power forced into the form of a sword so that the user can control it more...the arrancar`s ways of fighting are so...", "heartless..", the dragon said, finishing up his partner`s sentence. Kemiko let out a light sigh and hugged herself, knowing that the questions might trouble Hao. The wind caught her hair, causing it to flow around her in its full lentgh. For a moment the two spirits turned their attention away from Hao, and onto the hair of their master, observing the flowing motion of it. The wind died a few moments later, and the two spirits seemed to awaken from their little "trance". They both looked over at Hao again, their gaze being calm.

Hao kept peacefully looking at the falling snow, lost in a short daydream. He wasn't really thinking about anything, it was more like the fluttering snow captured his attention for a while. But that wasn't all his attention was set to. Noticing that Kemiko too was resting her head against the palms of her hands that were set on the window frame. He was somewhat curious as to what she was thinking about. For the look on her face seemed sort of thoughtful for some reason. He wondered what it was about, but decided to let it go for now. She had began explaining about snow for her Zanpakutou spirits after all. The warrior known as Senshi seemed rather interested about the new, unknown element after all. In a way it was sort of cute, at least to the eyes of an outsider. At least one of the spirits seemed like a pleasant being. While the other was. Quick to reply with an insult. Byoga seemingly had quite a rough personality. A sharp contrast forming between the group. Yet all of them having certain similar qualities to them. The male now having a faintly amused smirk over his face. Following with his head after Senshi began making his way towards his Zanpakutou.

The eyes of the male opened a bit wider as he noticed the red swordsman approaching his sword, while asking questions about his former lives. Truth to be told, he had no idea anymore. Souls had the tendency of losing memories while passing through the realms. That's what time did to them. If he had any memories of his former lives, they were locked away somewhere deep inside. But he knew one thing. He could 'feel' for the two spirits in an unusual way. The feeling they were giving off was something he was somehow used to already. "It's okay Kemiko. Perhaps... I'm not sure, but there is always a possibility. Spirits like you two do not feel like foreign beings to me, for some reason", he replied in all honestly. Yet he still kept his eyes set towards Senshi. He was actually observing his actions. It seemed like the male was unusually interested in his sword. He didn't really mind it, but he'd rather people kept away from his weapon. There was a reason for him being like this.

Sure enough, the warrior clad in red ran his finger over the handle of his sword. The mood around the house changing in an instant, at least for the two of them. Touching his sword, Senshi could surely hear it. An echoing howl emanating from the Zanpakutou. A raging instinct inducing despair in others. Despite what he already said, the male should understand by now. His sword did have a certain voice, it's very own nature. The one who touched the sword was Senshi, so he would be the one influenced by this uncanny feeling. At most, maybe even Byoga could feel it. But the voices wouldn't reach Kemiko. The owner of the blade himself felt it of course. His eyes now focused on Senshi's. "You heard it, didn't you?" his attention was only focused on the other male. His voice remained calm as ever, not threatening in the slightest. "Sorry about that. It's not something I can control. The sword is a separate part of me after all. Containing the instincts, the sharpened claws and fangs, and the true nature behind of my powers. While it's nothing like the Zanpakutou spirits like you and Byoga, it does have a presence of its own. If you know what I mean", while collected, the sound of his voice was also apologetic. The feeling his Zanpakutou usually gave off was not a very pleasant one. Taking a comforting look towards Kemiko, who had held her hand on his shoulder for quite a while now.

As the roar of the sword echoed in the minds of the two zanpaktou spirits, Hao felt that the female removed her hand from his shoulder. Kemiko noticed the change in aura in the room, and due to the expression and the words Hao spoke about his sword, made her believe that the sword had given a sound from it when it was touched by Senshi, a sound she was unable to hear. Senshi`s eyes expressed...fear, it was clear that the swordsman was either surprised or simply afraid of the arrancar`s sword. His armored hand closed around the handle of his sword, and pulled it out from its holster located on his left hip. The sword itself was around 3 feet long and had a streamlined look to it, the gauntlet represented a dragon`s head, maybe it acted as a symbol for Byoga. The swordsman`s blue eyes was locked onto the sword, his breathing being unusual calm and soundless. "..Die..", he mumbled as he lifted the sword, ready to swing it down in a attempt to destroy the weapon.

His swing was interrupted by a pair of slender arms being wrapped around him from the front, followed by the red hair that settled down around Kemiko`s body after she had rushed in front of him. "..Senshi...", the woman said, her tone being very soft and gentle. "..I heard its roar of hunger for blood...i felt its power...", the spirit mumbled back, dropping his sword onto the floor with a loud thud. He knelled down and wrapped his armored arms around the slim waist of his master, lowering his head so his black and red locks was hiding his face. Even through he wasen`t crying, it was clear that he was shaken by the whole experience, it was the first time he had felt the true nature and reaitsu from an arrancar. "You really aren`t a true warrior, you weakling...you still need the touch of your master when you become afraid...to think that we share the same soul makes me feel disgusted..".

The beast`s insulting words fell on silent ears, since neither the shinigami or the swordsman moved. Kemiko and Senshi remained in their rather cute looking scene for around a minute, Senshi being the first one to release his embrace. Kemiko followed, and stepped back, allowing him to get up and slide his sword back into its holster. The armored man walked over to the eye`s side and made a small bow to Hao, seeming to have gotten over it. Kemiko returned to Hao`s side, letting the chilly wind play with her loose hair. "...We haven`t gotten probably introduced...we are Senshi Byoga...the zanpaktou`s of Hijami Kemiko, a high ranking member of the noble family Hijami, and lieutenant of the eight division..". Even through Byoga didn`t say anything, he seemed to have drifted into a calmer state since he had gotten ignored before.