Teach me how to Shunko [closed, Kas]

Bzzzt bzzzt

     Bzzzzzt bzzzzttt

The phone stubbornly vibrated in the side of her jacket as Kasumi flew down the hill. Placing her right foot back she pushed on the break of the stunt scooter causing it to slide to a stop. Her hair was poking out in all directions from the wind and her cheeks had a blush on the from the cold. Trying to take out the phone as quickly as she could, Kasumi let go of the scooter and heard the thing fall next to her feet the moment she pushed on the green icon on the screen.

“Heey!”

She had recognized his voice from the first time and wondered what was going on. It wasn't like she had been gone for hours, neither did it seem to be dinner time. Had something bad happened? Hearing his words she couldn't help but to question if he needed help with some Hollows. Not that she would be capable of doing much if HE wasn't able to handle them, but, to the girl's relief, that didn't appear to be the case. Too curious to question him about the phone she immediately agreed on going back and took off the moment her phone was back into her pocket. It was then that she found out that riding up the hill wasn't as easy as flying from the top of it. Pushing off as hard as she could, the kid used her right leg to try and keep the stunt scooter in motion while leaning on the steering wheel with her hands. After a few hundreds yards she figured that it would be easier to carry the damn thing and walk back. Dragging it begin her Kasumi had to pick it up and throw the “toy” over her back while climbing the hill. If it hadn't been for the stupid pedestrians who were taking pictures of the castle Kasumi could have used flash step to get there. With a glare in the couple's direction the moody kid proceeded to walk. With every step her impatience grew and in the end she decided to run. That would go quicker, right?

Dropping the scooter in the hall she ran past the kitchen to get gulp down a glass of water before accelerating towards Wey's reiatsu signature. She could vaguely sense residues of his energy and the question whether he had been training or had accidentally blown something up arose. Of course it was quite improbable that Weylin had used his powers without wanting to, but who knew. The moment she turned around the corner Kasumi knew that nothing was wrong. He had been honest with her when telling that it wasn't anything big. She couldn't sense anything that could be a possible threat. And more importantly, Weylin wasn't wounded.

“Hi!”

She mumbled into his chest when the Quincy hugged her. The look on his face said it all and she couldn't help but to giggle at it. Soon enough he only confirmed her thoughts with words, pointing out that she hadn't put on enough clothes. But it was barely less than 10° C .. who wore a jacket when it was that warm?

“But it's warm outside.. Don't worry, I won't get ill.”

Giving the man an apologetic grin, she was about to ask what he needed her for when the Quincy's eyes met her own. Stupefied Kasumi raised her hands in a desperate attempt to find how to answer him, but all that she could do was frown. Shaking her head as if to shake off all types of distractions, Kasumi's felt her eyebrows rise as she looked back at Weylin. His eyes remained serious and his lips didn't curl up.

Did he-? Did he just ask her to teach him how to use Shunko?

Still the serious face.

He wasn't joking?

Staring at him in silence, Kasumi tried to progress the idea.

“What do you mean with .. how can I? I'm not a teacher.. I mean, I can't. Kiriko-san could teach you.”

Taken aback by his request Kasumi wasn't sure how to react. Her hands went back into her pockets as she helplessly stared at her adoptive dad. He was the experienced fighter, he was the stronger one in the room. How could she teach him something? Besides, the technique wasn't hers, it was the Captain's. She didn't know how it worked.. she just used it. Hers wasn't even Shunko. It didn't look like Kiriko's liquid lightning that cracked stones and Hollows alike. Kasumi's version was a bunch of sizzling threads that seemed to move on their own if she didn't combine them to form the thicker strands that looked like snakes. Her body was coated -yes, it made her stronger- yes. But did that make it Shunko? Blinking the girl rubbed the side of her head.

“How do you want ME to help YOU? You're all.. strong and everything..”

It wasn't like she didn't want to help him, he had already done so much for her. No, it was just that.. that.. For one she doubted that she could, and above that, she wasn't sure if she had the right to.. to teach someone.

|Words: 864 – GP 17|

Von Wolfenstein kept his eyes focused on the little girl in front of him, whose face displayed a variety of emotions as she seemingly tried to judge if Weylin had been kidding or not. With an inward grin Weylin waited. “Have a seat,” the Quincy said and motioned towards the floor before sitting down himself. “Yes, Kiriko-san is the inventor of this technique, but over the year or so I have been fighting various people who have employed similar variations of the technique.” He folded his arms in a way that still allowed his right hand to count them off. “There was Kiriko-san herself, you, and two Espada who seemingly all have had contact with the skin in one form or another.” He nodded. “Without a doubt Kiriko-san’s was the most magnificent and beautiful to behold, and nothing I’ve experienced can compare to her.” Somehow the Quincy managed to sound dreamy as he spoke about the Captain, like people who spoke about their favorite hobby, or the people they had a crush on.

“Still,” Weylin continued: “The fact that multiple people copied the skill and added a variety of their own made me curious.” Around the von Wolfenstein’s left hand appeared his usual light blue aura. “However, despite helping you work on yours, it seems I consistently fail to get the feeling right. You see, solidifying one’s aura for a Quincy effectively functions similar to Shunko. You increase the density of spiritual particles until they take physical form. However, that utterly lacks the punch and power of the Shunko I’ve experienced in the past.” The White One moves his hand about, let the outer part of the aura touch the girl’s skin. “You see, it feels soft, adaptable, and perhaps a bit cold…like water. Shunko though, to me, always felt more…powerful. Like lightning or fire.”

Now von Wolfenstein looked at his other hand, and with some effort changed the color from pale blue to a silvery white. He took extra care to make the property similar to what it had been when he had fought Souta, yet still felt as if he fell short. “Only twice have I been able to get this feeling right so far, and the product is this silver flame. However, it only worked when I was under a lot of pressure – and even then half of the power seemed to backfire at me…I couldn’t control it properly, presumably because it feels so familiar to my other skills that I don’t tread it correctly.”

The Quincy paused and looked at the little girl with a smile. “I suppose in a way you could say that I am so good at what I do, that the reflexes keep me from learning something different.” He laughed at the hubris. “Jokes aside,” Weylin then followed with a wink. “I was hoping that you could help me get the feeling right.” He paused for a moment. “I have the following idea…if you activate Hebi, we will synchronize our Reiatsu. From there it will be a little bit exploration to see where what Kiriko-san taught you ends and your own creation begins…but I am confident that together we will learn something.”

Again von Wolfenstein paused, this time he mulled something over. “Say, Kas, have you ever tried to make Hebi like Kiriko-san’s Shunko, or did the current form just came naturally?” He folded his arms and thought the notion over for a moment. “Hmm…well, what do you think about the idea?” An encouraging smile found its way onto his face: “Or perhaps even better: do you have some ideas you’d like to try and explore?”

604/50=12; 28

She did as she was told, taking a seat Kasumi tugged her legs beneath herself while her eyes remained on Weylin. It made sense that there were others who were capable of activating Shunko. Kiriko did tell that she had had other students as well. This meant that no matter who you were, you could master the skill if you knew how to. Nodding thoughtfully Kasumi couldn't help but to notice how dreamy Weylin sounded. She couldn't really place what he sounded like, but the impression she got was him being slightly fond of Kiriko. A grin spread across her face, and Kasumi was unable of stopping the giggle that started to boil over. Biting her lip she pressed the back of her hand against her lips in an attempt to stop the laughter. The girl succeeded but only after a few moments. With an apologetic smile she nodded again, trying to seem serious.

Staying silent, Kasumi wondered what he might have been doing differently. Perhaps he was right, perhaps his experience in energy manipulation was hindering him from learning Shunko. Kasumi had never had much experience with her own powers before starting to practice the Shinigami technique. Thinking, she realized that THAT might be the reason why Hebi felt so natural to her now. While the ice ability had been there first, Hebi had already surpassed it. Figuring that he was right about activating it together, she let the energy free. Tendrils of silvery blue wrapped themselves around her body forming a suit with a few dozens of smaller 'snakes' dancing around her. They softly sizzled, lacking the usual power she put in them when she was in a fight. Extending her arm towards the Quincy, she studied it from close up. The threads had formed a suit, you could barely see where one ended and the other started. Some of them, the bigger ones, had curled themselves around a bigger area because of their length – they could easily wrap themselves around her arm multiple times. However, none of them caused the suit to be thicker than an inch.

Weylin's question suddenly tore Kasumi out of her observation. She blinked a few times, focusing on him before lowly humming while thinking.

“Yes, I have tried to replicate Kiriko-san's technique. I mean.. literally. I've tried to make it look the same because I thought that maybe it would be more powerful.”

Closing her eyes Kasumi sought for the ball of energy deep inside before plugging her hands into the liquid silver. It quickly spread, rushing through her veins and as she opened her eyes the threads had turned into violently crackling sparks. Some of them shot towards the ceiling and Kasumi deactivated the ability in her fear of damaging it.

“It's not completely like hers, but it's closer.. the only problem is that it takes me more concentration to keep in that form than when it's just like this.”

Again the tendrils wrapped around her body; tightly hugging her skin.

“And then I remembered what Kiriko-san had said.”

Raising her index finger in front of her face she tried to put together the fragments of her conversation with the captain. Pieces of memories floated through her mind, coming from the distant day that Kasumi had run into the woman during a 'walk' through the ruins of Karakura. Narrowing her eyes she frowned, collecting herself before trying to quote the raven haired Shinigami.

“You have to find the energy inside of you, follow it and pull it out. It's pure energy and you don't even have to control it at first, just let it free- don't manipulate it into your usual ability, you have to distinguish the energy from your usual powers. Don't do what you always do to get.. whatever you Quincies do. In my case she said I couldn't turn it into ice, because that's what automatically happened.”

Had she forgotten something?

Deeply exhaling she put her hand into her lap, before remembering another thing.

“Yea and then, then you made it solid, but not the Quincy-style solid, just the .. general solid that everyone can do if they possess some reiatsu. Because it has to “endure”.”

With a broad smile she formed the quotation marks in the air by moving two fingers on each hand.

“Oh! And she also said that all of her students used it in different ways. It's unique to you, to your energy and it's like.. an artform! It depends on your aura so it's normal that it doesn't look like hers or mine. You just have to find a point where it feel natural to you, and then work from there on.”

Unsure whether her rant had helped him, Kasumi fell silent while studying the Quincy. Seeing a tendril float next to her face she realized that she hadn't deactivated Hebi, and had simply forgotten about it being there. With a jerk of her head Kasumi studied her crossed legs. Everything was still coated in reiryoku. A smile tugged at her lips again because it felt satisfying to be good at something.

But good wasn't perfect, so she still had some work to do.

|Words: 861 – GP 17 – Tgp 34|

Like a cup that flowed over spiritual energy rose from within Kasumi and finally spilled into a physical plane. Ahh… the Quincy sighed softly as he recognized the familiar feeling. A myriad of tendrils and tentacles wound themselves around the child’s body, forming a protective layer that seemed no thicker than an inch but was capable of blocking bullets. When Kas stretched her arm out von Wolfenstein leaned forward. He softly tugged at the energy with his spiritual sense, tried to steal some of its particles like he did Reishi, but before he could the flow changed.

The softness turned into a burning fire, cracking with tension as if it was not Reiryoku but lightning that bathed the girl’s body. “Now this I know,” the Quincy said and watched it dance, compared its feeling to the other version and the memory he held of Kiriko. A little bit of the energy went out of control, zapped around wildly and even scorched the ceiling, causing Kasumi to revert the change. “Don’t worry about that.”  Weylin was more interested in how she brought that change about: “How does it feel different to you?”

“More concentration, hm?” His train of thought was interrupted when girl raise a finger to her face and began to speak in a fashion that was clearly not her own. “If you do what you always do, you get what you always get…” von Wolfenstein chuckled: “It seems to me as if Kiriko-san gave you a big piece of wisdom right there. You better treasure it.” Reflecting on the explanation caused him to frown though. “The energy from within…Perhaps that’s the root of my problem then.”  Resting both hands on his knees he explained: “As you know Quincy fight using the energy that surrounds us. For the vast majority of our skills there isn’t even need to let Reishi truly flow through you, only when reaching higher levels does that become a necessity, therefore I am not quite sure whether we even have an inherit inner power…”

The White One rubbed at his chin for a moment. “In principle Quincy are empty vessels and the Reishi fill us before we can do anything. That’s why denying Reishi to a Quincy is a more than solid tactic in battle. Pretty much all other races have an inner spark though that enables their power, no matter what that looks like in the end.”  A sigh came over Weylin’s lips. “How about I show you what I got and we take it from there?”

On his feet again von Wolfenstein took a couple of steps back before coating himself in Reishi as usual. It was a soft aura that seemed to steadily float away like fine mist. “Step one,” he explained before sucking in air: “Step two.” At once the pale blue turned to silver, the mist began to burn as if it had been set on fire. However, at the same time it became unstable. Again and again the Reiatsu began to convulse and collapse on itself and seemed only moments away from an explosion before the Quincy turned it off. “As you can tell it’s far from stable. I’ve only used it in fights so far and there that factor came as a double edged sword. There were moments where it seemed just fine and I hit like a ton of bricks, in others it dissipated, barely blunting the blow…Plus, it takes a lot of effort and concentration. I constantly have to command the particles to change their nature.”

The Quincy sat back down again. “An art form, hu? …Well, I suppose it’s good that it can work when highly individualized, that gives me hope that I can figure this thing out yet.” He reached out to her and asked:  “Hold my hands.” Hebi felt cold, but not uncomfortably so. And despite building a solid surface with tendrils trailing off, Weylin now understood why she called it Hebi. His senses trailed along the individual snakes, explored the intricate web that they formed. All of them were connected though, had their origin within the core of the girl’s soul. “Interesting,” the White One mumbled. “Can you do me a favor and do Kiriko’s version again?”

“Marvelous,” von Wolfenstein whispered, eyes closed. Again his mind trailed along the outline of the aura before going deeper and deeper, peeling away layer after layer. This jagged and volatile aura had its source at her core as well. “Kasumi, when you evoke this aura, what do you visualize beforehand? Perhaps something like a lake and you take from it with both hands before forming it?”

Eventually the Quincy leaned back, supporting himself with his arms and looking skyward, staring at the scorched ceiling. “Thank you, Kas.” He said as a sign for her to return to her Hebi, if she wished. There was a moment of silence. “I have a theory,” Weylin eventually began. “You said it’s an energy from within, but we already explained that Quincy don’t really have such a thing…You also said it’s like taking from a source and molding it, didn’t you?” Von Wolfenstein held forth an arm over which a small blue sphere hovered. “What if I were to establish a place in myself that stored energy? Think of it as a water reservoir. I prepare it, fill it and when using Shunko simply open the gates and let it flow.” The blue orb began to grow paler from the top to the bottom, yet an aura expanded around it. “Naturally that means, given it works, that either I have to find a way to refill said basin, or my Shunko will have a fixed timer before running out. “

He looked at his adopted daughter. For a girl her age she was truly amazing. Smart, an expert martial artist, capable of commanding forces that could level a city block should she so wish, but with an innocent and a kind heart. “What do you think,” Weylin asked with a look in his eyes that said he was proud of her achievements.

1012/50=20; 488

..aggressive

His version contained so much energy that it seemed on the edge of exploding. Was it this powerful because he was? Or was he forcing it? Absentmindedly she reached out and got a hold of his hands. The snakes lazily floated around her as she studied Weylin's concentrated face. He did look a bit funny like this and she grinned in amusement at the little movements in his facial expression. His mumbling pushed her to concentrate once again, trying to imitate Kiriko's Shunko in all its aspects. For a second the snakes got all types of convulsions before they changed into the electricity looking sparks from before. She felt her heart skip a beat as she tried to control the strangely moving energy. This wasn't natural and therefore it wasn't easy. About to panic and seal it off again she sighed in relief when Weylin indicated that she could drop the act.

Allowing the energy to slowly dissolve around her Kasumi thought. Mostly she didn't visualize anything anymore, unless it was something she needed concentration for – like replicating something that more or less looked like liquid lightning. With a thoughtful look on her face she brought her hands in front of her.

“No, not a lake. It's more of a large ball of energy. I just wrap my hands around it in my mind and I can feel, almost.. taste the energy. When I try out something new that's mostly how I start out to make sure that I don't lose control. It's easier for me to mold the energy in what I need when it's still.. just that – energy. That's why half of the time that I use-”

Her story abruptly came to an end. Quicnies used the energy of their environment. He wanted to store the energy inside of him to use it later on? Yes, a good thing, but then he would need to replenish it every time he had used it. In battle, that might form a big problem if his opponent was strong enough to last. For example if his opponent would be the captain. Narrowing her eyes she mumbled.

“No.. nonono. You should't store it..you should feel it, make it natural.”

When the water froze, and the memories flooded her mind, she lost control. That's when it was easier to go along. To let the flow take you wherever it wanted you to be.

“Don't try to make it yours, you should become IT. Like water, it has a current. Instead of fighting it, which takes energy- like you changing it, let it take you with it. You've said that you take reishi from your surroundings. It must have a spin, everyone's reiatsu has its own unique movement. No, not just everyone.. everything. Yea! You should adjust your 'Shunko' to the surrounding's flow of energy and then when it becomes one you could use it without losing energy, concentration or time.”

That made sense, right? If water had it, it didn't mean that rocks or plants didn't have it. Weylin didn't see the water's memory, but that didn't mean that it didn't exist. So if Kasumi was too blind to see the other things, it didn't mean that they weren't there. And the fact that the Quincy took that energy .. the energy of their surroundings only proved that there was more to it than met the eye. Such a shame that they didn't see those memories.. Sinking into deep thoughts about the possibility of everything, not just water, being imprinted with traces of time and space, Kasumi's eyes became a bit distant.

Water already held so many memories.. but what if one could see everything.. that would mean an inexhaustible source of knowledge.

|Words: 624 – GP 12 – Tgp 46|

A battery. the more Weylin thought about the idea the more he came to like it. He already figured out a way to store more Reishi within his blood than other Quincy, so creating a space either within or at least attached to him to fuel Shunko sounded feasible. If I have to run it through the system first, perhaps I can store it either in Vene or Aterie. It'll hamper my ability to switch quickly, but I seldom do so anyways...plus, I might not need to anymore if I can get this right.

Kasumi's words made him look up again. “A ball of energy...” he repeated. “Well, it's a good visualization if it helps you. Though how does that energy differ from the Hebi you use in the end?” His question was interrupted by a rather vehement outburst of the little lady. “I see the danger in running out of juice,” von Wolfenstein admitted: “But for now I don't even know how much and how quickly Shunko depletes the reserve I would – or could – give it.” The Quincy paused for a moment:I suppose it is hard to understand for someone to whom it comes very natural.

What the white haired girl said next caused Weylin to raise his eyebrows in surprise, and immediately a proud look lit up his face. “Woa! Look at you, Kasumi!” He reached out and ruffled her hair. “You've really grown! To be able to say such smart and insightful things when only month ago you were struggling with the form of your moves...I gladly admit: I am proud of you!” Using Reishi to move a pen some scribbles began to appear on the white board.

Aura. Own spin. Let the current take you. No battery.

Albeit the watchful eye would have noticed that it was the battery part that had been underlined, Weylin made sure to keep his ward busy. “Now, after all that hard work...how about we do a spar? You can go all out and use Hebi as much as you can. It'll be good exercise for you, and feeling it more often will be great for me too.” The Quincy rose with a wink: “Who knows, perhaps afterwards I'll even cook your favorite food for dinner.”

It would be a full day until Weylin returned to the mansion on the hill to pick up where he had left off. Talking with Kasumi had been a great idea as it clarified a lot of things as well as giving the Quincy more points to work off of. “Let's see,” von Wolfenstein mumbled and turned the white board about that was now home to an array of thoughts, most of them in his hasty handwriting, scribbled during or after the spar. “Let's go with the battery for now. I feel that can work.” Rolling the board to the middle of a wall the White One turned to take a seat in the lotus position. Folding his hands the Quincy first stored Reishi within his blood in the usual fashion. Then he carefully wove new strings into the stream that went in the opposite direction as the former transfusion. It took a while and Weylin had to start over when he realized that he had unconsciously made it so similar that he failed to distinguish one from the other, but in the end his pedantic work had success.

The Quincy rose, having found that it was easier for him to imitate the flow he felt from Kasumi that way. “A ball of energy,” Weylin whispered and balanced the fine line between envisioning it and materializing it. Holding the mental image between his hands von Wolfenstein listened, waited for a feeling, perhaps even a taste, yet it remained strangely silent. Gingerly he began to pull at the orb, immediately getting a whiplash. Let the current take you. Kasumi had said. But what if there was no current? Minutes passed and eventually Weylin had persisted in the same position for nearly an hour. Still nothing. With a heavy sigh the Quincy began to roll his shoulders and stretch. “Well, that was a whole lot of nothing,” he mumbled and walked over to the window, opening it. The cold air felt good on his skin, and von Wolfenstein was hoping it would bring enlightenment. Weylin wiggled his nose as he realized how stale the air in the room had become and that there had barely been any circulation with all the windows closed...

“Hang on.”

With quick steps the German returned to the board and began to draw, erase, draw, erase, draw. When he was done Weylin had created several images. Loops with and without movement, an idea how to keep the energy he stored circulating at a faster pace...But somehow he began to doubt that storage was a good idea. “Shunko always seems so...alive. It's moving, changing, existing.” A heavy sigh. “Blimey, but the kid must just be right...” A quick look at his watch revealed to the Quincy that he would have to follow this train of thought another time.

The next morning Weylin rose early and began to make pancakes whilst musing over a variety of projects. The portal with Ace and Jaina was almost completed, thus preparations had to be made. The Quincy glanced out of the window towards the hill where at a tiny grave he had laid down fresh flowers the other day. Steps on the stairs brought him back into the now however as he heard small feet hastily make their way towards him. Leaning against the stove von Wolfenstein awaited the joyous outcry when Kasumi would confirm that it was indeed pancake-for-breakfast day. Upon seeing the bundle of energy Weylin felt a pang of pain, a guilty conscience. I'll have to tell her...or at least...inform her. In a way...

“Ahaha, there you are already,” the Quincy said with half a grin. “No, I haven't figured the Shunko thing out quite yet. However, I do have a much better idea...I am going try again today, if you're bored and want to come along.”

1013/50=20

After their spar Kasumi had felt the need for a long shower and immediately ran off, leaving Weylin alone with his thoughts. It had been intriguing to see him try to use his own version of Shunko- or well, something that would soon become a technique. Kasumi was pretty sure that he would figure out how to control his energy the way he had to real soon. Weylin was an experienced Quincy, and if Kasumi had been capable of getting the basics on the technique and even managed to develop it a bit further, then so would he. Running the water she disinfected one of the scratches she had earned during their little game. Soon she closed her eyes and let the cool water wash away the tension together with the dirt and sweat. Perhaps it would have been better to wash the little cuts before disinfecting them. Oh well, she could always do it for a second time, even if it would sting again. Enjoying the relaxing shower her mind was still busy with analyzing the fight. In time she would need to find a way to strengthen her defense. Currently hitting things wasn't a problem. She had plenty of power when it came to punching or kicking. But being punched was something else entirely. That was her weakness she realized as her fingers clutched the bottle of shampoo. Hebi didn't protect her enough from powerful hits, not as much as she would have wanted it to. Up till now Kasumi hadn't been able to find out why. She would need to work on that sometime soon. Perhaps even tomorrow.

-

With a creak she opened the door leading to the hall opened, letting in a gush of sound and smell. Weylin had been cooking! Wiggling her nose Kasumi could tell by the sweet scent that breakfast would consist out of pancakes. Her tummy rumbled and Kasumi didn't have the patience to ran down the stairs, instead, she jumped over the railing landing at the bottom with the help of a small reishi platform.

“Wey!”

She called before dashing into the kitchen with a broad smile on her lips. Yes! Pancakes! She had guessed right. It was probably hard not to- unless you had lost your ability to smell.

“Oohhh pancakes! Awesomeeeeee~ !”

Quickly grabbing one she gave him an apologetic puppy look before rolling it up and taking a bite. It was still warm, but she didn't mind that as the sweetness filled her mouth. Kasumi had always been in love with pancakes. Chewing careully she swallowed before distracting him from her 'theft'.

“How did it go last night? Did you figure it out this time? Does the Shunko thing work? Have you found the 'spin' or did you collect the energy like the day before?”

Posing questions one after the other has always been Kasumi's technique when it came down to distracting people from whatever she wanted them distracted from. After taking another bit she picked up a plate while giving Wey a thoughtful look. A grin broke through when she got her hands on the honey.

“These are gooooooooooooooood. You don't even need someone to cook for you! You can do it yourself.. Hmm but still, Wey why don't you get yourself a girlfriend?”

One of the things Kasumi could be was tactless. Happily proceeding with chewing on the pancake, she dipped it in honey before using a knife and fork before finishing with gobbling the first one. Her curious gaze went over to the white haired Quincy before she reached out to get another pancake. The whole thing suddenly reminded her of her stay in Soul Society. Back then she had made Kiriko pancakes. And not just that. She had offered her to come live with her and.. and Alexandra. Jumping from her seat she quickly got to the fridge to hide the strange look on her face. Kasumi rummaged through the food inside before getting herself a coke. These few moments helped her to shake off the strange feeling, and as she got back into her seat her only worry was whether Weylin would try to take her coke by lecturing her on it being 'unhealthy'.

“Of course I want to come along! What's the idea?”

Excitement rushed through her body as she opened the can and took a sip- sugar soon joined the excitement and Kasumi felt like she was ready to take on the world.

“Let's go now!”

Another pancake made her feel full and she decided that a fourth one would make her sick if she would decide to actually train. She could always warm up some of them later. Or bet Weylin on making new ones if he would fail to imitate her Shunko. A little grin appeared on her face and she covered it with a napkin while wiping her mouth. All she would need to do was get him to actually take the bet. Wondering what he would want in return, Kasumi decided that if she would lose she would be the one to cook. The Quincy would probably take them out for dinner if that would happen- Kasumi really wasn't the best cook around. Yes.. that would be a perfect bet.

|Words: 873 – GP 17 – Tgp 63|

”Weylin, why don’t you get yourself a girlfriend?”

The innocent sentence struck harder than blows possibly could. “Ah…ah…” One hand wandered to the Quincy’s chest and grabbed the fabric over his heart in order to express the pain Weylin felt in that moment. “Your innocence is brutal…” Von Wolfenstein sighed but smiled: “It’s not that easy, you know? I live a complicated life! I am an exiled Quincy, on the target list of many influential people – living and dead alike – as well as *gasp* a a single parent.” Weylin nodded to himself: “I am sorry, Kasumi, but I am not sure when and if you ever get a mother whilst being my daughter.” He gave her a wink and unloaded a pancake on her plate. As she dug in happily von Wolfenstein found himself gazing at her lovingly. You never fail to put a smile on my face. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead: “Well, I hope you stick with me regardless, haha.”

“Shunko needs to be alive, needs to be free. I realized that, or rather accepted that now,” von Wolfenstein said as they climbed the hill towards the mansion together. “My initial attempt to create a battery in order to have a reservoir of energy that was different from the usual Reishi I use was, as you predicted, a failure. It went against the nature of the technique in a sense. I tried to do things in a pre-calculated and determined manner because that’s how most of what I do works…this however needs some…needs some room to breathe.” A gust of wind caused Weylin’s coat to bellow behind him wildly, making it look rather ridiculous than authoritarian. Probably life’s way to spite the Quincy’s attempt to say something cool in front of the little girl.

Losing himself in his scholastic nature von Wolfenstein went on to explain the differences in wavelength between the typical Reishi and the Shunko. However, he quickly gained the impression that he had lost Kasumi in doing so and tried to regain her attention by looking for parallels. “I guess for now its best if we stick with the example of breathing…My Reiatsu suffocated the Shunko aura because it robs it of the freedom necessary to live, burn, do what Shunko does.” The White One shrugged: “I suppose it is my own ‘German’ desire to have everything under control and to my whim that holds me back.” He snapped his fingers: “I know! It’s like me telling you to clean your room despite you claiming it is constructive chaos! Just like Shunko and I, you and I need to come to a compromise.”

A smirk rushed over the Quincy’s face: “Now, to keep our heads in the game: I realize that eventually Shunko too is an art that demands to be mastered, controlled, tempered, but right now it seems essential to actually take off, don’t you think?” He ended with an encouraging smile. The small mansion was right in front of them, but instead of unlocking the door the Quincy began to circle around it. “I want to do a test run directly, and I am afraid I manage to trash the room again Jaina will take the keys from me.”

Standing on the patio of the building they could overlook the rolling hills and parts of the forest. Dropping the black coat von Wolfenstein began to stretch and limber up. Holding the palm of his right hand over the left hand in front of his chest the Quincy began to take methodical breaths. His Reiatsu flared and subsided in the same rhythm and a light blue aura formed around the man. It was an interesting scene in a way. The surrounding nature was beautiful enough to humble any man; still the head of the von Wolfenstein managed to look in control, powerful but not intimidatingly so. Impressive – if it weren’t for his underwhelming jeans and black long sleeve attire.

About five minutes or more passed in which Weylin simply stood silently, sorting his thoughts and breathing. “Alright,” he finally announced: “I am ready.” Rolling his shoulder blades and cracking his knuckles von Wolfenstein put on another smile:”Like I always tell you, Kas, make your weakness your strength!” The blue aura that clung to him tightly seemed to expand for a bit: “For this trick we shall do just that as well.” The light blue began to expand even further before seemingly vanishing. Weylin exhaled. Took a moment to check off his mental preparation and clarify with himself what came next. Whilst doing so he noticed that his heart had begun to beat faster and faster in anticipation. Well, he thought: Why not enjoy the moment?

“Rrra!” with a scream Weylin flexed his hands and tensed up his entire body. A spark of Reishi seemed to flicker before his face for but a moment. Then the Quincy stood in flames. A silver flame greedily expanded over von Wolfenstein’s entire body, flickered, burned but did neither abate nor run rampart.

A moment passed. Then another. Finally Weylin’s thin lips spread into a grin. “Haha! What do you know, it worked!” Turning to Kasumi von Wolfenstein began to test out the properties of this new aura. “Can you tell what I did?”

A hint of pride was in the differently colored eyes as the White One listened to his ward. “Close, but not quite. Feeding, or rather transforming Reishi constantly was oddly distracting. Letting Shunko take over completely was out of the question though as it is supposed to be a supplement for me, not a main method. In the end Reishi Manipulation and Shunko clashed so violently that I am simply letting both have it their way.” Fueling more energy into the light blue aura from earlier it became visible once more. It seemed to be a second layer right on top of the silver.  “As strange as it might sound,” the Quincy began to explain: “It is much easier for me to simply assign an area to Shunko and let it play within that domain than trying to contain it.” He cocked his head to the side. “I suppose you could say that where Kiriko uses wills her Shunko to extend and take form, I channel mine via Reishi.” He thought for a moment. “Remember how I helped you re-direct that Cero against the fight versus the two Hollow not too long ago? It is pretty much like that! I release this energy violently and keep it in check via a superior skill. I don’t will Shunko to expand, I let it.”

Weylin showed a carefree and energetic smile as he spoke, one that few if any had seen on his face in the past months. “What do you think, Kas?” He put his hands on his hips and his face turned mischievous: “Or would you rather go for a bout and see how it holds up?”

1157/50=23; 91

In the back of her mind she wondered if it was her fault. Nobody wanted to date a man who already has a kid .. an adopted kid above that. Didn't most female feel like getting a man and building up their life with him, including having kids of their own? As they climbed the hill Kasumi pondered upon the way she kept Weylin single. It wasn't like she really minded that there were just the two of them. Jaina was around at times, and Kasumi felt more worried for Wey than for herself. Sunk in deep thoughts she followed the Quincy up the hill. He was on about something like wavelength and differences between just reishi and Shunko, but Kasumi had difficulty understanding him. Not because she knew nothing about it, but simply because her mind was occupied with something else. Humming softly in response she picked up his jacket and folded it neatly over her arm. Patiently the kid waited, eyes on her guardian who was preparing himself for activating the technique. Images of different types of outcomes flooded Kasumi's head, but she shook them off; putting them into a box and shoving them into a corner of her mind.

Had he managed to find another way to manifest the energy, or did he learn how to keep one of the previous ones forms under control? Kasumi tried to count how many different versions she had seen Weylin try out for the past days. Though before she could get a certain number her attention jumped to Weylin who had just made a strange noise that sounded like a mix between a scream and a roar. A chuckle followed from Kasumi's side; she hadn't expected for the white haired Quincy to make such a sound.. ever. The chuckle grew into an excited laughter when she noticed the spark and the silvery flame that followed. It felt stable, and she had to admit that it looked beautiful.

“It's awesome!”

Lost in her excitement Kasumi dropped the coat on the ground, quickly closing the distance between her and the Quincy. He looked on fire! Her eyes burned bright; she loved the silvery color his energy had- even more prominent in this form than at any other time. Trying to gain an idea about how he was doing this, she spread her senses, tugging at the energy he produced with a bit of her own.

“Youuu didn't store it.. it's moving. So this isn't the battery one . ..hmm. Then you must have gone with the flow around you! It's still itself.. and yet you're controlling it. You've changed ..no you're infusing the energy present around you with your own?”

Oh! Not infusing.. he just made a shell above it! That was smart.. It made Kasumi wonder whether he would be able to burn his opponent by making a little gap in the shell and have the silvery flame expand – going out of control- before closing the hole. Blinking Kasumi concentrated on Wey's words; which made her see him as some sort of puppeteer. He could tug at the strings of energy so easily, playing his opponents like puppets. Or help his allies- oh hehe. He actually mentioned the time when he helped her with the cero deflection. Nodding figured that now could be the time to try and get her right about cleaning her room.

“Well.. first of all, does that mean that I can keep my 'constructive chaos' as long as it's in my room?”

A mischievous grin crossed her lips and Kasumi chuckled softly. She couldn't possibly leave such an opportunity bet without trying to gain some sort of profit out of it- even if it was some completely unrelated topic. Throwing in a puppy look, she chuckled again- now a bit louder.

“Yea! Let's spar!”

Was all she said before her feet were already carrying her forth. Hebi erupted from her skin but unlike Wey's version hers quickly wrapped itself around her. Tendrils tightly treasured her skin, and as she moved Kasumi's smile grew as her lips curled further up. Perhaps it would have been smarter to warm up before charging in.. Either that or they could start out 'easy', before he would push her to her limits again.

“Rule one! Shunko diversions only!”

Oh but now she felt smart. Hopefully he would go along. Then again, he was too strong for her to win, even if his technique wasn't complete yet. Shushing herself Kasumi turned, aiming her foot at Wey's left shoulder.

|Words: 755 – GP 15 – Tgp 78|

Kasumi wasted no time and went on the offensive – Weylin liked that in his ward. Over the months she had learned how to seize the momentum of a fight, making her infinitely more dangerous to a contemplative opponent. Perhaps it was because planning ahead, scheming, were hard for her, or maybe she just had an aggressive personality when it came to a fight – regardless of it all, the countless hours of trainings he had forced the child through were paying off. Kasumi surprised the Quincy with a series of rapid kicks. She cleverly used her Hebi to gain more reach whilst her smaller figure allowed her to stay well out of von Wolfenstein’s usual target box.

Blocking with his newly invented Shunko was easier and more difficult than he had imagined. When a hit went through the protective blue layer it immediately encountered the violent silver light, was thusly dampened if not entirely halted. However, it took practice to ensure that after said breach things would return to the status quo. Confronted with this problem Weylin spent the first minutes of their bout deflecting and only occasionally throwing a punch himself.

In a way it was like writing a computer program. When X then Y. After Y, use Z. Return to X.

As time went on von Wolfenstein encountered more and more errors in his code, but at the same time the girl’s precise movements stressed the fact that he couldn’t make it too complicated, lest he ruined the practical aspect of the skill. After all, he had wanted to obtain Shunko with pragmatism in mind, not for the sake of an additional party trick.

The Quincy threw a jab, the silver aura extending his comparatively massive range and forcing the girl to back off. A quick kick had Kasumi throw herself into a summersault, and whilst the tentacles lashed out wildly to keep von Wolfenstein at bay his more experienced senses enabled him to strike true regardless. Bending like a willow he evaded one hit and moved in, his palms glowing silver. The white haired girl twisted to bring in a kick, but with half a meter bridged not by solid flesh but silver light Weylin detonated a small charge and sent Kasumi flying.

“Uhh,” von Wolfenstein said and winced with empathy as he watched his little one soar off the patio and roll over the grass. Just before she went over and could roll down the soft slope of the green hill the Quincy caught her with a net of Reishi. “Perhaps that was too much?” With swift steps he closed the distance between them, ready to pick up his small-scale fighter. “You are getting really good at this!” he praised and lifted her up on eye level. “If I had to point out things you could maybe do even a little better, I’d say you need to work on your analyzing skills.” He put her down and patted her head. “You’ve got improvisation, adaptation, and seeing that you are barely a teenager you are going to grow in physical abilities exponentially. Yes, you will have to learn to adjust your combat style to your new size, but that will come naturally…What won’t come naturally is the tendency to take your time and plan.”

He sat down on the grass, patting the seat next to him and together they had a magnificent view over von Wolfenstein castle, the lake, rolling hills and forests as far as the eye could see. “You are listening to your instincts well. You are naturally creating a flow and through your aggressive nature you try to keep the ball in your court. However, each time we spar I can easily read said flow, and after interrupting it you are thrown off your game so much that it takes too long to get back into.” He put an arm around his ward in order to convey paternal warmth. “You’re still young and an expert fighter already. But if we want to step up your game and prepare you for the big league we got to get you used to reading the other and preparing for eventualities.”

Weylin hesitated for a moment. Thought of his impending trip to engage the Primera. “After all, who knows how long I’ll be here, hm?”Quickly a smile appeared to disarm the dismal thought: “Haha, it’s not like I’ll suddenly disappear…” You might as well tell her now, Quincy. “…but soon I will have to go on a trip. It might last longer…Haha, sorry you can’t tag along, but since I will be going Jaina and Maria will be here to take care of you. And to make sure you follow through on your studies.” He raised a hand to silence her impending complaints. “Ah! Sharp mind, sharp body!” He smiled and kissed her on the forehead: “Besides, you are more than just a spiritualist. You are also a human. A little girl.” A wink. “That’s why you have a curfew and got to study.”

Von Wolfenstein rose and held out a hand to help her up. “Shall we go home?”

851/50=17;108

Kasumi really hated the curfew, while she loved to sleep she ished that she could pick the time when she would actually go to bed. Weylin was way harder to deceive in that aspect than Ichiro; however, that didn't mean that she didn't try. Pulling back her right leg she turned around, twisting before kicking the snowball that came down from the sky. A few more followed and soon she had managed to hit all the snowballs she had thrown into the air just a few moments earlier. Her breath came out in tiny clouds as her shoes shifted over the crispy grass blades. It wasn't freezing outside this afternoon, but the already chilly area got gushes of cold air and snow as Kasumi practiced. With every breath more reiatsu leaked out of her body, manifesting in some way that helped her to train. Practicing kicks, punches and mostly aiming at things the kid left the green space between the old trees covered in a white blanket. Both her jacket and sweater were hanging on one of the branches, even with Weylin always pointing out that she would get ill the kid was pretty sure that she wouldn't. Zigzagging through the forest she got a new idea. At the moment the jacket wasn't being used for anything; the bits of snow crunched when she ran back to place the piece of clothing on a branch a bit higher. Now she could use both of them as targets!

Aww yes! Hit!

After two misses she hit again. Adrenaline ripped through Kasumi and she felt her heart swell with pride. Though opponents rarely stood still when being attacked. Giving it a few thoughts she decided that circling the tree while jumping back and forth would give her a better workout. She would need to hit them while staying in motion. One, two, branch – reishi platform, her foot landed into the snow again before pushing off and leaving a little footprint on the ground. More reiatsu filled the area. It was a good thing that she had picked a place a bit from the castle; the last thing she wanted was for some Hollow to show up so close to home. Not that she had ran so far from it.. maybe a thirty minutes walk? And if she would still have enough energy left after her little game, she might even use the accelerating technique to get there.

Another thud followed as one of the orbs Kasumi held crashed into the tree trunk about two feet away from its target. Perhaps she should ask Weyling about aiming. What was the best way to get better at hitting things from far away? Gently landing on a thick branch a few yards above the ground Kasumi's thoughtful gaze scanned the area. Had she just heard a cracking? Curiously the kid peered into the forest, the bark felt rough beneath her finger tips as she placed them on the trunk to get some grip while trying to look around it. Having brought the temperature to a fairly low degree during her training, some frost had formed on the trees that stood the closest to Kasumi's tiny training ground. Unable to see anyone or anything she pulled back when something brushed her shoulder. Panicking the kid let go of the trunk just to see a bird fly past her- and quickly disappearing between the twigs to her right. By the time she realized that her foot was slipping it was too late to grab the trunk for balance; Kasumi slipped.

A good thing the grass hadn't been cut forever around this area. The landing wasn't too hard, the forest soil was soft, the grass helped to break the fall. With a scowl on her face Kasumi picked herself up while dusting off some grass and snow from her pants. Stupid tree! - Punching the trunk she felt something hit the top of her head. Soon she discovered that her 'enemy' turned out to be a bunch of twigs and some ice.

Enough trainig for today >.> ..

|Words: 680 – GP 13 – Tgp 91|

Ooc: Kiriko time?

Kiriko always kept her promises. Even when the promise was as painful as this one.

She's grown. It was the first thought that accosted Kiriko as she stood several meters away, hidden in the shadow of a tree and warded from sight by her own Kido. Kasumi wasn't just taller, or well-fed, she looked healthy in a way that Kiriko hadn't seen for some time. The hollows around her eyes filled out and her smile quicker and truer. Whatever else the little one's trip to Seireitei had done, it had not caused irreparable harm to the body. She had heard the reports of course, read them again and again, committing the lines to memory, but that was no replacement for seeing it herself. Seeing with her own eyes the glitter of Shinoda's aura, the tinkle of her laughter like tiny silver bells, of the brilliance of her movements as she threw herself at the world with all the innocence and dedication of a child.

Kiriko had assigned several agents to watch over Shinoda and the reports came semi-monthly as her men rotated through the various on-earth posts she had set up. So it was that Kiriko heard about Shinoda running into von Wolfenstein and becoming what seemed to be his ward. She couldn't help the jealous twinge at that particular report, the idea of Weylin hugging Kasumi and having snowball fights and reading to her at nighttime. The idea of someone else with her. And yet this was exactly why Kiriko had sent the girl home, exactly why she remained hidden each time she came to observe.

She had no place in Kasumi's life. No place until the girl passed on and became a Shinigami. But she had promised to visit, and so visit she did, cloaked in silence and shadows. She would not shatter this perfect vision by making her presence known, wouldn't put a wedge between the laughing child and her new guardian. That thought became a mantra, something repeated over and over and over again as she watched Shinoda spin around the clearing from tree to tree, a flurry of kicks and jumps and twists carrying her through the air and snow alike.

Heart in her throat more times than Kiriko would have liked to admit, she willed herself to stillness. Willed herself to be disciplined. Kasumi was fine. She was smart. She wouldn't risk herself just for a foolishly dangerous idea of training. She – what the hell was she doing? Kiriko watched, frozen in awe as the short girl lurched from her precarious position in a tree and suddenly stepped off the branch entirely, her back twisting as she tumbled towards the ground.

The girl landed before Kiriko could interpose herself between the sky and the ground, landing with a solid splat as a deep snowbank softened the fall. It wasn't until a few seconds later, when Kasumi was brushing herself off and looking around, that Kiriko realized she had stepped forward too far in her haste, stepping on a patch of loose soil and kicking free bits of rock that clattered down an incline.

Going preternaturally still, she stared, breath caught in her throat as she quieted her heartbeat and tensed. Kasumi couldn't have heard that... She was too busy falling. Too busy jumping up with that idiotic invulnerability that was going to give Kiriko a heart attack one of these days. Too busy looking over in her direction... Oh damn. 

WC: 576 | GP: 11 | Total GP: 11

A faint crack was followed by some stones rolling down the hill; they were small but nevertheless they were there. Curious whether the bird from before was secretly mocking her, Kasumi wondered if she would be able to hit it with a snowball in case the stupid creature was still there. Body already moving towards whoever had caused the noise, Kasumi's eyes scanned the area before coming to a stop on.. Kiriko? Kiriko! The blue orbs widened in surprise, then widened a bit more in excitement and disbelief. Kasumi froze, standing equally still, staring at the captain while holding her breath as if an exhale would cause the woman to disappear. Of course the girl couldn't stay quiet for long. Mere seconds later a small cloud escaped her lips as she let out a shivering breath while green energy burst from her feet carrying her forth. Usually Kasumi didn't use the technique when approaching others, unless they were enemies which obviously wasn't the case, however, this time she couldn't wait. Accelerating she crashed into the raven haired woman, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. With eyes tearing up she had to shut them to prevent herself from bursting out in tears of happiness. Her heart was beating violently in her throat and she clung harder onto her favorite Shinigami.

“You're here!”

Kasumi managed to bring out before opening her eyes and blinking quickly to get her vision back to normal. Only then did she tilt her head to see Kiriko. Kasumi felt her lips curl up into a wide grin when realizing that she was real, she had come to visit her! She had kept her promise! This fact only made Kasumi adore the woman more; all of her emotions were seeping out as she tried to gather the words that she had to say.

“I'm so glad. I – I have missed you sooo much!”

She didn't even have to miss her back, she was here, that's all that mattered to Kas.

“You have to stay for dinner! And, I'll show you where I live. You can meet Weylin, but wait.. you already know him, don't you?”

Unable to stop grinning Kasumi realized that she was rambling. Having let go the girl tugged at Kiriko's sleeve in order for her to come along. Completely forgetting about both jacket and sweater she walked past them over the road in the distance that would lead them to the von Wolfenstein castle. Turning her head every now and then, she couldn't seem to calm down, unable to believe that the captain had taken time out of her schedule -which certainly must be busy as hell- to come and pay her a visit! This was the best gift ever- hopefully Kiriko would be able to stay for a while. Maybe they could have a sleepover! No nonono, stupid Kas, she's a captain, just don't dare to say such stupid things out loud.

“How did you find me and how have you been? How are things in Soul Society?”

Hanging on Kiriko's every words- as she always did, Kasumi felt the grass change into a solid path as they proceeded their walk towards the castle. The snowy trees were quickly left behind, Kasumi's reiatsu was a bit more controlled now than it had been during her stay in the Seireitei. Coming to a stop she pointed at the castle that had grown larger.

“That's Wey's home, I live there too, when being here, most of the time I live in Japan.. You know, the place where we met, well not there, they're still reconstructing parts, but not too far.”

Hééé, she had grown.. If only by bit. Using her hand to compare the top of her head to Kiriko's height Kasumi almost squealed in excitement.

“Soon I'll be as tall as you! I've already grown more than an inch already!”

Through the rest of their walk she managed to mention school- which she didn't like at all because her hair didn't fit in, Quincy – like Weylin, her white cat by the name Angel and of course Hebi.

“You don't mind that.. that I called it differently, do you?”

Kasumi's tone suggested plenty of respect for the Shunko's creator and a bit of shyness for having had the guts to change its name. The way her eyes had jumped to see Kiriko's reaction made it more than obvious that in case of Kiriko disagreeing she would immediately label Hebi as Shunko and never refer to it as Hebi ever again.

-

“Weylin we have a guest!”

Leading Kiriko into the spacious hall with the large staircase in front of the entrance, she couldn't help but to call out to the white haired Quincy, hoping that he would hear her and appear right this instant. The mix of burning nerves and excitement that had Kasumi's body dancing, could be seen as her being intoxicated with the Shinigami's presence. Shuffling quickly around the woman Kasumi pretty much floated over the floor as she tried to guide Kiriko to the living room.

“Do you want something to drink.. coffee, water, juice or tea? I have to warn you that their tea isn't as good as ours..”

Could they have the cook starting on food already? What did Kiriko like to eat? Was she hungry? Or had she already eaten in that cozy little kitchen that Kasumi had left in a rather messy state when leaving the annex.

|Words: 911– GP 18 – Tgp 109|

Returning from a walk to clear his head Weylin quickly spied a hill not too far from his home where the pristine blanket of snow had been not only disturbed and destroyed. Many of the trees had lost their load and from the midst of chaos emerged a small trail that led back up to the castle. A sigh escaped von Wolfenstein’s lips, yet he couldn’t help but smile. With smooth motion Weylin traversed the distance on Reishi particles and reconstructed the scene of the crime. Knowing Kasumi she had moved to the woods like a little monkey before inevitably falling. “I suppose I ought to be glad that she is capable and fearless,” he said and began to walk up the snowy hill. “Yet as a parent I am glad I didn’t witness her fall. Despite knowing that the kid would survive crashing into a car relatively unharmed I am sure it would shorten my life significantly if I were to watch her every escapade.”  He reached for his silver cigarette case. “Doesn’t mean I am not going to chew her out for it though.”

Making his way towards the castle von Wolfenstein thought to have felt a peculiar aura, yet his attention was immediately distracted by what he found at the roadside: His daughter’s clothes. “How many times have I told her that having ice-powers is no replacement for wearing winter clothes?” He picked up the jacket, a few meters further the sweater, and ultimately also a pair of gloves and a scarf. “Perhaps I ought to raise her in the Caribbean instead. I’d have to worry less about her dying under a mountain of snow.” However, the thought of Kasumi surfing into the open ocean only to fight sharks and other parental nightmares made the Quincy reconsider his choices. “Hm. Well. It will be spring soon, I suppose.”

 Lost in his own thoughts it wasn’t until von Wolfenstein was only a hundred yards away from home that he finally recognized that there was a foreign Reiatsu mingled amongst the usual inhabitants of the castle. One he knew. Both of Weylin’s eyebrows wandered skywards in surprise. Could it be? Hastening his steps the White One soon pushed open the castle entry and dumped his daughters clothes along with his own on coat-pegs before hurrying past the main kitchen towards the small one where he often cooked for Kasumi and himself. Rounding the corner he could feel his heart beating as he heard his little girl chatter away happily, and despite having recognized her presence earlier Weylin couldn’t help but feel surprised at what he found.

Kiriko Chinda, Captain of the Second Division, sitting at his kitchen table, listening to Kasumi Shinoda von Wolfenstein, who was half-sitting and half-balancing on her chair.

The White One took a moment to drink in that scenery. He was sure that amongst the many things Kiriko was famous for, attending tea parties with twelve-year olds was not on the list. Seeing a woman as deadly and powerful as her sit peaceful before a steaming cup whilst paying close attention to a little girl seemed…odd. Amusing. Intimate. Two hearts beat in Weylin’s chest. One told him to softly back away and give the two their time. Both were clearly invested in the conversation, and since he knew how few emotions and bonds Kiriko kept and cherished this moment was all the more special. Even more so when he recognize the spark in Kasumi’s eyes. For the first time in a long time she had a woman before her who cared deeply. Gave her attention. Served as a motherly figure.

The other heart beat for but the fraction of a second, then it was smothered out a myriad of thoughts and feelings. However, its message clearly echoed through Weylin’s mind. For the first time in his life, and for only a fleeting moment that he sought to imprint on his aching soul, it seemed that Weylin had come home to a family. Wife and daughter sitting happily together at a table, perhaps even waiting for his return. But of course that wasn’t true.

Kasumi wasn’t Liora, would never be her. Moreover she saw in him not a parent, but her guardian, perhaps even a loved one, but he would never be her father.

Moreover, Weylin had never had a wife. Strings of meaningless affairs had only been interrupted by the occasional dream that had burst into flame, lit up by demons and life alike. And Kiriko…he had seen her on several occasions, yet had seldom exchanged many words. The only time he had ever truly gotten to know the Shinigami was when they had fought with one another.

A happy family is a sweet dream, Weylin, he told himself: But that’s all it is. A dream.

“Talk about a surprise,” von Wolfenstein said, a heartwarming smile hiding the bitter thought. “You didn’t tell me that we would have company over, Kas.” The German bowed slightly towards the Shinigami. “It’s my pleasure seeing you again, Kiriko-san.” There was a moment of pause.

You haven’t changed much, the Quincy reflected.The bird of Hermes is your name, eating your wings to make yourself tame. The differently colored eyes wandered between the woman and the girl. Is this perhaps your attempt at peace of mind?

“Kiriko said she wants to try some of your pancakes!” Kasumi yelled into the room with a gleeful expression on her face.

“Oho, is that so?” a smile appeared on Weylin’s face and he ruffled his ‘daughter’s hair before winking at Kiriko. “It would be rude to keep her waiting then, hm?” With deft hands the Quincy tied the apron Kasumi had gifted him and read ‘Kiss the Cook’ , then he set to work, assuming command of the kitchen with the full array of his Reishi powers. Mysteriously the fridge open and closed, milk and eggs danced through the air before breaking themselves into the pan and before long the smell of pancakes began to fill the air.

1005/50=20; 128

No reply came to her happy exclaim and Kasumi realized that Weylin must be out. She had seen him that morning, he hadn't said anything about having to leave for a business trip. With that in mind she figured that he would be back soon, probably from doing some training or having a walk outside of the castle. A little shrug followed as she led Kiriko into the smaller kitchen in the back. The fact that he wasn't here to meet and greet the captain didn't make Kasumi less enthusiastic about the visit. Opening one of the doors Kasumi revealed the space behind it, it was cozier than the other kitchen, less formal but still quite neat, besides, there were only two of them so there was still plenty of space to grab a bite.

“I guess that Weylin might be outside, he'll probably be back soon. Please take a seat, Kiriko-san.”

The girl politely gestured to one of the chairs before turning around to rummage through the cupboards. Every time she found an item that she needed her eyes automatically flew back to Kiriko, and every time again she produced a little smile. Kasumi had hoped for the captain to pay her a visit for so long, and now that she was here Kasumi was scared that she would vanish all of a sudden. Like smoke she could disappear in thin air – if she chose to. And that fact made Kasumi feel slightly nauseous. She really wanted for Kiriko to stick around, at least for the day. Placing the cups on the table, she got two little plates and small forks for a leftover of apfelstrudel. Kasumi wasn't a good cook, she didn't offer to make anything – if she would try to it wouldn't be anything fancy anyway. Hopefully Weylin would return soon, he was the one that cooked their food if it were just them.

Only a little piece of her aphfelstrudel was gone by the time that Wey appeared. Kasumi had bombed Kiriko with all types of stories, going from a white wolf Hollow pet she once has had, to training, to a fight with an Arrancar- under Wey's watchful eye, a victory over a small Hollow on her own- sided with a proud blush, her awful cooking skills, some things that the ice had allowed her to perceive and how she preferred to be home-schooled.

“Yaay, pancakes!”

An apologetic grin was thrown into Kiriko's direction. Perhaps Kiriko hadn't really said that.. Kasumi blushed, rubbing the tip of her nose with the back of her hand for a second to hide her embarrassment.

“They're really good, better than mine!”

She tried to save the situation by getting Kiriko to agree on the pancakes.. Wey did think that she wanted to try them- Kasumi did made that up- just a little.. Maybe a lot. Looked like the perfect time to switch topics!

“Oh, and Wey learned Shunko as well! Different from yours, or mine. .. like, you should see it later.”

Kasumi nodded while sliding off the chair and fixing her hair. Grabbing three bigger plates and the cutlery she arranged it on the table while continuing to rant.

“You should show her what you can do, Wey. It's very cool!”

She said the last part while turning to Kiriko, suddenly being aware of the possibility of the captain disliking the idea of Weylin using something like Shunko. It wasn't like she had helped, he could have done it on his own. And.. it wasn't a real secret, right? - With a strange expression on her face Kasumi shyly stared at the apple cake, poking it with her fork wondering whether she had just made things worse. The pointy edges sunk into a piece of apple before she dared to tilt her head just enough for her gaze to study Kiriko. Blue eyes were filled with concern. If she would get offended by it, she could leave; the thought made Kasumi gulp, throat tightened, she felt the panic rise. Not having the guts to ask, she just stared a bit longer before averting her eyes and devote all of her attention to the food on her plate. Strands of white fell over her face like a veil; it almost felt like a shelter. However, it was in the way, and Kasumi tugged them behind her ear with an insecure smile.

|Words: 732 – GP 14 – Tgp 123|

Before she could come up with an excuse or get her brain to send an order to her feet to flee Kasumi had already flung herself at Kiriko. Rationalizing to herself, she knew that if she disappeared now the girl would be moving too fast to stop herself before she hit the ground, and then she really might hurt herself. Kiriko couldn't let that happen, not because of her own mistake, so she held still and let the girl crash into her, steadying the child with one hand as she weathered the tumbling blow.

Blinking down at the bundle of emotions, Kiriko had to look away, over the top of Shinoda's head as the child snuggled into her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around Kiriko like she was trying to make sure the Shinigami was really there. Shinoda had always been excitable, but this was almost too much, the human's emotions bubbling all around them like static electricity as Kiriko cautiously patted the little one on the back while extricating herself from the vice like hold.

Soon she was being dragged off down a beaten path, unable to catch her thoughts or stop her feet as Shinoda babbled on with that brilliant smile that seemed to stop up Kiriko's throat and make her chest clench uncomfortably. She really shouldn't be here, shouldn't be letting this human girl bring her anywhere, shouldn't be listening to the chatter or letting Kasumi hold her hand like this. It was wrong of her to stretch this relationship out beyond the limits she had tried to put into place. Wrong of her to give Kasumi hope like this when Kiriko could never be anything for the girl. A human child needed to be around humans, not the dead. And certainly not anyone like Chinda Kiriko. It would have been laughable if it wasn't so horrible, if she wasn't risking so much just by letting Shinoda see her, by letting the innocent child near her.

So Kiriko kept her mouth shut, and her secrets tight to her chest, knowing that as soon as she saw von Wolfenstein she would find the power she needed to remove herself from this child's life. Just... one second more, one second more of holding that fragile hand in her own, and then she would leave. One second more. One more.

The house loomed up out of the distance and Kiriko found herself amazed at how much information Shinoda had been bottling up. She drank in the details of her ward's life since the young human had left Seireitei, pleased to hear the excitement and contentment in Kasumi's tone. Even if she was living with Von Wolfenstein, a dangerous man if there ever had been one. The comment about Kasumi's growing height almost caused Kiriko to stumble, but she caught herself at the last second, hurrying forward to stall Shinoda's blind faith.

Almost as tall as me, huh? That would be impressive if Kiriko hadn't always been so damned short. Wrinkling her nose, she stepped into the house in silence, eyes scanning and mind probing for any and all threats. “Hebi is a good name, Shinoda-chan. It is an apt description of your Shunko.” It was the first thing to escape her mouth, her hands lifting from the girl's grip as she smoothed Kasumi's hair back and turned slowly to take in the exits as the child called out for her wayward guardian.

There was no response, though Kiriko could sense the man's reiatsu close by, and she felt a spark of something akin to possessive pride when she realized that she was the one with Kasumi right now. In the man's own home. It didn't matter if Shinoda had a new guardian because right now the girl had eyes only for Kiriko, and that was enough to quiet the thrum of her paranoia and sooth her fears. For a moment she decided to set aside the worried of a Captain, of a Shinigami, and follow Kasumi into the little kitchenette nearby.

Shinoda happily kept up a running commentary, as if realizing that Kiriko wasn't going to say much on her own. It gave her time to watch the girl, to stare and trace the curves of her face with her eyes. Shinoda really had grown, her body no longer the sickly thin stick Kiriko had feared it would be after her prolonged stay in Seireitei. There was really no sign that the child's soul had been separated from her body for so long. And no sign of that dark flicker that had lurked in the child's eyes during their last few meetings. The fear was gone, replaced now with happiness.

She wasn't exactly happy to hear that von Wolfenstein was letting the girl fight Hollows or Arrancar, but a sharp glance assured Kiriko that there were no injuries or wounds hiding under Kasumi's clothes. She was becoming strong. Strong enough in her own right to battle enemies and stay alive. That was all that Kiriko had really wanted for her, all that she could hope for.

Drawn from her thoughts by the arrival of the Quincy King, Kiriko sent him a cutting glance as he paused in the doorway, daring him to leave her alone with this bundle of energy. He seemed lost in his own reverie, staring at the table as if seeing a ghost, before pushing inside with that faint smile and polite bow. Kiriko was too full of sharp edges and domineering instincts to be polite back, so she merely waved a languid hand and gave him a hard look as he passed too close to her Kasumi.

It seemed that whenever she was around this child someone decided to stuff her full of pancakes. Not that Kiriko was going to voice a complaint, not when she saw how much delight the food seemed to give her little charge. Those guilty puppy-dog eyes were enough to stir even her emotions, and Kiriko merely inclined her head at the announcement before lapsing back into her silent corner.

Kasumi had been saying so much and at such a rapid pace that Kiriko almost missed the juncture about Shunko, her eyes fluttering wide as she carefully stilled her thoughts and twisted to look at von Wolfenstein's back. He had learned Shunko? A Quincy? It had been hard enough to teach the ability to a human, aided by the fact that Kasumi had no formal training and little experience with her own power to hinder her mind or to make her realize that by all intents and purposes it should have been impossible to learn. But for von Wolfenstein to even attempt such a process, when Quincy were tied even more inexorably to their use of Reishi that was so at odds with Shunko... She would believe it when she saw it.

“I see, I would like to see that. And yours, Shinoda-chan, I have heard that you've been improving too.”

WC: 1161 | GP: 23 | Total GP:  34

With swift motions Weylin placed two plates down on the table. Things like jam, sugar and Nutella soon followed. “Enjoy,” the Quincy announced before turning to tend to the dishes. “There are seconds. No thirds, Kasumi, or you’ll try to skip dinner.” Placing the pan and utensils into the dishwasher von Wolfenstein couldn’t help but listen to the girl’s wild ramblings. I wonder what draws you to her, Kiriko. Weylin started to sort a stack of plates. I understand the spell she casts, I fell victim to it myself. However, after witnessing you in Soul Society and fighting you in the forest I find it very hard to believe that you would take the time to tend to a child. At this point von Wolfenstein was only pretending to be busy. You’re not the person to do anything without a motive. Are you perhaps responsible for the death of her parents? No, you don’t seem like a person to lets herself be shackled by guilt. Is it a search for innocence then? For a ‘could have been’ or a ‘would have been’?

Weylin looked at the small woman that was peacefully sitting across from a little girl, listening to her every word. Are you…are you perhaps grooming her? The thought stuck with the Quincy. A mortal’s lifetime was but the blink of an eye to a Shinigami. Considering that few, if any, spiritualists lived long enough to die of old age, this could be a worthwhile investment for the Chinda. I’m sorry, Kiriko, but this kind of shrewdness would certainly in-character for you. The differently colored eyes rested on the little girl. But even if that’s your plan, I will do my utmost to ensure that you have to wait for a long time. A small smile crept onto Weylin’s face as he saw the light that shone in Kasumi’s eyes. He wanted her to be happy. To live a fulfilling life. To grow up, and old. To have a family and see her children bear children. That’s what I’m training you for. To ensure that you survive. To give you a shot at a better life.

Suddenly the conversation was taking a turn for the worse. Weylin could feel it the instant it happened. The topic was heading down a path from which there was no return, and von Wolfenstein was not quite sure he wanted it to be that way.

“Oh, and Wey learned Shunko as well!”

Weylin shot his ward an intense stare over Kiriko’s shoulder. ‘Stop! Halt! No further!’ it said. Apart from the fact that his version was far from perfect – embarrassing compared to Kiriko’s really – there was something that told him that the Shinigami would not be too amused if she found out that a Quincy of all people was mimicking her art. It was for naught though, Kasumi continued without so much as a second thought.

“You should show her what you can do, Wey. It’s very cool!”

Quickly von Wolfenstein turned around, wiping the counter as not to have to put up with whatever look the Captain of the Second Division saw fit to give him. In his head he chose for it to be one full of admiration and compliments, instead of the judging gaze it most definitely would be.

“I see, I would like to see that.”

Is it me or did she just stress that? Raising an eyebrow to himself Weylin ceased his efforts to appear inconspicuous. There is no way I’m getting out of this one.

“Ahh, Kas…you’re overstating things. There is no way you could my fooling around compare to the Shunko you two practice.” A foolery he had spent many weeks on and had cost him blood, sweat and tears. However, Kiriko clearly would not be denied. Von Wolfenstein hid a sigh behind a pleasant smile. “Very well then, if you two insist…how about we move to the Knight’s Hall then? Would you lead the way, Kasumi?”

The Knight’s Hall was a spacious room with stone floor and a single line of carpet running from one end to the other. Six man-sized windows lined the walls, cases and racks full of ancient weapons and armors lined the walls, but leaved a sizable space in the middle for various purposes. Training for example. “Well then, Kas. The stage is yours.”

Unveiling his efforts to Kasumi had been a fun little play. Of course she was better at this, but that hadn’t been an issue. Instead it felt rewarding to be able to show someone the fruits of labor. What hard work and dedication had birthed. With Kiriko next to him though it felt everything but comfortable. “It really isn’t worth your time…” the Quincy began one last time before stopping himself. Truth be told, he had wanted for someone like Kiriko to help him with this. To give him a pointer if he was going into the right direction, had made it or failed completely. However, the Chinda wasn’t exactly a warmhearted person and as result von Wolfenstein felt as if he had been tasked with singing for the Queen of England.

His typical blue aura appeared. Bit by bit it began to expand, growing thinner as it did so until it was less of a blue coat and more of a soft hue that surrounded his vicinity. So far so good. Now on to the good part. Flooding the thusly created space with the volatile energy Weylin finally raised a hand and snapped his fingers. The blue spark between his fingers seemed to set the Quincy ablaze. A silver fire began to rage within the confinements of the thin, lightblue layer. “I know it pales when compared to what you’ve showed me on that fateful night,” Weylin said: “However, after witnessing your art I remained fascinated by it.” A curt smile. “Believe it or not, it actually took quite some time to figure out how to emulate it. My early attempts were…inherently flawed.” Von Wolfenstein began to play with the aura, expanded it, condensed it, let it take shapes. “I’ve been fortunate to see Shunko countless times thanks to Kasumi. However, ever since I had seen the Mother of Shunko use hers I started to be more sensitive towards the issue and noticed that a myriad of people are employing similar skills. I’ve met an Espada for example who bathed his limbs in Cero in order to give them – how did he phrase it? – more oomph.”  He paused. “Giving it a shot came quite natural. However, the very concept of it somewhat runs contra to how Quincy function. Taking the power from within doesn’t really work it your power comes from the surroundings.”

Weylin’s gaze rested upon his nameless creation. Might as well tell her the whole story now. “I went through several design changes. Channeling my Reishi through my body in order to expel them as Shunko was cumbersome and took a lot of effort. The plan of storing Reishi before and using them up as some sort of battery was an interesting thought, but you can see how that’s flawed. Plus, in a battle you can hardly rely on something so fickle.” Von Wolfenstein shook his head. “Well, be that as it may. In the end I settled on this.” The silver fire grew in strength. “Controlling Shunko directly takes a lot of concentration for me. In order to avoid that I simply established a perimeter.” He shrugged: “There are few, if any, who can rival my skill in Reishi Manipulation.” It was no boast, simply a statement. “Maintaining this field is easy. As a result though I can flood the space in-between with Reishi which I then simply ignite and…” He made an open handed gesture. “The result is what you see before you.”

There was a moment of pause in which his differently colored eyes rested on Kiriko. “There are more differences, of course. For one I don’t will my Shunko to expand or take form I’m rather allowing it. Perhaps one could say I channel fire via water.” The moment of truth edged closer. Weylin was as much excited for it as he hated it. In a way he wanted Kiriko to approve it – and not only that: he also wanted her to like it. After all, the thought had been planted in his mind ever since he had witnessed her beauty. And yet it seemed pathetic to long for approval. He was Weylin von Wolfenstein, a Quincy of such renown that his fame transcended realms. He was a man who had gone toe-to-toe with beings that where centuries, if not millennia old. And yet…and yet he was only twenty-four. For years and years people had expected him to be grown-up. An adult. Lead a clan. Fight wars. To bear the weight of the Quincy world. Was it so wrong to hope for a little approval and kindness?

Weylin sighed. Don’t look to others for fulfillment, but take it from within, Weylin. he told himself. Besides, she is Kiriko Chinda. Probably the last person on earth to compliment anyone. Look at those black eyes. She would deny her own sister if she was inadequate to her tastes.

Von Wolfenstein tilted his head slightly, hiding his feelings beneath a smile and polite words. “I have bored you enough. This will never live up to your legacy, nor is it as artful as Hebi. It’s…wild. Volatile. If you two have shown me stars, this is more like a supernova.” Weylin’s eyes rested on his little ward. “Which is why I am so very proud that you’re mastering such a complex skill.”

The Quincy rubbed his wrists, ceasing his ‘Shunko’. “Anyhow…say, Kiriko, how about you stay for dinner? It would mean the world to Kasumi.”

1631/50=32; 160

Ooc: in an effort to make this go faster (and not steal too many posts off of Kiriko) I segmented things so that, if need be, we can react with old stuff but still do new things.