☆ 001 [video]

[i_love_taiyaki]

[The feed is an EXTREME CLOSE-UP on Renji's eye as he peers into the lens, then pulls the device back and tilts it on its side. It's pretty obvious he doesn't really know what he's doing with this technology nonsense. He definitely looks a bit worse for wear--he's bleeding visibly and appears to have scorch marks all over his face and upper torso

Comments

[yetsleeping]

Um! You're bleeding, are you... I mean, do you need help? Medical attention? Assistance of any kind?!

[video forever]

[i_love_taiyaki]

Ah? Er... no, I'm okay, really. This prolly looks worse than it is. [pause.] No offense, but... do I know you?

[VOICE forever! unless she changes it.]

[yetsleeping]

...no! Not at all!

[...]

Because I haven't met you yet.

[...yeah. Well. Obviously. She taps the Forge.]

I'm Priscilla. Who are you?

[i_love_taiyaki]

[IRREFUTABLE LOGIC!]

Uh. Hi, Priscilla, I'm Renji. So now that we've been properly introduced... what in the hell is going on here? [There's no anger in his voice or expression, he's just genuinely baffled now.]

[yetsleeping]

[Indeed. It's bordering on tautological, even!]

It's kind of a long story... but you're in a city called Anatole, now. ...and probably for a while to come.

[i_love_taiyaki]

Well, if it's for a while to come, then a long story ain't really a problem, is it? I might look like a dumb jock, but I'm a good listener.

[yetsleeping]

...well.

As far as we can tell, there are these little children called the Twins, and they control the city, and the mist you see is really floating energy and it does strange things to us and either it or the Twins or both control the Door, and the Door brings people here from various worlds and times and that's why we're all here, you see?

[...she comes up for air.]

Are you a shinigami?

[i_love_taiyaki]

Ah, I read about the twins--someone sent me a big long spiel full of info. Seems pretty screwy if you ask me, couple'a kids bein' in charge of a whole city. I won't say it makes a lot of sense, but I think I sort of get the general gist of this place now.

[Pause.]

Yeah, actually. You know about Shinigami?

[yetsleeping]

I do! I've known Kaien and Byakuya for a year now. And I used to spar with Kenpachi before he-- well. Yachiru lives with me sometimes, since Kenpachi's been gone, and Ukitake is very nice, and... well! I could keep going, but um, I don't want to be boring.

Anyway, I was wondering because you seem to know a lot them, although I guess that's not a guarantee since a lot of them know Ichigo too.

[i_love_taiyaki]

Zaraki-taichou's here, too? Wait--before he what? You can't be tellin' me he kicked it. I didn't think anything could kill that guy... And Yachiru's here, too? Jeez, it's a regular Shinigami party.

Y'ain't boring; it's useful to know what allies I've got here. But yeah, I'm a Shinigami, too. Ichigo's a pal'a mine, and Kuchiki-taichou's my direct superior.

[yetsleeping]

It's not that Kenpachi died. It's just that he isn't here anymore. [She sounds a little... frustrated by this, actually.] He disappeared, and I know he didn't just leave because Yachiru is still here, moving from... place to place. She... she says she doesn't like to stay still.

[She takes a deep breath.]

Well. Anyway. It's-- oh! Wait, you work for Byakuya?

[i_love_taiyaki]

Heh, yeah that sounds like Yachiru. I'll have to make sure to say hi to her. I can't imagine Zaraki-taichou'd just up and leave her, though, yeah... This place is so weird; think he just got sent home?

Hm? Oh, yeah, Kuchiki-taichou's my boss.

[yetsleeping]

Maybe. Or he might have been killed. Some of the things in this world... well. Some of them have been too much to battle even for people much stronger than Kenpachi. And there are a few here, although not many.

[...]

I'm sorry. He's very unpleasant.

[Yes. She said it.]

[i_love_taiyaki]

I honestly can't quite imagine anything strong enough to kill Zaraki-taichou.

[Pause... And then it becomes obvious he's biting the corners of his mouth to keep from laughing.]

Kuchiki-taichou is... an acquired taste, I guess. I'll be the first to admit he's definitely a little hard to work with at times, but he's really good at his job. One day I wanna be as strong as he is.

[yetsleeping]

You can't? Really?

[...oh yeah she can tell something is going on there. And it makes her smiles a little, too.]

I keep trying to acquire the taste, and keeps being rude to me. I finally told him to stop talking to me if he can't be polite, so I guess he'll stop talking until the next time there's some kind of emergency and he has no choice.

But I do know he's strong, and I normally trust him to do the right thing! At least... some form of the right thing.

...depending on your perspective.

But we usually agree!

[Because they are both RULES LAWYERS]

So... that's good.

[...]

But he's still really unpleasant.

I'm sorry to talk so much!

1/2

[i_love_taiyaki]

[Okay now he's just not even trying to hold back his amusement. Have an all-out LOL.]