Log: Karakura Spring Dance, Scene 1 - Part 1
Who: Amuro Ray, Lalah Sune, Nao Yuuki, Sanji, Dizzy, Kazuki Mutou, Makoto Kino, Momo Hinamori, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Molly, Alicia Winston, Ling Yao, Tokiko Tsumura, Hot Rod (Both as himself and Jordan Wilde.)
Where: Karakura High School Gymnasium
When: Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!
What: The Spring Dance at Karakura - Part 1!
Karakura High School
As far as high schools go, this one is pretty average. It's a large blocky building with three stories in the central section. There's a taller section of the building where the teachers have their offices located, but students aren't really inclined to go there of their own jurisdiction. The grounds are green and well-kept with lots of big shade trees...perfect for enjoying lunch outdoors on a sunny day. In the back is a baseball diamond and basketball court, surrounded by a dirt track for jogging. All of the interesting cast members, however, take their lessons in room I-3 with Sensei Ochi.
The spring formal dance. An event eagerly awaited by some, and deeply feared by others. After all, no event at Karakura High School has gone by smoothly in the last year or so, and with the open invitation for inter-dimensional high school students to attend, the risk of some kind of bizarre hijinks seems higher than ever before.
Regardless of such fears, however, only rain had thrown it off course. While it was supposed to be held last week outdoors, the weather had conspired against them in such a way to force them to delay it until the next weekend.
Which is where we are today, under a moonlit, starry sky, surrounded by flowers, balloons, and decorative ribbon. Though it's early, already students are wandering around the area arm in arm, or convening by the well-stocked refreshment table. The DJ is still setting up on one side, running a few noisy sound tests every so often, much to the chagrin of students walking near the speakers.
The faculty is present as well, along with a number of hired security guards-- all dressed for the occasion, but bearing insignias on their breast pockets to denote some measure of authority. Hopefully things won't get out of hand tonight, and everyone can enjoy themselves in a nonviolent, social manner.
That's good to know, because the last thing Makoto has in mind tonight is to ditch her dance date so she can tranform into Sailor Jupiter. Nevermind that she doesn't have a dance date lined up just yet. She'll find one! This is high school, so she's not nearly as tall and awkward looking as she would be back at Azuban Juuban. She's also decked herself out with her best dress, a black formal with a low chest- er- neckline and a giant ornate rose on the front.
She's pulling out all the stops. And why not? If Mako-chan's lucky, Chad will show up. He not only sounded just like the senior who broke her heart, he's superstrong like her too! *heart*
Hot Rod is just this awesome car in the parking lot. He's here to make sure the Syndicate doesn't come crashing, after all, no need for all the super powered teens to ruin their fancy clothes when a giant robot is in their midsts. Bored bored bored. No need to even check out the cars, they're non-sentient.
App Arcee, plz.
However, standing near the entrance to the school is a young man that isn't from around here. He's American in apperance, military judging from the outfit he chose to where. It's a light blue military shirt, with an name tag reading 'Wilde'. A pair of black slacks are worn over his leg, and he looks rather well built. The hair is different though, it's half-black and half.. well.. it looks like he decided not to get a bleach job half-way through. Half of his hair is an orange color. Though, this really is the style of Jordan's time.
The Avatar of Oban is currently regretting his choice of clothing though as he looks himself over. "If I knew that Molly wanted to make up for lost high school dances, I would have conjured up something more formal." he says quietly to himself, watching kids not that much younger than him walk by in their finnery and suits and tuxedos, and lets out another breath. "Yeah. Little late for that now. Where is she?"
You usually wouldn't expect to see someone like Alicia Winston in a high school setting, but apparently she's here, dressed nicely for the occasion. A slight smile adorns her face, showing a casual side to her that most people generally don't see. Where are the other members of the VSSE? Well, they're busy with their own assignments, but they send their best regards.
"This looks like it's going to be a lot of fun," Alicia says to herself as she steps inside and heads to the refreshment table in search of a cold drink before the dancing gets underway.
Fashionably late, was that what it was called? Well, slightly late, anyway. Dizzy approaches a little bit hesitantly, looking around, hoping to see...hm, no Quincy in sight. Her face falls slightly, but she shakes her head. He did say he had things to do, and might not even be able to make it at all. Still--there will be other friends here, ones she hasn't spent much time with lately. It will be good to see them anyway.
And so, she quickens her pace slightly. Because it is not too terribly formal, she has a relatively simple dark purple dress on. The skirt extends to her calves, billowing in loose folds--no asymmetrical cut this time. That (as well as the length) helps to keep her tail out of sight: no need to call extra attention to herself with nonstandard body parts this time. The top half of the dress is well-fitted, showing off her curves tastefully. The neckline is modest, and the sleeves extend down to the wrist. Her wings, too, are nowhere to be seen.... Her hair is done up in a single braid that spills down her back to her waist, rather than her looping twin ponytails. It is one concession to a somewhat more formal air.
Upon arriving, she too walks over toward the refreshment table--both to get a drink to settle herself, as well as try to find a vantage point to see if she can find any of her friends wandering about. She nods and smiles to Alicia briefly as she gets some punch and sips it. Hopefully not spiked this time.
It's okay, Jordan. Molly wouldn't know formal if it bit her in the face. She's glad, for once, that she's so short. At 5' 5", it's easy to pass for a year younger than she really is. Nobody will ever know that she already graduated! If anyone asks, they're seniors. Rly.
A luxury car pulls into the parking lot, stopping by the outlet into the street. It's shiiiiiny. And it doesn't have any wheels. She climbs out of the passenger seat, turning to lean back into the car for a moment. "I promise! I'll call when it's over. Love you, dad." Shutting the door, she waves to the zebra-haired man in the driver's seat as he pulls away, then turns toward the school doors.
Molly's wearing something she pulled together at the last minute, a fancy plaid jumper-style dress and some of her mother's jewelry. She even left her precious goggles at home! She grins at Jordan, sliding an appraising eye down his uniform. "You look great," she smiles, a tinge of pink beneath the tattoos on her face.
Jordan doesn't need not be so concerned. Hitsugaya didn't have time to go all out on finding a perfect suit, just one that fit him. They make some terrible clothes for kids his apparent age. He wanted to smack some people after they suggested that he wear a suit jacket with a pair of shorts. The suit is gray, almost like his hair, but spiffed up with a dark blue metallic tie.
Miserable? Not entirely. Shiro wouldn't be here if he wouldn't be trailing behind Hinamori. Her timing was impeccable, coming from the Soul Society right before one of the more social events of the school year. There would be no better occasion to get to meet the students and get acquainted with the real world. Shiro's here to make sure that she doesn't make some faux pas, right? right?
Yeah, it figures Don Wei would make sure that his daughter got to the dance. And he's probably twitching his eyes at Jordan behind that mirrored glass. At least for a moment, before shaking his head. "She is just like her mother. Good luck to you, m'boy."
In the several races and the months following the Oban race, Jordan has never seen Molly really be 'girlie'. That said, he's seen her in a dress or skirt now and again, but usually it was their work clothes as they got ready for the title races to start.
As Molly starts to approach him, the young man glances upwards, and immediately feels his heart start to race. She's done it again. Without even trying. "Mol-Molly?" the gunner asks, taking a hard swallow as he looks the young woman up and down. This is the same Tomboy that he developed so many feelings for over 20 someodd races? It is.
"You.. look great, partner." the young Avatar offers, reaching back to rub the back of his head, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "What, this old thing?" he says with a playful grin. "It was just lying around, I realized that I hadn't worn it since the night the Avatar's ship took us to Alwas." he admits sheepishly.
Offering his hand to Molly, Jordan bends at the waist. "If you are ready, then, Molly, it would be my pleasure to take you to.. uh.. where is this again?" Eh-heh.
Alicia is currently enjoying a nice refreshing drink and admiring the other guests as they arrive. She hasn't said anything yet, but that's not because she's non-social. Rather, she's just waiting for everyone to get going and be more social wih everybody else, so she'll feel a little more at ease doing the same.
"Well, I'm glad you hung onto it," she smiles, placing her hand in his. "Mister Wilde, I would be glad to have you as my date to the Karakura High spring dance," she chuckles, playing her part. And she even manages something between a bow and a curtsey without falling over or having her skirt hike up too far. It's a miracle!
She tugs him along the short length of sidewalk and into the 'courtyard' itself where the waiting students are gathered. "It's beautiful," she sighs, looking up at the stars overhead and the wafting ribbon streamers. The music should be starting soon, she thinks, and wonders if she's expected to know how to dance. It can't be hard, you just move around to the music!
Hurray school functions are the best ways to learn the student ways and to be come more like them. It's a good start as far as Hinamori is concerned. Being a normal student isn't the reason she left Soul Society, but learning how to adapt and fit in with the surroundings and role she was given to use, she has to be sure to do her best!! The dress she managed to wear was aquaired by some means, and it's pale blue, sparkly and oh so pretty. Nothing too fancy, but dressy enough for the occasion, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail rather than kept in it's usual bun style.
At least she didn't have to literally drag Shrio along the entire way, and when it looks like he's walking on his own, so she goes on ahead to enter the dance first, evenutally coming to a stop and admiring the decorations and set up. "This looks like it will be fun, doesn't it Shiro?"
Undoubtedly some probably thought it suspicious for Nao to go to something like this. But she's never felt the need to justify anything she does, and she's not starting tonight. A girl just likes to feel pretty sometimes! Or all the time, as is the case with Nao's confidence. But being around Sanji makes her feel even more special. The nature of their relationship is another thing that might seem suspect in the eye's of others. And it's just one more thing that Nao doesn't feel she needs to answer for. It's enough that she just arrives on the cook's arm, wearing the strapless light green dress she bought just for the occasion. It's a color made for redheads after all. She eyes the decorations, looking none too impressed. The aura around her suggests that she's just too jaded to enjoy the normal teenage activities. But then why did it take her -forever- to get ready? Maybe she's not so above it after all.
Miracles come in small doses, Molly! Feeling the warmth of her hand in his, Jordan can't help but to smile a little broader, a little wider. Maybe he will find the courage tonight! As they cross the sidewalk, the young man looks over at others entering the dance and gives a two fingered wave and a cheesy grin. "Hey!" he offers cheerfully. And why not?
He's on an honest to goodness date with Ev.. Molly. No 'let's grab a bite to eat after work', 'hey, wanna go grab some supplies from the store', 'I'm going to check out a movie, I have a two for one pass. Wanna come with?'.
So what if Molly's the one that had to ask Jordan to go. Power to the ladies!
Heading into the quadrangle, the gunner's hand tightens. "Hey, you know how to dance, right?" he asks. He doesn't want to admit he doesn't have much of a clue himself. The gunner glances towards Molly for a moment, and wants to be cool, and debonare, but really, that has never been Jordan C. Wilde's strong suit. "Want a drink or anything?" he of the orange chocolate hair asks.
Sanji walks in with Nao on his arm and looks around at all the decorations. He smiles a bit, since it looks like people are starting to show up and the whole scene is pretty quaint. He's never been to a school dance before. Do they even belong here? He's older than a high schooler and Nao isn't even in high school yet. Guess they can consider themselves here to crash and have a good time, but they'll certainly behave themselves! Right? Sanji is dressed in a sleek black suit with a modern cut that gives the lapels a slight flair. The shirt underneath is the same lime green color of Nao's dress so they're a perfect match and a couple of the buttons at the top are undone, opening some of the cloth against the black of the suit. It's not unusual for him of course, since the Straw Hat's cook is usually wearing a nice suit, but since this is an occasion even Sanji can somehow manage to look more fashionable than usual, though there's no way he can outdo his date when it comes to dressing tonight! "Nao-chan is the most beautiful girl in the room." The cook says with a grin, leaning in closer and sliding his arm about his date's waist.
A loud screech echoes across the courtyard, earning a number of startled and angry glances towards the speaker set. The DJ waves from his mixing table sheepishly, and then waves to one of the techs. The speakers crackle and then hum, and after a quick whine of feedback, the DJ puts on his headset and turns on his mic with a loud click.
"Hey there, Karakura High School and visiting guests! I'm DJ Hiiro Matsuoka, hosting the annual Spring Formal dance!" comes the blaring announcement, a tech scrambling to signal to another on the sound board to adjust the mic volume. Gradually it becomes more bearable. "Hope you're ready to dance, boys and girls, because tonight will be your chance to shine! Don't be shy and be sure to give it your all, because at the end of the night we'll be voting on who becomes the 'King and Queen' of the dance!" There is scattered applause. "Without further ado, let's begin!"
Despite the upbeat nature of the DJ's introduction, the music that starts to play seems more the type one would hear at a ball-- classical, with a distinct 3 count beat. Starting off with a waltz to set the mood? It seems so!
"Yeah, for you maybe." Hitsugaya shoves his hands into his pockets and lurks behind Hinamori. This is important enough for her to come, and it's not like Hitsugaya will let anyone else take her. One small relief is that these school dances aren't accompanied with booze like it would if this were Soul Society. He really wouldn't be able to abide by that.
As Shiro follows Momo, he has the perfect view of her outfit. He might actually be thinking that the dress that she's wearing is cute, but it's not like anyone would really read his mind here.
What in the blazes, one might wonder, is Kazuki Mutou doing here? Not only does he not go to school here, he doesn't even know anyone who DOES, but the Alchemy Warrior heard about it and it sounded like fun. He left a note for Tokiko, and (vague) instructions for his sister to make sure the older Warrior came properly dressed if she came at all, but so far... It seems like he's flying solo. His suit? Plain black. His dress shirt? Red. His tie? ...Well he doesn't own one. But his heart is in the right place!
...Except he doesn't have one of those, either.
"Hmm," mutters Kazuki to himself, already inside and apparently holding up a wall, hand raised to his mouth in a pensive expression as he leans there. "I wonder if she's gonna show?" Noo, he's been stood up! "Well, I'll just have to stay busy until she gets here," he decides, now dropping his fist into his other palm. Why is he talking to himself? SHUT UP THAT IS WHY.
Nao always behaves herself! ....Well, she'll behave herself tonight. At least she'll try to. Her gaze continues to wander but the smirk on her lips is proof that she heard Sanji's words. "You're biased." The HiME glances back to him. "You're right, but still biased." D'oh! Typical Nao. "You look nice tonight." Even though Sanji's always dresses with a little more style than most guys. She was pretty surprised that he went so far as to find a shirt that matched her dress! Nao's hands fly up to cover her ears at the screech from the DJ's table. That's gotta be the most annoying sound in the world! But then, Natsuki's not around for Nao to hear the sound of her voice tonight, eheh.
Momo Hinamori looks over the people gathered and jumped just a little at the screech and announcement. ... King and Queen? There's going to be royalty here? Hmmm. But for the moment, right here and now, Momo turns around to face Hitsugaya, "What do you mean by that? You aren't even going to try and enjoy yourself?" That would be a pout! Looking away from him she tries to find something that maybe she can use to bribe his interest with, oh ha there! "Look..." She points over to the refreshment table, "There's food over there." Or drinks, whatever, she walks past him to head toward the table.
Sanji chuckles at the words from Nao. Even if he is biased he doesn't think his statement untrue! "Do you want to get a drink?" They should do something other than stand around he supposes, but that seems like a safe bet at a place like this. The classical waltz is nice, but Sanji won't indulge in a dance just yet. Suddenly he wonders. "Do you dance, Nao-chwan?" Maybe she doesn't dance at all! Not that it'd bother him either way. The cook just wants her to have a good time.
The music sounds nice, but Alicia has nobody to dance with. Oh well, she'll just sit off to the side and enjoy a bite to eat, and hope that someone wishes to dance with her. Wishful thinking, yes, but it can work!
Oops. Perhaps they're both doomed. "Um... I kinda hoped you could teach me," Molly mumbles, embarrassed. Her formative years were spent in boarding school, and dancing wasn't in the curriculum... and after that, it never came up. She's also never heard of the concept of the 'Sadie Hawkins dance', not that that would have stopped her.
A drink would be pretty nice, actually. She wonders if it's been spiked yet. That always happens in the movies! "Sure, let's go get some!" The longer she can put off embarrassing herself in front of Jordan and the entire school, the better.
And they say all your social awkwardness resolves itself at graduation.
When has Hitsugaya ever enjoyed himself at a public function? Come on, Momo, think hard about that. Everything he does, he does because it's expected of him. The boy notices that none of the usual suspects from Karakura or Soul Society are in attendance, or maybe just haven't arrived yet. Maybe this will give Shiro the opportunity to act like himself, instead of the stuffy Captain everyone expects. Hitsugaya takes bribes, especially if it's good food. Oh, look...a little out of season, but those look like watermelon pieces on sticks.
If Jordan, Avatar of Oban, Mother Planet of the Universe, had known that Molly was unable to dance, he'd taken the time to learn. 'Oh, great. Something else the Creators didn't bother to mention.' Jordan thinks to himself as he offers Molly a nervous grin. "We'll, if we're going to go down fighting, we'll go down together, at least!" he offers cheerfully.
Part of him hears the DJ and he gives Molly a slightly askew look. She struggled so much in that 1900s history class, especially when it came to the 80s. Part of him almost thinks that if this was a few years ago, she'd just had dragged Jordan here to get a first hand look for some report for class.
"Sure, drinks are fine, come on." This time, it's Jordan that tugs Molly along over towards the table where Nao, Shiro and others are. Well, there's no time like the present to be sociable.
After all, there's no Krogg, mini-pirates with huge tongues or floppy ear princes here (Ling hasn't made it yet after all, LAWL). The gunner offers a grin. "Uh, hi. I'm Jordan, and this is my..." Partner is what he meant to say, but, "...girlfriend, Molly. We're sort of new around here."
So far, no Chad. Makoto rests herself against a faux pillar, her hands behind her back as she watches all the couples make their way to the dance floor. Maybe he's just a late show, or he had an I-beam or two get in his way here. It probably would've been best if she had met him first, then planned to actually meet him at the dance! The girl in blushing softly at her own shyness when two things catch her eye: A cute guy in black and red who may be lacking a heart, and Momo with her date, a short white-haired delinquent kid.
What.
In a remarkable show of speed for someone in heels - borne out of all the running she's done in those green boots - Mako-chan sprints across the dance floor to take Hinamori's side. "Momo-chan! Hitsugaya! You two did make it after all!"
Out in the parking lot, Hot Rod looks over at a car that is rocking up and down. "Hey, hey, you haven't even made it into the dance yet!" he tries in his most authorative voice.
Then he realizes it was some souped up hydraulics that some kid was showing off. "...oh. Carry on."
"Sure." Nao shrugs casually to the suggestion of getting something to drink. Seems like everyone gravitates that way sooner or later at events like this. She lets Sanji lead the way but even her normally cool demeanor is threatened by his question. "Dance?" Funny how she never thought about that before accepting an invitation to one. "What makes you think I can't dance?" That's not an answer, she's just questioning his question! And buying herself some time with a leisurely sip of punch. She eyes Sanji secretly, wondering the same of him. Somehow she gets the feeling that he can though.
Food... Yes. That sounds like a plan. Kazuki finally moves away from the wall, stretching his arms over his head before he too heads in the direction of the refreshment table! After all, it's a good way to pass the time until when and if Tokiko arrives. So, he weaves his way towards it, quite unaware that he might possibly recognise anyone there. He's too focused on the food, anyway. When he /does/ get there, he grabs something to munch on and then decides it's as good a time as any to make some new friends. "Hey!!" he says brightly to the other people at the table in general. "Nice decorations, huh?!" And he smiles sunnily from ear to ear. Oh god.
Momo Hinamori doesn't have to think hard about that. She knows good and well how Hitsugaya acts in public because his mood is predicable, but that doesn't mean she's going to stop trying to pull him out when he's being a stick in the mud. Perhaps the food will brighten his mood. Now she doesn't expect him to a social butterfly but maybe his scowl will lighten just a little. ... just a little!
Hearing an oncoming Makoto, Momo turns when she hears her name and smiles at the other girl when she recognizes her. She raises a hand to wave slightly and begins to step forward to meet her half way as Shiro goes to investigate the watermelon slices. While he's doing that Momo plans to join the perfectly normal girl(coughlol) that she's using as a study reference for the time being! "Kino, we're here. You look so pretty."
Ah, the music starts. Dizzy looks out at the crowd, starting to dance, with a bit of a wistful gleam in her eye. Where is that Quincy anyway?
But she contents herself with just peoplewatching for now...hm...hasn't seen any of her friends at all yet, at this point. Except.... "Hitsugaya?" That name, she knows...oh! The death god? What's he doing at a school dance? Her eyes swivel about, and catches sight of the apparent youth with the white hair. With a lot less urgency than Makoto, she too makes her way over just before Kazuki arrives and derails her. Don't worry, she'll bump into you soon enough!
"Good evening, Mister Hitsugaya," she says with a smile, once within conversation range. "It's been a while." And he has a date? Ah! They look cute together. She curtseys to Momo. "Hello, Miss. My name is Dizzy; I'm an acquaintance of Mister Hitsugaya's."
You paged Molly with 'Jordan: *so sensing the 'Jordan C. Wilde, we are going out to that dancefloor for a /talk/' look.'
The cook walks Nao over to the table and pours her some punch, then offers her the cup. He does the same for himself next as he's looking around. Wow, there are a lot of cute girls here! Even being with a date doesn't stop him from admiring them all, but Nao must know that his soul belongs to her! *heart* Even if his eyes go in various directions. As for dancing, "I don't know, but I was just wondering if you could. Because we can dance any time you want to." Or not at all if she doesn't dance. But Sanji will bet she can dance. He just seems to believe it and the smile on his face might give that thought away.
A blush and a smile spread across Molly's face, but she waves at everybody too. "Hi! Nice to meet you guys." G-girlfriend? But they haven't even TALKED about that kind of stuff! ...Maybe he'll say it tonight. Or she will. They've been dancing around each other for what, four years now? One of them has GOT to break the stasis. And tonight, she decides, is the night!
She'll just screw up her courage first. Please, please, won't someone spike the punch and make this easier for her? However, fate is never so kind in real life.
She picks up the ladle when it's her turn and pours them both cups of the red stuff, handing one off to Jordan. Then she shotguns her own, dreading and also hoping for the taste of liquor.
DENIED.
Stay strong, Makoto! You haven't been here a month and already you've found five boys that remind you of your senior! You have to pace yourself before...
Green eyes glisten at the sight of Kazuki's smile. "My senior smiled just like that..."
Fission Mailed.
Why is there a Death God here? Probably not for the same reason that an Omnipotent Avatar is. Or maybe he has a date too? Glacing at Kazuki. "Oh yeah, it's pretty.." Oh what was that 80s word? You remember that week of Slang that Molly went through.. "It's spoonily tubular?" he says, blinking owlishly as he realizes what he just said a few moments ago.
Oh dear. Now he's starting to blush himself. Omnipotent being - laid flat by his feelings for the girl that he sacrificed himself for.
For two people that are admitted non-dancers, they have had a heck of a dance for the last half-decade nearly, haven't they? Taking the glass as it's almost forced into his hands, the gunner blinks owlishly for the second time as Molly goes to shotgunning. And he takes his own drink.
Nao isn't threatened by Sanji's ways. That's how he is and the redhead accepts it. Especially since he's accepted her, without warning her that she needs to change her own ways. That's pretty rare! Seems like everyone has an opinion on what the HiME should or shouldn't do with her powers...opinions that she didn't ask for. As for dancing, Nao's secretly unsure. Maybe she'll be good at it. But she might be terrible too. She's never really tried, never had the least bit of desire to actually dance with a man. Maybe tonight?
Nao blinks when a nearby voice suddenly reaches her ears. A familiar voice... Her head turns slowly towards it, eyes widening when she spots and recognizes the owner. "HIM!" The cup of punch is handed back to Sanji suddenly, but not without her sweetest smile. "Hold this for me?" *heart* Nao then turns and grasps both sides of her dress in her hands, hiking it up so that she can storm towards Kazuki properly without doing any damage!
To the dress, that is.
Hitsugaya busies himself at the food table, taking a number of watermeloned toothpicks in his hand, especially since that...Kino girl arrived. He can ignore her right? Yes, he will. The boy Captain glances at Kazuki as he grabs food.. Ignore? Nah, he just gives Kazuki the briefest of nods.
Dizzy on the other hand... He just manages to chew on some watermelon before she drifts over to greet him. Introductions in order? "Hinamori, this is Dizzy." Is that it? Maybe he's having a hard time figuring out how to explain relationships in Karakura just yet. He doesn't look scowly, just thoughtful. "She's the Quincy's girlfriend."
Sanji blinks a few times in surprise at the outburst from Nao once she spots someone familiar. "Sure." The cup is taken with a grin and he turns to watch Nao walk away. Slowly his head tilts to the side as he admires the slight hike of her dress. No doubt the guy she's walking toward will admire her too! Well, might as well make the most of things in the meantime. It looks like Nao has more than a few choice words to say. The blonde pirate looks about, then smiles to himself and sets the glasses down before striding leisurely over toward where Alicia is sitting. "Excuse me, mademoiselle." A slight bow is given as his hand is extended. "Would you like a dance?" No doubt everyone saw him come in with Nao, but they do accept each other's ways. And this is just one of Sanji's ways.
Oh, look at that little kid, he's so serious! Kazuki peers curiously at Hitsugaya, to the point where he /almost/ doesn't notice Makoto looking his way. Straightening up, he smiles at her too, lifting his free hand in a casual salute. "Hi there! I'm Kazuki," he says to the tall girl, cheerful as always. Yeah, he's out here to meet new people and have fun! What could possibly go wrong? He's entirely unaware of the HiME headed his way, as his back is currently to her, blissfully ignorant of the horrible doom storming towards him.
As Makoto gets that starry eyed expression, Hinamori blinks and looks at her a little confused. "Kino?" A soft concern hanging in her voice, Momo waves her fingers a foot away from Makoto's to check if the girl isn't suffering from some sort of spell. Her inspection of her cut short when Dizzy arrives and introduces herself and she bows slightly in return. And since Hitsugaya went and said her name, she just smiles toward the other girl. Quincy's girlfriend? Hinamori looks to Shiro with a puzzled expression for a brief moment silently asking if she should know the person he's speaking of. Unlike other people she really never had a chance to become familiar with the group that stormed in to save Ruika. She's heard names and brief explanations, but never met any of them. "Nice to meet you, Miss Dizzy. I'm Shrio's girl friend, too." Smilesmile! Because that's what girlfriend means, right?
There's no need for her to be formal with Sanji, that's just the way he tends to be around a lady. When he isn't making a fool of himself at least. Once the girl accept Sanji smiles again and leads her out to the dance floor where the waltz is in process. His hands lift, one taking her hand and the other settling against her waist. Drawn modestly close, the pirate begins to move them about the dance floor. His steps are actually pretty good! If he were born with those long legs and couldn't dance it'd be a cryin' shame. "I'm Sanji." He says, striking up a little conversation with Alicia.
You paged Molly with 'Sad Molly in rain. http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41289385/'
Well, at least Dizzy can hear herself being referred to as Ishida's girlfriend without blushing now. It did take a little while, though. She nods and giggles lightly. "Nice to meet you, Miss Hinamori," she says. "I met Mister Hitsugaya shortly after I first came through the Gates. He helped explain a few of the...um, strange things that I've seen around Karakura. It was very kind and helpful of him." She nods to Shiro in acknowledgment.
And...oh, my. Be very, very glad that this is Dizzy and not, say, Hokuto that you're talking to. "Oh, really? You two are..." She blinks a little, looking between the two. Well! She did think they looked cute together. "I see." Smile. "Did you just come here to Karakura?" As she speaks, she glances over her shoulder curiously at Kazuki, who she can now hear, right behind her. And is who this rather tall, statuesque girl seems to be staring at. Hm, not bad. But he's not Ishida. But anyway.
Alicia dances alongside Sanji, going with his movements very well. Apparently, dancing is something that is very common in Lukano. She nods politely to Sanji as she replies with, "Alicia Winston, nice to meet you." She smiles a little and continues dancing with him.
Amuro Ray has arrived.
Well, there wasn't THAT much time to explain everything overnight. Did Hitsugaya overlook mentioning Ishida? It shouldn't really matter. If Dizzy's here, it's likely that Ishida will show up soon. He graciously returns the nod and pops another watermelon piece in his mouth.
Hitsugaya promptly begins to choke on said watermelon piece when Momo says that she's his girlfriend.
Its a spell called Crush, Momo, and the hand-wave seems to have snapped Makoto out of it with a couple blinks. "Eh? Oh! Heheh, sorry Momo-chan!", she answers with a bashful blush. Of course, right then she would have two other things competing for her attention right at the moment: Kazuki's salute and a girl chatting with Hitsugaya who has WINGS and a TAIL. Not to mention Momo calling herself Hitsugaya's girlfriend.
SHOCK OVERLOAD. Please wait a few minutes while Makoto's psyche resets. ". . ." Processing...
Nao comes to a halt just behind Kazuki. If his senses are honed he might actually feel it, that terrible perception that precedes disaster. That light touch to his shoulder doesn't feel disasterous though, nor the velvet tone that practically purrs his name. "Oh Kazuki-kun..." It's nice to know that in the course of making new friends, Kazuki also runs into an old one! Well...maybe friend isn't the right word. Suddenly that hand grips, perfectly manicured fingernails digging in as she seeks to spin him around to face her. "Ne, remember me?" Nao smiles sweetly while tilting her head to the side. Given their last meeting, and what he might of heard about since then, he probably won't be fooled by it.
Ahhh. Well, she'll just have to do it the hard way, then! Or... something. Yes. In a moment. Now she's got an empty cup, but she's not thirsty anymore. She's not going to hold onto it all night! So... in the trash it goes, and Molly stretches her arms. These guys are pretty nice! She picks up a piece of watermelon-on-a-skewer and takes a bite out of it, stepping back from the refreshments table to let other people get to the goodies.
all the other girls really dressed to the nines for this! She's glad she didn't try to wear heels, they look so hard to walk in. Her boots are plenty nice enough, they don't even have oil spots on them like her sneakers.
"It's nice to meet you, Alicia-chan." Sanji seems to be enjoying himself as he turns them about on the floor, though a glance goes in Nao's direction when she grabs that guy. Oh? Looks like something interesting is going to happen. "I hope you don't mind my saying this, but you have very pretty eyes." So blue and striking! Though it's pretty easy for a girl's looks to pierce right through the Straw Hat's cook. No doubt it'll be a woman who does him in one day. "And you're a really good dancer."
After finishing off his own cup, Jordan balls it up, and aims it towards the trashcan. He sends up a high arc.. it hits the rim, bounces off, and hits the ground.
You may be a master marksman, Jordan Wilde, but shooting hoops is not your strong suit. Leaving Molly's side for just a moment, he polices up the discarded cup and pauses for a breather before he returns to her.
"Alright, Jordan. Just tell her. It can't be that hard, can it?" he says to himself. The music's playing, they can have a few moments of privacy. She looks great in that dress. And he's waited four years to hear the answer to his confession of the heart.
If she doesn't respond tonight.. then maybe she never will. Picking up a piece of cheese from the table, he pops it into his mouth and starts back towards Molly.
So, uh, wanna dance? No, you need to ask better than that, Jordan!
Pretty eyes? Alicia rarely gets complimented, so she giggles and blushes a little. "Thank you, they're my mother's eyes, actually. And dancing has been something I was into for awhile. In fact, Lukano is well known for it's styles of dance." She continues moving in time with Sanji, enjoying this more than she thought she would.
There's a bit of an awkward edge to this, at least in Amuro Ray's mind. This is where his last girlfriend went, before she left on a journey and their own relationship came to a stable, but sad end. Still, her friends are still /here,/ and it's for that reason that at first, he was considering passing on this dance.
After all, he himself does not and cannot attend high school in his situation. Does he even really have the right to leach off of others for a 'prom' experience?
But Fokker's drunken urgings finally provoked the boy, and so he steps in, wearing a simple tuxedo and glancing around quietly. The teenager straightens his tie, glancing behind him at someone who appears to be following. Perhaps he did not come alone?
"Oro?" Kazuki mutters, his bright smile suddenly faltering as he feels a terrible chill down his spine. "Eeep," he adds sagely as he hears that voice say his name, and suddenly he gets whirled around to face Nao, his expression filled with shock and alarm. "N... Nao-chan!!" the Alchemy Warrior exclaims, laughing sheepishly. "Fancy running into you here!" No, he's not fooled at all by the sweet smile, but that doesn't mean he's going to be a jerk about it, either; what would that accomplish?
Momo Hinamori nods at Dizzy's half question, not really realizing what she's actually agreeing to. It's just a good thing that Renji isn't here cause then she'd claim to be his girl friend too ... and really that would be a bit too much wouldn't it? "Yes, I just arrived the other day. I am still trying to adjust to it here." There's a short pause and then she looks as if she thinks of something and quickly adds, "Because I just transferred to this school!" Whew. Quick safe Momo. Nevermind the fact that you don't have to keep that story up in front of Dizzy... but she doesn't know that.
As Hitsugaya begins to choke, she looks over to him and her head tilts slightly, "Are you alright Hitsugaya?" She steps forward looking concerned, but then places her hands on her hips and looks as if she's scolding him. "You know you shouldn't eat watermelon so fast." He must be choking on a seed or something. Obviously. There's no other reason whatsoever.
Oh wait, Makoto! Hinamori looks over to the other girl to make sure she still isn't in her daze, but it seems that she is. "Kino? Are you feeling well? Miss Dizzy...can you watch her for a moment while I get her something to drink?" And off Momo goes to get a glass of punch for Makoto.
The Indian girl who came to the baseball game comes in shortly after Amuro; she is not dressed terribly fancily, either. What she is wearing is rather neat; it is a golden-tone sari with a reddish pattern on the hem.
Lalah looked a bit like she did not get much sleep the previous night when Amuro had met up with her near the gate, but she's warmed up since then. All of this feels faintly like walking into a historical preserve, but even so. "Thank you," she tells him, "for asking me to come. It was very welcome." It certainly beats spending your medically-assigned 48 hour rest period staring at a wall in a cramped carrier.
Complimenting girls and making them happy is Sanji's business! His calling in life! That and cooking of course. Being a pirate and nakama is also in the mix, but sometimes one calling appears over others depending on the situation. "Lukano? I've never been there. What's it like?" Perhaps it's a place he'd like to visit sometime. Especially if it's filled with blonde haired blue eyed women!
Dizzy nods to Momo. "Ahh. I've heard that Karakura is a very good school. I go to the Hub school myself. Transferring is--oh!" She is cut off by Shiro's distress; she turns to him looking concerned. "Do you need some water or anything?" She does at least grab a napkin so that the poor boy can clean himself up after this choking fit.
And before she can even make another comment to Momo--the girl is gone, and Dizzy is left blinking. "Um? Oh...er...." She looks at Makoto. "Hi...I, um, my name is Dizzy." Again the curtsey. "Pleased to meet you, Miss...Kino, was it?" She smiles. Good thing she wasn't there to see Makoto hitting on her boyfriend, or she might not be smiling! Instead--she'd be frowning! Oh noes.
"Well, Lukano is a country in the Mediterranean Sea, close to where Greece is. It's similar in some ways to that country, but it's more modernized as well. There's a lot to do there and a lot to see." Alicia smiles a little, not mentioning anything about the troubled past it had. But she did help fend it off, so that's a credit.
Molly has moved out a little, onto the edge of the dance floor. "Hey, Jordan..." she pipes up, looking over at the gunner. "Wanna try dancing?" ...Really, how hard can it be? She offers her hands for him to hold onto, body rocking gently back and forth as she tries to match the beat of the music. Not bad so far!
Ding! Psyche reset! Makoto blinks out her next stupor, too late to wave off Hinamori rushing off to get her a drink. Oh well, punch sounds nice. Her eyes flit back over to the handsome guy with the winning smile, and notice he's now confronted by another girl. Hold on a second, wasn't she with that slick looking guy with the killer hair? Oh, hey, there he is - on the floor with another girl. "Huh," the tall brunette scratches her head in confusion. "I wonder if they're brother and sister."
Since Kazuki's busy with an old flame, Makoto goes to make friends and influence people herself. Dizzy gets a cheerful wave, "Hi, I'm Makoto Kino, a friend of Momo's and hopefully I'll be a student here next semester! I like your dress, and I love what you did with your hair! Mine's not long enough to do two ponytails like that, but it really looks good on you!"
Nao really likes that his expression is filled with shock and alarm...it's a good look for him. "I guess luck was just on your side tonight." She comments back to him. Bad luck maybe, but luck nonetheless. "I ran into your girlfriend the other day Kazuki-kun. Did she tell you?" The HiME continues to purr like an alleycat while trying to press herself right up against him. To the casual observer it might look like she's ditched her date to cozy up with a new guy. "We had a nice long...chat." They chatted while trying to kill one another. "I never would've thought she was your type. So...violent." A shudder runs through Nao's body, like she can't imagine such a brutal female!
Toushirou Hitsugaya coughs up the watermelon "seed" not that these little fruit sticks actually would have any. Pity really, Hinamori realy deserves a seed uzi right about now. Clueless, but understandably so. She doesn't know. Thank kami-sama. When Hinamori skips to get Makoto a drink, he accepts Dizzy's napkin is gratefully. Smearing the napkin across his mouth, he balls it up and holds it in his hand. He explains, "She's just transferred from Soul Society." He glances back at his childhood friend, "She needs more time to adjust."
Where: Karakura High School Gymnasium
When: Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!
What: The Spring Dance at Karakura - Part 1!
Karakura High School
As far as high schools go, this one is pretty average. It's a large blocky building with three stories in the central section. There's a taller section of the building where the teachers have their offices located, but students aren't really inclined to go there of their own jurisdiction. The grounds are green and well-kept with lots of big shade trees...perfect for enjoying lunch outdoors on a sunny day. In the back is a baseball diamond and basketball court, surrounded by a dirt track for jogging. All of the interesting cast members, however, take their lessons in room I-3 with Sensei Ochi.
The spring formal dance. An event eagerly awaited by some, and deeply feared by others. After all, no event at Karakura High School has gone by smoothly in the last year or so, and with the open invitation for inter-dimensional high school students to attend, the risk of some kind of bizarre hijinks seems higher than ever before.
Regardless of such fears, however, only rain had thrown it off course. While it was supposed to be held last week outdoors, the weather had conspired against them in such a way to force them to delay it until the next weekend.
Which is where we are today, under a moonlit, starry sky, surrounded by flowers, balloons, and decorative ribbon. Though it's early, already students are wandering around the area arm in arm, or convening by the well-stocked refreshment table. The DJ is still setting up on one side, running a few noisy sound tests every so often, much to the chagrin of students walking near the speakers.
The faculty is present as well, along with a number of hired security guards-- all dressed for the occasion, but bearing insignias on their breast pockets to denote some measure of authority. Hopefully things won't get out of hand tonight, and everyone can enjoy themselves in a nonviolent, social manner.
That's good to know, because the last thing Makoto has in mind tonight is to ditch her dance date so she can tranform into Sailor Jupiter. Nevermind that she doesn't have a dance date lined up just yet. She'll find one! This is high school, so she's not nearly as tall and awkward looking as she would be back at Azuban Juuban. She's also decked herself out with her best dress, a black formal with a low chest- er- neckline and a giant ornate rose on the front.
She's pulling out all the stops. And why not? If Mako-chan's lucky, Chad will show up. He not only sounded just like the senior who broke her heart, he's superstrong like her too! *heart*
Hot Rod is just this awesome car in the parking lot. He's here to make sure the Syndicate doesn't come crashing, after all, no need for all the super powered teens to ruin their fancy clothes when a giant robot is in their midsts. Bored bored bored. No need to even check out the cars, they're non-sentient.
App Arcee, plz.
However, standing near the entrance to the school is a young man that isn't from around here. He's American in apperance, military judging from the outfit he chose to where. It's a light blue military shirt, with an name tag reading 'Wilde'. A pair of black slacks are worn over his leg, and he looks rather well built. The hair is different though, it's half-black and half.. well.. it looks like he decided not to get a bleach job half-way through. Half of his hair is an orange color. Though, this really is the style of Jordan's time.
The Avatar of Oban is currently regretting his choice of clothing though as he looks himself over. "If I knew that Molly wanted to make up for lost high school dances, I would have conjured up something more formal." he says quietly to himself, watching kids not that much younger than him walk by in their finnery and suits and tuxedos, and lets out another breath. "Yeah. Little late for that now. Where is she?"
You usually wouldn't expect to see someone like Alicia Winston in a high school setting, but apparently she's here, dressed nicely for the occasion. A slight smile adorns her face, showing a casual side to her that most people generally don't see. Where are the other members of the VSSE? Well, they're busy with their own assignments, but they send their best regards.
"This looks like it's going to be a lot of fun," Alicia says to herself as she steps inside and heads to the refreshment table in search of a cold drink before the dancing gets underway.
Fashionably late, was that what it was called? Well, slightly late, anyway. Dizzy approaches a little bit hesitantly, looking around, hoping to see...hm, no Quincy in sight. Her face falls slightly, but she shakes her head. He did say he had things to do, and might not even be able to make it at all. Still--there will be other friends here, ones she hasn't spent much time with lately. It will be good to see them anyway.
And so, she quickens her pace slightly. Because it is not too terribly formal, she has a relatively simple dark purple dress on. The skirt extends to her calves, billowing in loose folds--no asymmetrical cut this time. That (as well as the length) helps to keep her tail out of sight: no need to call extra attention to herself with nonstandard body parts this time. The top half of the dress is well-fitted, showing off her curves tastefully. The neckline is modest, and the sleeves extend down to the wrist. Her wings, too, are nowhere to be seen.... Her hair is done up in a single braid that spills down her back to her waist, rather than her looping twin ponytails. It is one concession to a somewhat more formal air.
Upon arriving, she too walks over toward the refreshment table--both to get a drink to settle herself, as well as try to find a vantage point to see if she can find any of her friends wandering about. She nods and smiles to Alicia briefly as she gets some punch and sips it. Hopefully not spiked this time.
It's okay, Jordan. Molly wouldn't know formal if it bit her in the face. She's glad, for once, that she's so short. At 5' 5", it's easy to pass for a year younger than she really is. Nobody will ever know that she already graduated! If anyone asks, they're seniors. Rly.
A luxury car pulls into the parking lot, stopping by the outlet into the street. It's shiiiiiny. And it doesn't have any wheels. She climbs out of the passenger seat, turning to lean back into the car for a moment. "I promise! I'll call when it's over. Love you, dad." Shutting the door, she waves to the zebra-haired man in the driver's seat as he pulls away, then turns toward the school doors.
Molly's wearing something she pulled together at the last minute, a fancy plaid jumper-style dress and some of her mother's jewelry. She even left her precious goggles at home! She grins at Jordan, sliding an appraising eye down his uniform. "You look great," she smiles, a tinge of pink beneath the tattoos on her face.
Jordan doesn't need not be so concerned. Hitsugaya didn't have time to go all out on finding a perfect suit, just one that fit him. They make some terrible clothes for kids his apparent age. He wanted to smack some people after they suggested that he wear a suit jacket with a pair of shorts. The suit is gray, almost like his hair, but spiffed up with a dark blue metallic tie.
Miserable? Not entirely. Shiro wouldn't be here if he wouldn't be trailing behind Hinamori. Her timing was impeccable, coming from the Soul Society right before one of the more social events of the school year. There would be no better occasion to get to meet the students and get acquainted with the real world. Shiro's here to make sure that she doesn't make some faux pas, right? right?
Yeah, it figures Don Wei would make sure that his daughter got to the dance. And he's probably twitching his eyes at Jordan behind that mirrored glass. At least for a moment, before shaking his head. "She is just like her mother. Good luck to you, m'boy."
In the several races and the months following the Oban race, Jordan has never seen Molly really be 'girlie'. That said, he's seen her in a dress or skirt now and again, but usually it was their work clothes as they got ready for the title races to start.
As Molly starts to approach him, the young man glances upwards, and immediately feels his heart start to race. She's done it again. Without even trying. "Mol-Molly?" the gunner asks, taking a hard swallow as he looks the young woman up and down. This is the same Tomboy that he developed so many feelings for over 20 someodd races? It is.
"You.. look great, partner." the young Avatar offers, reaching back to rub the back of his head, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "What, this old thing?" he says with a playful grin. "It was just lying around, I realized that I hadn't worn it since the night the Avatar's ship took us to Alwas." he admits sheepishly.
Offering his hand to Molly, Jordan bends at the waist. "If you are ready, then, Molly, it would be my pleasure to take you to.. uh.. where is this again?" Eh-heh.
Alicia is currently enjoying a nice refreshing drink and admiring the other guests as they arrive. She hasn't said anything yet, but that's not because she's non-social. Rather, she's just waiting for everyone to get going and be more social wih everybody else, so she'll feel a little more at ease doing the same.
"Well, I'm glad you hung onto it," she smiles, placing her hand in his. "Mister Wilde, I would be glad to have you as my date to the Karakura High spring dance," she chuckles, playing her part. And she even manages something between a bow and a curtsey without falling over or having her skirt hike up too far. It's a miracle!
She tugs him along the short length of sidewalk and into the 'courtyard' itself where the waiting students are gathered. "It's beautiful," she sighs, looking up at the stars overhead and the wafting ribbon streamers. The music should be starting soon, she thinks, and wonders if she's expected to know how to dance. It can't be hard, you just move around to the music!
Hurray school functions are the best ways to learn the student ways and to be come more like them. It's a good start as far as Hinamori is concerned. Being a normal student isn't the reason she left Soul Society, but learning how to adapt and fit in with the surroundings and role she was given to use, she has to be sure to do her best!! The dress she managed to wear was aquaired by some means, and it's pale blue, sparkly and oh so pretty. Nothing too fancy, but dressy enough for the occasion, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail rather than kept in it's usual bun style.
At least she didn't have to literally drag Shrio along the entire way, and when it looks like he's walking on his own, so she goes on ahead to enter the dance first, evenutally coming to a stop and admiring the decorations and set up. "This looks like it will be fun, doesn't it Shiro?"
Undoubtedly some probably thought it suspicious for Nao to go to something like this. But she's never felt the need to justify anything she does, and she's not starting tonight. A girl just likes to feel pretty sometimes! Or all the time, as is the case with Nao's confidence. But being around Sanji makes her feel even more special. The nature of their relationship is another thing that might seem suspect in the eye's of others. And it's just one more thing that Nao doesn't feel she needs to answer for. It's enough that she just arrives on the cook's arm, wearing the strapless light green dress she bought just for the occasion. It's a color made for redheads after all. She eyes the decorations, looking none too impressed. The aura around her suggests that she's just too jaded to enjoy the normal teenage activities. But then why did it take her -forever- to get ready? Maybe she's not so above it after all.
Miracles come in small doses, Molly! Feeling the warmth of her hand in his, Jordan can't help but to smile a little broader, a little wider. Maybe he will find the courage tonight! As they cross the sidewalk, the young man looks over at others entering the dance and gives a two fingered wave and a cheesy grin. "Hey!" he offers cheerfully. And why not?
He's on an honest to goodness date with Ev.. Molly. No 'let's grab a bite to eat after work', 'hey, wanna go grab some supplies from the store', 'I'm going to check out a movie, I have a two for one pass. Wanna come with?'.
So what if Molly's the one that had to ask Jordan to go. Power to the ladies!
Heading into the quadrangle, the gunner's hand tightens. "Hey, you know how to dance, right?" he asks. He doesn't want to admit he doesn't have much of a clue himself. The gunner glances towards Molly for a moment, and wants to be cool, and debonare, but really, that has never been Jordan C. Wilde's strong suit. "Want a drink or anything?" he of the orange chocolate hair asks.
Sanji walks in with Nao on his arm and looks around at all the decorations. He smiles a bit, since it looks like people are starting to show up and the whole scene is pretty quaint. He's never been to a school dance before. Do they even belong here? He's older than a high schooler and Nao isn't even in high school yet. Guess they can consider themselves here to crash and have a good time, but they'll certainly behave themselves! Right? Sanji is dressed in a sleek black suit with a modern cut that gives the lapels a slight flair. The shirt underneath is the same lime green color of Nao's dress so they're a perfect match and a couple of the buttons at the top are undone, opening some of the cloth against the black of the suit. It's not unusual for him of course, since the Straw Hat's cook is usually wearing a nice suit, but since this is an occasion even Sanji can somehow manage to look more fashionable than usual, though there's no way he can outdo his date when it comes to dressing tonight! "Nao-chan is the most beautiful girl in the room." The cook says with a grin, leaning in closer and sliding his arm about his date's waist.
A loud screech echoes across the courtyard, earning a number of startled and angry glances towards the speaker set. The DJ waves from his mixing table sheepishly, and then waves to one of the techs. The speakers crackle and then hum, and after a quick whine of feedback, the DJ puts on his headset and turns on his mic with a loud click.
"Hey there, Karakura High School and visiting guests! I'm DJ Hiiro Matsuoka, hosting the annual Spring Formal dance!" comes the blaring announcement, a tech scrambling to signal to another on the sound board to adjust the mic volume. Gradually it becomes more bearable. "Hope you're ready to dance, boys and girls, because tonight will be your chance to shine! Don't be shy and be sure to give it your all, because at the end of the night we'll be voting on who becomes the 'King and Queen' of the dance!" There is scattered applause. "Without further ado, let's begin!"
Despite the upbeat nature of the DJ's introduction, the music that starts to play seems more the type one would hear at a ball-- classical, with a distinct 3 count beat. Starting off with a waltz to set the mood? It seems so!
"Yeah, for you maybe." Hitsugaya shoves his hands into his pockets and lurks behind Hinamori. This is important enough for her to come, and it's not like Hitsugaya will let anyone else take her. One small relief is that these school dances aren't accompanied with booze like it would if this were Soul Society. He really wouldn't be able to abide by that.
As Shiro follows Momo, he has the perfect view of her outfit. He might actually be thinking that the dress that she's wearing is cute, but it's not like anyone would really read his mind here.
What in the blazes, one might wonder, is Kazuki Mutou doing here? Not only does he not go to school here, he doesn't even know anyone who DOES, but the Alchemy Warrior heard about it and it sounded like fun. He left a note for Tokiko, and (vague) instructions for his sister to make sure the older Warrior came properly dressed if she came at all, but so far... It seems like he's flying solo. His suit? Plain black. His dress shirt? Red. His tie? ...Well he doesn't own one. But his heart is in the right place!
...Except he doesn't have one of those, either.
"Hmm," mutters Kazuki to himself, already inside and apparently holding up a wall, hand raised to his mouth in a pensive expression as he leans there. "I wonder if she's gonna show?" Noo, he's been stood up! "Well, I'll just have to stay busy until she gets here," he decides, now dropping his fist into his other palm. Why is he talking to himself? SHUT UP THAT IS WHY.
Nao always behaves herself! ....Well, she'll behave herself tonight. At least she'll try to. Her gaze continues to wander but the smirk on her lips is proof that she heard Sanji's words. "You're biased." The HiME glances back to him. "You're right, but still biased." D'oh! Typical Nao. "You look nice tonight." Even though Sanji's always dresses with a little more style than most guys. She was pretty surprised that he went so far as to find a shirt that matched her dress! Nao's hands fly up to cover her ears at the screech from the DJ's table. That's gotta be the most annoying sound in the world! But then, Natsuki's not around for Nao to hear the sound of her voice tonight, eheh.
Momo Hinamori looks over the people gathered and jumped just a little at the screech and announcement. ... King and Queen? There's going to be royalty here? Hmmm. But for the moment, right here and now, Momo turns around to face Hitsugaya, "What do you mean by that? You aren't even going to try and enjoy yourself?" That would be a pout! Looking away from him she tries to find something that maybe she can use to bribe his interest with, oh ha there! "Look..." She points over to the refreshment table, "There's food over there." Or drinks, whatever, she walks past him to head toward the table.
Sanji chuckles at the words from Nao. Even if he is biased he doesn't think his statement untrue! "Do you want to get a drink?" They should do something other than stand around he supposes, but that seems like a safe bet at a place like this. The classical waltz is nice, but Sanji won't indulge in a dance just yet. Suddenly he wonders. "Do you dance, Nao-chwan?" Maybe she doesn't dance at all! Not that it'd bother him either way. The cook just wants her to have a good time.
The music sounds nice, but Alicia has nobody to dance with. Oh well, she'll just sit off to the side and enjoy a bite to eat, and hope that someone wishes to dance with her. Wishful thinking, yes, but it can work!
Oops. Perhaps they're both doomed. "Um... I kinda hoped you could teach me," Molly mumbles, embarrassed. Her formative years were spent in boarding school, and dancing wasn't in the curriculum... and after that, it never came up. She's also never heard of the concept of the 'Sadie Hawkins dance', not that that would have stopped her.
A drink would be pretty nice, actually. She wonders if it's been spiked yet. That always happens in the movies! "Sure, let's go get some!" The longer she can put off embarrassing herself in front of Jordan and the entire school, the better.
And they say all your social awkwardness resolves itself at graduation.
When has Hitsugaya ever enjoyed himself at a public function? Come on, Momo, think hard about that. Everything he does, he does because it's expected of him. The boy notices that none of the usual suspects from Karakura or Soul Society are in attendance, or maybe just haven't arrived yet. Maybe this will give Shiro the opportunity to act like himself, instead of the stuffy Captain everyone expects. Hitsugaya takes bribes, especially if it's good food. Oh, look...a little out of season, but those look like watermelon pieces on sticks.
If Jordan, Avatar of Oban, Mother Planet of the Universe, had known that Molly was unable to dance, he'd taken the time to learn. 'Oh, great. Something else the Creators didn't bother to mention.' Jordan thinks to himself as he offers Molly a nervous grin. "We'll, if we're going to go down fighting, we'll go down together, at least!" he offers cheerfully.
Part of him hears the DJ and he gives Molly a slightly askew look. She struggled so much in that 1900s history class, especially when it came to the 80s. Part of him almost thinks that if this was a few years ago, she'd just had dragged Jordan here to get a first hand look for some report for class.
"Sure, drinks are fine, come on." This time, it's Jordan that tugs Molly along over towards the table where Nao, Shiro and others are. Well, there's no time like the present to be sociable.
After all, there's no Krogg, mini-pirates with huge tongues or floppy ear princes here (Ling hasn't made it yet after all, LAWL). The gunner offers a grin. "Uh, hi. I'm Jordan, and this is my..." Partner is what he meant to say, but, "...girlfriend, Molly. We're sort of new around here."
So far, no Chad. Makoto rests herself against a faux pillar, her hands behind her back as she watches all the couples make their way to the dance floor. Maybe he's just a late show, or he had an I-beam or two get in his way here. It probably would've been best if she had met him first, then planned to actually meet him at the dance! The girl in blushing softly at her own shyness when two things catch her eye: A cute guy in black and red who may be lacking a heart, and Momo with her date, a short white-haired delinquent kid.
What.
In a remarkable show of speed for someone in heels - borne out of all the running she's done in those green boots - Mako-chan sprints across the dance floor to take Hinamori's side. "Momo-chan! Hitsugaya! You two did make it after all!"
Out in the parking lot, Hot Rod looks over at a car that is rocking up and down. "Hey, hey, you haven't even made it into the dance yet!" he tries in his most authorative voice.
Then he realizes it was some souped up hydraulics that some kid was showing off. "...oh. Carry on."
"Sure." Nao shrugs casually to the suggestion of getting something to drink. Seems like everyone gravitates that way sooner or later at events like this. She lets Sanji lead the way but even her normally cool demeanor is threatened by his question. "Dance?" Funny how she never thought about that before accepting an invitation to one. "What makes you think I can't dance?" That's not an answer, she's just questioning his question! And buying herself some time with a leisurely sip of punch. She eyes Sanji secretly, wondering the same of him. Somehow she gets the feeling that he can though.
Food... Yes. That sounds like a plan. Kazuki finally moves away from the wall, stretching his arms over his head before he too heads in the direction of the refreshment table! After all, it's a good way to pass the time until when and if Tokiko arrives. So, he weaves his way towards it, quite unaware that he might possibly recognise anyone there. He's too focused on the food, anyway. When he /does/ get there, he grabs something to munch on and then decides it's as good a time as any to make some new friends. "Hey!!" he says brightly to the other people at the table in general. "Nice decorations, huh?!" And he smiles sunnily from ear to ear. Oh god.
Momo Hinamori doesn't have to think hard about that. She knows good and well how Hitsugaya acts in public because his mood is predicable, but that doesn't mean she's going to stop trying to pull him out when he's being a stick in the mud. Perhaps the food will brighten his mood. Now she doesn't expect him to a social butterfly but maybe his scowl will lighten just a little. ... just a little!
Hearing an oncoming Makoto, Momo turns when she hears her name and smiles at the other girl when she recognizes her. She raises a hand to wave slightly and begins to step forward to meet her half way as Shiro goes to investigate the watermelon slices. While he's doing that Momo plans to join the perfectly normal girl(coughlol) that she's using as a study reference for the time being! "Kino, we're here. You look so pretty."
Ah, the music starts. Dizzy looks out at the crowd, starting to dance, with a bit of a wistful gleam in her eye. Where is that Quincy anyway?
But she contents herself with just peoplewatching for now...hm...hasn't seen any of her friends at all yet, at this point. Except.... "Hitsugaya?" That name, she knows...oh! The death god? What's he doing at a school dance? Her eyes swivel about, and catches sight of the apparent youth with the white hair. With a lot less urgency than Makoto, she too makes her way over just before Kazuki arrives and derails her. Don't worry, she'll bump into you soon enough!
"Good evening, Mister Hitsugaya," she says with a smile, once within conversation range. "It's been a while." And he has a date? Ah! They look cute together. She curtseys to Momo. "Hello, Miss. My name is Dizzy; I'm an acquaintance of Mister Hitsugaya's."
You paged Molly with 'Jordan: *so sensing the 'Jordan C. Wilde, we are going out to that dancefloor for a /talk/' look.'
The cook walks Nao over to the table and pours her some punch, then offers her the cup. He does the same for himself next as he's looking around. Wow, there are a lot of cute girls here! Even being with a date doesn't stop him from admiring them all, but Nao must know that his soul belongs to her! *heart* Even if his eyes go in various directions. As for dancing, "I don't know, but I was just wondering if you could. Because we can dance any time you want to." Or not at all if she doesn't dance. But Sanji will bet she can dance. He just seems to believe it and the smile on his face might give that thought away.
A blush and a smile spread across Molly's face, but she waves at everybody too. "Hi! Nice to meet you guys." G-girlfriend? But they haven't even TALKED about that kind of stuff! ...Maybe he'll say it tonight. Or she will. They've been dancing around each other for what, four years now? One of them has GOT to break the stasis. And tonight, she decides, is the night!
She'll just screw up her courage first. Please, please, won't someone spike the punch and make this easier for her? However, fate is never so kind in real life.
She picks up the ladle when it's her turn and pours them both cups of the red stuff, handing one off to Jordan. Then she shotguns her own, dreading and also hoping for the taste of liquor.
DENIED.
Stay strong, Makoto! You haven't been here a month and already you've found five boys that remind you of your senior! You have to pace yourself before...
Green eyes glisten at the sight of Kazuki's smile. "My senior smiled just like that..."
Fission Mailed.
Why is there a Death God here? Probably not for the same reason that an Omnipotent Avatar is. Or maybe he has a date too? Glacing at Kazuki. "Oh yeah, it's pretty.." Oh what was that 80s word? You remember that week of Slang that Molly went through.. "It's spoonily tubular?" he says, blinking owlishly as he realizes what he just said a few moments ago.
Oh dear. Now he's starting to blush himself. Omnipotent being - laid flat by his feelings for the girl that he sacrificed himself for.
For two people that are admitted non-dancers, they have had a heck of a dance for the last half-decade nearly, haven't they? Taking the glass as it's almost forced into his hands, the gunner blinks owlishly for the second time as Molly goes to shotgunning. And he takes his own drink.
Nao isn't threatened by Sanji's ways. That's how he is and the redhead accepts it. Especially since he's accepted her, without warning her that she needs to change her own ways. That's pretty rare! Seems like everyone has an opinion on what the HiME should or shouldn't do with her powers...opinions that she didn't ask for. As for dancing, Nao's secretly unsure. Maybe she'll be good at it. But she might be terrible too. She's never really tried, never had the least bit of desire to actually dance with a man. Maybe tonight?
Nao blinks when a nearby voice suddenly reaches her ears. A familiar voice... Her head turns slowly towards it, eyes widening when she spots and recognizes the owner. "HIM!" The cup of punch is handed back to Sanji suddenly, but not without her sweetest smile. "Hold this for me?" *heart* Nao then turns and grasps both sides of her dress in her hands, hiking it up so that she can storm towards Kazuki properly without doing any damage!
To the dress, that is.
Hitsugaya busies himself at the food table, taking a number of watermeloned toothpicks in his hand, especially since that...Kino girl arrived. He can ignore her right? Yes, he will. The boy Captain glances at Kazuki as he grabs food.. Ignore? Nah, he just gives Kazuki the briefest of nods.
Dizzy on the other hand... He just manages to chew on some watermelon before she drifts over to greet him. Introductions in order? "Hinamori, this is Dizzy." Is that it? Maybe he's having a hard time figuring out how to explain relationships in Karakura just yet. He doesn't look scowly, just thoughtful. "She's the Quincy's girlfriend."
Sanji blinks a few times in surprise at the outburst from Nao once she spots someone familiar. "Sure." The cup is taken with a grin and he turns to watch Nao walk away. Slowly his head tilts to the side as he admires the slight hike of her dress. No doubt the guy she's walking toward will admire her too! Well, might as well make the most of things in the meantime. It looks like Nao has more than a few choice words to say. The blonde pirate looks about, then smiles to himself and sets the glasses down before striding leisurely over toward where Alicia is sitting. "Excuse me, mademoiselle." A slight bow is given as his hand is extended. "Would you like a dance?" No doubt everyone saw him come in with Nao, but they do accept each other's ways. And this is just one of Sanji's ways.
Oh, look at that little kid, he's so serious! Kazuki peers curiously at Hitsugaya, to the point where he /almost/ doesn't notice Makoto looking his way. Straightening up, he smiles at her too, lifting his free hand in a casual salute. "Hi there! I'm Kazuki," he says to the tall girl, cheerful as always. Yeah, he's out here to meet new people and have fun! What could possibly go wrong? He's entirely unaware of the HiME headed his way, as his back is currently to her, blissfully ignorant of the horrible doom storming towards him.
As Makoto gets that starry eyed expression, Hinamori blinks and looks at her a little confused. "Kino?" A soft concern hanging in her voice, Momo waves her fingers a foot away from Makoto's to check if the girl isn't suffering from some sort of spell. Her inspection of her cut short when Dizzy arrives and introduces herself and she bows slightly in return. And since Hitsugaya went and said her name, she just smiles toward the other girl. Quincy's girlfriend? Hinamori looks to Shiro with a puzzled expression for a brief moment silently asking if she should know the person he's speaking of. Unlike other people she really never had a chance to become familiar with the group that stormed in to save Ruika. She's heard names and brief explanations, but never met any of them. "Nice to meet you, Miss Dizzy. I'm Shrio's girl friend, too." Smilesmile! Because that's what girlfriend means, right?
There's no need for her to be formal with Sanji, that's just the way he tends to be around a lady. When he isn't making a fool of himself at least. Once the girl accept Sanji smiles again and leads her out to the dance floor where the waltz is in process. His hands lift, one taking her hand and the other settling against her waist. Drawn modestly close, the pirate begins to move them about the dance floor. His steps are actually pretty good! If he were born with those long legs and couldn't dance it'd be a cryin' shame. "I'm Sanji." He says, striking up a little conversation with Alicia.
You paged Molly with 'Sad Molly in rain. http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41289385/'
Well, at least Dizzy can hear herself being referred to as Ishida's girlfriend without blushing now. It did take a little while, though. She nods and giggles lightly. "Nice to meet you, Miss Hinamori," she says. "I met Mister Hitsugaya shortly after I first came through the Gates. He helped explain a few of the...um, strange things that I've seen around Karakura. It was very kind and helpful of him." She nods to Shiro in acknowledgment.
And...oh, my. Be very, very glad that this is Dizzy and not, say, Hokuto that you're talking to. "Oh, really? You two are..." She blinks a little, looking between the two. Well! She did think they looked cute together. "I see." Smile. "Did you just come here to Karakura?" As she speaks, she glances over her shoulder curiously at Kazuki, who she can now hear, right behind her. And is who this rather tall, statuesque girl seems to be staring at. Hm, not bad. But he's not Ishida. But anyway.
Alicia dances alongside Sanji, going with his movements very well. Apparently, dancing is something that is very common in Lukano. She nods politely to Sanji as she replies with, "Alicia Winston, nice to meet you." She smiles a little and continues dancing with him.
Amuro Ray has arrived.
Well, there wasn't THAT much time to explain everything overnight. Did Hitsugaya overlook mentioning Ishida? It shouldn't really matter. If Dizzy's here, it's likely that Ishida will show up soon. He graciously returns the nod and pops another watermelon piece in his mouth.
Hitsugaya promptly begins to choke on said watermelon piece when Momo says that she's his girlfriend.
Its a spell called Crush, Momo, and the hand-wave seems to have snapped Makoto out of it with a couple blinks. "Eh? Oh! Heheh, sorry Momo-chan!", she answers with a bashful blush. Of course, right then she would have two other things competing for her attention right at the moment: Kazuki's salute and a girl chatting with Hitsugaya who has WINGS and a TAIL. Not to mention Momo calling herself Hitsugaya's girlfriend.
SHOCK OVERLOAD. Please wait a few minutes while Makoto's psyche resets. ". . ." Processing...
Nao comes to a halt just behind Kazuki. If his senses are honed he might actually feel it, that terrible perception that precedes disaster. That light touch to his shoulder doesn't feel disasterous though, nor the velvet tone that practically purrs his name. "Oh Kazuki-kun..." It's nice to know that in the course of making new friends, Kazuki also runs into an old one! Well...maybe friend isn't the right word. Suddenly that hand grips, perfectly manicured fingernails digging in as she seeks to spin him around to face her. "Ne, remember me?" Nao smiles sweetly while tilting her head to the side. Given their last meeting, and what he might of heard about since then, he probably won't be fooled by it.
Ahhh. Well, she'll just have to do it the hard way, then! Or... something. Yes. In a moment. Now she's got an empty cup, but she's not thirsty anymore. She's not going to hold onto it all night! So... in the trash it goes, and Molly stretches her arms. These guys are pretty nice! She picks up a piece of watermelon-on-a-skewer and takes a bite out of it, stepping back from the refreshments table to let other people get to the goodies.
all the other girls really dressed to the nines for this! She's glad she didn't try to wear heels, they look so hard to walk in. Her boots are plenty nice enough, they don't even have oil spots on them like her sneakers.
"It's nice to meet you, Alicia-chan." Sanji seems to be enjoying himself as he turns them about on the floor, though a glance goes in Nao's direction when she grabs that guy. Oh? Looks like something interesting is going to happen. "I hope you don't mind my saying this, but you have very pretty eyes." So blue and striking! Though it's pretty easy for a girl's looks to pierce right through the Straw Hat's cook. No doubt it'll be a woman who does him in one day. "And you're a really good dancer."
After finishing off his own cup, Jordan balls it up, and aims it towards the trashcan. He sends up a high arc.. it hits the rim, bounces off, and hits the ground.
You may be a master marksman, Jordan Wilde, but shooting hoops is not your strong suit. Leaving Molly's side for just a moment, he polices up the discarded cup and pauses for a breather before he returns to her.
"Alright, Jordan. Just tell her. It can't be that hard, can it?" he says to himself. The music's playing, they can have a few moments of privacy. She looks great in that dress. And he's waited four years to hear the answer to his confession of the heart.
If she doesn't respond tonight.. then maybe she never will. Picking up a piece of cheese from the table, he pops it into his mouth and starts back towards Molly.
So, uh, wanna dance? No, you need to ask better than that, Jordan!
Pretty eyes? Alicia rarely gets complimented, so she giggles and blushes a little. "Thank you, they're my mother's eyes, actually. And dancing has been something I was into for awhile. In fact, Lukano is well known for it's styles of dance." She continues moving in time with Sanji, enjoying this more than she thought she would.
There's a bit of an awkward edge to this, at least in Amuro Ray's mind. This is where his last girlfriend went, before she left on a journey and their own relationship came to a stable, but sad end. Still, her friends are still /here,/ and it's for that reason that at first, he was considering passing on this dance.
After all, he himself does not and cannot attend high school in his situation. Does he even really have the right to leach off of others for a 'prom' experience?
But Fokker's drunken urgings finally provoked the boy, and so he steps in, wearing a simple tuxedo and glancing around quietly. The teenager straightens his tie, glancing behind him at someone who appears to be following. Perhaps he did not come alone?
"Oro?" Kazuki mutters, his bright smile suddenly faltering as he feels a terrible chill down his spine. "Eeep," he adds sagely as he hears that voice say his name, and suddenly he gets whirled around to face Nao, his expression filled with shock and alarm. "N... Nao-chan!!" the Alchemy Warrior exclaims, laughing sheepishly. "Fancy running into you here!" No, he's not fooled at all by the sweet smile, but that doesn't mean he's going to be a jerk about it, either; what would that accomplish?
Momo Hinamori nods at Dizzy's half question, not really realizing what she's actually agreeing to. It's just a good thing that Renji isn't here cause then she'd claim to be his girl friend too ... and really that would be a bit too much wouldn't it? "Yes, I just arrived the other day. I am still trying to adjust to it here." There's a short pause and then she looks as if she thinks of something and quickly adds, "Because I just transferred to this school!" Whew. Quick safe Momo. Nevermind the fact that you don't have to keep that story up in front of Dizzy... but she doesn't know that.
As Hitsugaya begins to choke, she looks over to him and her head tilts slightly, "Are you alright Hitsugaya?" She steps forward looking concerned, but then places her hands on her hips and looks as if she's scolding him. "You know you shouldn't eat watermelon so fast." He must be choking on a seed or something. Obviously. There's no other reason whatsoever.
Oh wait, Makoto! Hinamori looks over to the other girl to make sure she still isn't in her daze, but it seems that she is. "Kino? Are you feeling well? Miss Dizzy...can you watch her for a moment while I get her something to drink?" And off Momo goes to get a glass of punch for Makoto.
The Indian girl who came to the baseball game comes in shortly after Amuro; she is not dressed terribly fancily, either. What she is wearing is rather neat; it is a golden-tone sari with a reddish pattern on the hem.
Lalah looked a bit like she did not get much sleep the previous night when Amuro had met up with her near the gate, but she's warmed up since then. All of this feels faintly like walking into a historical preserve, but even so. "Thank you," she tells him, "for asking me to come. It was very welcome." It certainly beats spending your medically-assigned 48 hour rest period staring at a wall in a cramped carrier.
Complimenting girls and making them happy is Sanji's business! His calling in life! That and cooking of course. Being a pirate and nakama is also in the mix, but sometimes one calling appears over others depending on the situation. "Lukano? I've never been there. What's it like?" Perhaps it's a place he'd like to visit sometime. Especially if it's filled with blonde haired blue eyed women!
Dizzy nods to Momo. "Ahh. I've heard that Karakura is a very good school. I go to the Hub school myself. Transferring is--oh!" She is cut off by Shiro's distress; she turns to him looking concerned. "Do you need some water or anything?" She does at least grab a napkin so that the poor boy can clean himself up after this choking fit.
And before she can even make another comment to Momo--the girl is gone, and Dizzy is left blinking. "Um? Oh...er...." She looks at Makoto. "Hi...I, um, my name is Dizzy." Again the curtsey. "Pleased to meet you, Miss...Kino, was it?" She smiles. Good thing she wasn't there to see Makoto hitting on her boyfriend, or she might not be smiling! Instead--she'd be frowning! Oh noes.
"Well, Lukano is a country in the Mediterranean Sea, close to where Greece is. It's similar in some ways to that country, but it's more modernized as well. There's a lot to do there and a lot to see." Alicia smiles a little, not mentioning anything about the troubled past it had. But she did help fend it off, so that's a credit.
Molly has moved out a little, onto the edge of the dance floor. "Hey, Jordan..." she pipes up, looking over at the gunner. "Wanna try dancing?" ...Really, how hard can it be? She offers her hands for him to hold onto, body rocking gently back and forth as she tries to match the beat of the music. Not bad so far!
Ding! Psyche reset! Makoto blinks out her next stupor, too late to wave off Hinamori rushing off to get her a drink. Oh well, punch sounds nice. Her eyes flit back over to the handsome guy with the winning smile, and notice he's now confronted by another girl. Hold on a second, wasn't she with that slick looking guy with the killer hair? Oh, hey, there he is - on the floor with another girl. "Huh," the tall brunette scratches her head in confusion. "I wonder if they're brother and sister."
Since Kazuki's busy with an old flame, Makoto goes to make friends and influence people herself. Dizzy gets a cheerful wave, "Hi, I'm Makoto Kino, a friend of Momo's and hopefully I'll be a student here next semester! I like your dress, and I love what you did with your hair! Mine's not long enough to do two ponytails like that, but it really looks good on you!"
Nao really likes that his expression is filled with shock and alarm...it's a good look for him. "I guess luck was just on your side tonight." She comments back to him. Bad luck maybe, but luck nonetheless. "I ran into your girlfriend the other day Kazuki-kun. Did she tell you?" The HiME continues to purr like an alleycat while trying to press herself right up against him. To the casual observer it might look like she's ditched her date to cozy up with a new guy. "We had a nice long...chat." They chatted while trying to kill one another. "I never would've thought she was your type. So...violent." A shudder runs through Nao's body, like she can't imagine such a brutal female!
Toushirou Hitsugaya coughs up the watermelon "seed" not that these little fruit sticks actually would have any. Pity really, Hinamori realy deserves a seed uzi right about now. Clueless, but understandably so. She doesn't know. Thank kami-sama. When Hinamori skips to get Makoto a drink, he accepts Dizzy's napkin is gratefully. Smearing the napkin across his mouth, he balls it up and holds it in his hand. He explains, "She's just transferred from Soul Society." He glances back at his childhood friend, "She needs more time to adjust."