do you believe you're missing out

[alapimp]

Who: alapimp  and 1stguardian 
When: Early morning, 30th December
Where: Ichigo's bedroom, then to the SKIES \o/
Summary: Sousuke's training up the kid so, one glorious day, the snotrag will be worth fighting.
Warnings: PG13 for the deathberry's language? Something like that.

Comments

[1stguardian]

Sleep isn't something Ichigo's been getting often in Siren's Port. Oh, he catches a few hours here and there, but he's too tense, too busy worrying about everyone and everything, to relax enough to manage very much. Still, when he does sleep, he sleeps deeply, no longer needing to remain partially alert for shinigami coming in through his window. Not here in this place.

He doesn't hear Aizen enter the room, doesn't feel his approach or sense his reiatsu. And at first, he doesn't react to the hand on his mouth. The sensation just bleeds into a rather bizarre dream of Kon strangling him so he can run off with his body and become a movie star. Until the pressure starts to get uncomfortable and he begins, slowly, to realize that the dream is a little too real.

Jerking awake, thinking it's Shiro playing a joke on him, Ichigo opens his eyes, already beginning to glare. I was finally sleeping, you- Except it's very much not Shiro, and although Ichigo's become oddly comfortable in Aizen's presence, finding him leaning over him in his

[1stguardian]

There's no time for him to congratulate himself on choosing the right course of action. Not when Aizen's flying past him like that. And even though he knows that he didn't find him, that Aizen chose to reveal himself, he's not going to squander the opportunity to try to catch him.

Ichigo drops in mid-step, twisting around as he plummets after him, falling into shupo as soon as he's facing in the right direction. That they're heading toward the ground is something to which Ichigo pays no attention. He knows neither one of them will crash. Secure in that knowledge, he moves faster, with greater confidence, to catch up.

[alapimp]

Pulling into the rooftops, he evades chimney and television aerials, circling widely around a neighborhood and ignoring the surprised yelps of the people below when two bodies go zipping overhead. He rises and falls, even slowing down now and again before speeding back up.

[1stguardian]

Obstacles. Of course there'd be obstacles. Luckily for Ichigo, he's agile and only clips the edge of a chimney once. Not enough to slow him down, just enough to remind him that he needs to pay better attention to what he's doing.

It's a little like running with the horse, exhilarating and challenging, and this time he knows he can do it. Even if right now they're moving faster than that poor horse ever could. As the game stretches out, Ichigo finds himself almost pacing Aizen. He's obviously faster, and there's no way Ichigo could outrun him, but every now and again, he manages to catch up. It's almost enough to make him forget that they're playing Tag. Almost.

At one such moment, he reaches out again, aiming for Aizen's arm.

[alapimp]

It's leisurely for him to wend his way out of the rooftops, only rising above them with a burst of speed the moment Ichigo tries to grab him. Not forward, but shunpo'ing beside him to press his fingers against the rise of ribs, matching Ichigo's speed to murmur in his ear, "One."

Faster now, he flies upward to free himself of the obstacles and heads for the greenery of the park, making it more difficult for Ichigo to keep up.

[1stguardian]

Having a limited understanding of Canadian currency, Ichigo spares a moment to hope twenty dollars is enough to cover breakfast when he feels those fingers against his ribs. Damn it. Aizen's gone too fast for him to try to grab him, and Ichigo hurries after him.

He's concentrating too hard to waste a breath to groan, but when he realizes they're heading for the park he wants to. More obstacles. And places to hide. This is going to be hard. But even with defeat looming on the horizon, he refuses to give up. The least he can do is make Aizen work to win.

[alapimp]

His increase in speed is sustained as they approach the lake, at which point Sousuke dips over the trees and slows immediately, putting him far closer to Ichigo that the whole time it's taken to get there.

Fingers dip into the water, sprinkling it behind him as he flies in the lead. Enjoy your early morning shower!

[1stguardian]

Freezing cold lake water in his face prompts a disgruntled shout of annoyance, wordless and unintelligible. Aizen said no Bankai, but he never said Ichigo couldn't use his hollow powers. It's not enough to need the mask, just to change his eyes from brown to gold. And it gives him an extra burst of speed.

Maybe not today, or any time in the near future, but Ichigo vows to himself that somehow, before he leaves Siren's Port, he's pushing Aizen into that lake.

[alapimp]

He notices the shift of dark brown to a bright focused gold, forsaking weaving and distractions for flat-out power, the tops of trees severed from the sheer pressure of his speed as it picks up and gets serious, tiling on rooftops as he passes over the city shattering in his wake.

It's a real race, now, climbing higher.

[1stguardian]

He's fast. Really fucking fast. But like this, so is Ichigo. And unlike the encounter over the fake Karakura Town, he isn't afraid or desperate. All of his focus is centered on the shinigami in front of him, the rest of the world gone but for the two of them.

Ichigo doesn't notice the damage they're causing, and in the moment doesn't care. Because he's gaining on him again. He grabs at more power, forcing the shinigami and the hollow energy to work for him. Aizen's still in front of him, but he's not far behind. And ever so slowly, he's closing the distance.

[alapimp]

The sky is quite literally the limit as Sousuke aims to penetrate the highest clouds, the city falling away to an anthill and specks of light below, pin-pricks of life far removed from what's going on in the heavens. He's already aware of what'll happen if he goes too high, the short-circuit of his power coming as a winding blow - it's as if all of his immense spiritual pressure is put out like two fingers over a flame - but this time, prepared for it, he accepts the sudden loss with only a moment's pause for thought, breaking the streamline formation he's used up until now.

Don't panic.

He reminds himself not to worry, even as gravity seemingly in slow-motion begins to drag him back to the ground, free-falling on his back, eyes set on Ichigo - momentarily mortal and curious to watch the same thing happen.

[1stguardian]

He's going to catch him. He knows it. The grin starts - finally - only to falter as he realizes what he's seeing. No longer moving forward, Aizen's falling. And then his power abruptly winks out, gone as if he's never been anything but human. His feet slip, unable to find purchase, and he drops like a stone.

Unlike Aizen, Ichigo panics.

They're too high up and he doesn't know what happened; but he's falling, Aizen's falling, and if they hit the ground they're going to die. Game forgotten, Ichigo makes a wild grab for Aizen's coat, not intending to let them get separated. Something has to happen, somehow his power has to come back, because he'll be damned if he allows them to die like this.

He just... isn't sure how he's going to manage it.

[alapimp]

Snatched in - Ichigo's first point, he notes, but only because he's played a pretty dirty trick - he grabs the boy and wraps an arm around Ichigo's shoulders, bowing over his head to keep his neck from snapping as they plummet. After a hundred feet or so, his power returns in full with such strength that it takes his breath away.

Then there's reishi skidding under his feet, reiatsu flaring to cocoon both of them, and Sousuke halts in mid-air fifty feet above the rooftops. Ducking his chin, he peers at Ichigo, arms supporting shoulders and hips where gravity's wrenching pull would have taken its greatest toll.

"You're winning," he says, amusedly panting. "Congratulations."

[1stguardian]

As unprepared as he was for losing his power, Ichigo's equally unprepared for its sudden return. The weight of it is almost crushing, too heavy to breathe, and for a moment he wonders if they've already hit the ground. But then he sucks in a breath and he can feel Aizen's reiatsu flaring around them and it strikes him that he's never been so relieved to feel anything as he is in that moment. He still doesn't know what the hell happened, and he has every intention of demanding an explanation. But for a moment it's enough to adjust to the fact that he's not powerless anymore and let the reality of not being a smear on the ground settle

[alapimp]

He's pleased Ichigo isn't yelling or flailing, that would have been too predictable a reaction to bother paying any real attention to. It's surprise after surprise with him, however, and Sousuke blinks as fingers touch his face.

It's not as if - but no one actually ever does that, not unless he's coaxed them into his close proximity first.

"As soon as I let go, the training continues," he warns, mostly for something relevant to say as he watches him.

[1stguardian]

Hearing that, Ichigo's nose wrinkles slightly and he huffs a breath of discontent. Not that it isn't fun. It is, oddly enough. He just wants his heart to stop trying to beat its way out of his chest before he starts racing around the city again. Otherwise it might explode.

"Not to impose on you or anything," he begins, the grin turning smirky around the edges as he says something he never thought he'd ever find himself saying to anyone, much less Aizen Sousuke. "But could you not let go for a little while. Because I really need a minute after whatever the hell that was."

And because he's already broached the subject, he continues on. "What was that?"