Streets of the Seireitei

The Seireitei is in the centre of the Soul Society. As such, the ones who live here enjoy more wealth than those in Rukongai.

After having quietly slipping from the barracks of her squad, leaving leftover paperwork to whoever with no reason, Hitomi stepped out into the streets bathed under sunlight. The warmth the sun offered made her let out a soft, pleased sigh and her previously aggitated demeanor seemed to completely vanish and a youthful smile spread over her doll like face that, still unknown to her, was marked with a black hand print. Remaining ignorant of the fact, Hitomi practically skipped out further into the street, switch to long bouncy strides halfway through, choosing to turn and walk among the people that had previously passed her by.

"I knew taking a break was a good idea" she announced to herself though it was loud enough to get people to look at her, slightly confused. Their expressions changed to one of further confusion as they spotted the handprint though none of them said anything, leaving Hitomi to wonder just what those around her were looking so closely at. However she soon let it go, deciding not to worry about small things like getting weird looks. Perhaps they were just weird people.

The first few looks sent her way didn't bother the lieutenant, nor did the tenth or even twentieth. As those looks became a constant, the carefree girl became a bit uncomfortable, averting her light bule eyes up to the sky each time she caught someone looking at her. Hitomi's steps became less and less like bounds slowly until she was taking short strides that even a turtle could manage to pass up.

'Just what the hell are they all looking at...?' She wondered to herself, glancing around and lowering her head as if it would hide her. She reached her small hand up, running it through her hair. Maybe something was stuck in it? Her idea was wrong though as the only thing her thin figers stumbled upon in the silky locks was tha flower she had searched for whole-heartedly earlier. Her big childlike eyes looked over her clothes. Maybe they were out of pace? again she was wrong, her clothes as neat as they had ever been. Though when she was patting around the black cloth she noticed that black ink that had left a stain on her hand. It appeared smeared and then it struck her that she had used that same hand to keep her head from hitting the desk in her boredom. 'Oh...my...' Now she knew exactly what everyone was staring at and her cheeks flamed a bright red that she sure was powerful enough to shine though the ink rubbed on her face.

Embarassed to the extreme, Hitomi darted off, vanishing in a shunpo before she even fully exited the street. She reappeared on one of the rooves nearby, hands cupping her cheeks, absorbing the heat that radiated from them. She felt like screaming from pure annoyance with herself, stomping her foot on the shingles of the roof, not caring who she was distrubing beneathe her.

Hitomi could hear some muffled voices under her and they became louder as their owners stepped out into the streets. They sounded annoyed with the racket ensueing on the roof but she really could care less. Being in the middle of one of her daily tragedies tended to make Hitomi disregard anything anybody said. They just didn't understand after all. How could they? Hitomi could clearly see through eyes blurring with tears of embarassment that none of them had a black handprint on their face.

It wasn't until one person below through a stick that Hitomi paid them any attention. It lightly hit her head, knocking the lovely hibiscus out of her hair and sending it crumpling to the shingles. Wiping her eyes, the lieutenant stared down at the ruined flower and embarassment was replaced with gried and anger.

"One of you.....Who threw that?!" She demanded in a harsh tone that made even her sweet voice seem scary. Light blue eyes were narrowed and her face was in a clear pout as she huffed soft blonde bangs out of her view from where they fell over her left side.

There were three men gathered below and each one of them became babling idiots when Hitomi changed complete 180. One of them even sseemed to tremble a bit. Seeing this she couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled up from her throat. Hitomi all but fell back onto the roof, holding her stomach as loud laughter errupted from her lips, which gained her more looks from people the were passing by.

When her laughter died down to an innocent giggle, Hitomi sat up, seeing that the men were still there. She quickly shot up to her feet with grace that seemed impossible. Leaning forward slightly she stuck out her tongue teasingly and recived three angered, horrified looks in return and she was pretty sure the three would be climbing up to attempt whatever of a beating they were capable of. They didn't have time to even have the thought be fore Hitomi vanished in another shunpo, reappearing a further ways down the roof, waving to the three men before she took off running, leaping between the spaces with ease and leaving them behind, laughing youthfully the entire way.

After figuring she was far enough away, Hitomi slowed her pace. She was still giggling as she walked across the rooves, her sandles making small tapping sounds against the shingles. She looked over her shoulder, half wondering if the struck men had followed her. Even if they had it wasn't likely they were anywhere close. The petite lieutenant was quite fast and could easily outrun anyone in the ranks below her afterall. Shrugging her shoulders after seeing nothing, she looked back ahead, suddenly remembering her earlier problem. Her large smile faded a bit and she reached up to touch her cheek where ink was still smeared.

"Oh yeah..." she muttered, stopping her walk completely. The barracks of her squad were some ways back from the direction she came and she wasn't up to running all the way back there to clean up just yet. Not when she wasn't sure there had been enough time for someone to find the papers she had left. So she opted for the least desirable choice, sighing siftly as she sank down to sit on the roof. she would do her best to stay unseen while she waited a while longer. Hitomi leaned back on the roof, bending her legs slightly to try and relax. Her blonde hair fell back out of her face, uncovering her eye it usually blocked. Big blue, childlike eyes stared up to the sky, following the puffy white clouds thar floated above. "Pretty..." she murmured, her smile returning again.

Matu entered the streets of the Seireitei, his feet thudding against the ground each step he grew closer to a spiritual pressure his arms come to cross over his chest as his amethyst irises watched the area with a sense of boredom filling them, his light purple locked blew in the gentle breeze before giving off a light yawn. he wasnt at the least tired he found the soul society to have grown boring after the past ryoka. "wow how boring can the soul society get..im sure the world of the living is way better, though thats because of the arrancars and vizards."


Before coming to turn the corner he would scratch his head and brush away the lengthy locks that covered his irises to have them only grace his vision once again, deciding to forget about them he turned to the right corner and found another Lieutenant gracing Matu with his/her presence, but he had the least knowledge of which squad the lieutenant is from.

As Hitomi lied there quietly, she noticed a figure in the sky, seeming to get bigger. She squinted her eyes to try and make it out against the bright sun and by the time she did it was merely a few feet above her. It was a small bird with a rather angry aura and when the blonde lieutenant turned her head after hearing a soft noise, she noticed a tiny bird's nest just a ways down the roof. Her eyes widened and she looked back to the bird that was now at her face, calling out angrily and taking chances to peck at her arms that came up instinctively. A frightened scream echoed through the air as she shot up, all but gracefully swatting at the bird who went to it's nest and offspring, stilling hollering at Hitomi.

She pointed a finger acusingly at the bird, narrowing her eyes. "Its not like I was going to hurt them or anything!" she argued, though knew she probably looked like a fool using words to defend herself from a bird. As she was talking hitomi was taking steps backward and by the time she bothered to check her footing one foot was already of the edge of the roof and she was slowing going into a descent toward the ground ground below. She waved her arms frantically for something to grap onto but found nothing before her other foot was in the air as well. Using the grace she had with her small form, Hitomi managed to twist until she was fully upside down, touching the ground with her hands first which she used to push off into a flip that would allow her to land on her feet.

By now all eyes were on her, more for just the handprint on her face and the girl laughed nervously, more than happy that her light colored bangs covered half of her now blushing face. The last thing on her mind now was the ink, not after the scene she had just caused. She gave a small wave to the people on the street before inching her way around each person with a much too big smile. It wasn't until she saw a somewhat familiar face in the crowd that she dropped that forced smile, taking a moment to think about who it was and then it popped into her mind of where she should know him from. It was another lieutenant, from squad eleven if she remembered correctly. She sent a more believable wave his way along with a sweet smile.

Matu would find that he no longer needed to be here, remembering there was a new seat being taken he turned his figure towards the squad Barracks 11 as his figure turned he started off walking towards the barracks, with each step given he grows closer and closer. Matu then leaped onto the roof of the building to the right of him taking off in a sprint he leaves the area in a hastened flash step

With her wave not returned, Hitomi slwoly lowered her hand, letting her fingers run through her blonde bangs to give the feeling she had her hand raised for something other than a pointless wave. Her arm returned to her side and she glanced around to make sure no more eyes were on her. The small fraamed lieutenant began to take her slow, sneaky strides again, deciding it would be best to get out of the public's eye for now. It just didn't seem to be her day afterall. She wouldn't admit to it but part of the embarassing excitement of her day was well welcomed. Any kind o attention was attention, positive or negative, adn attention was something the dramatic girl loved.

Once she was out of the main crowd and alking along the wall of the building, Hitomi let out a soft sigh of relief. The side of her face smeared in black wasn't obvious right away since her left side faced most of the people and it was covered up with her soft blonde hair. All she had to do now was not cause another scene like falling flat on her face, which wasn'y likely to happen with her near impossible grace. Now she could just enjoy her slacking, taking in a deep breath of fresh air and basking in the sunlight that made the black clothing she wore a bit heated. She wouldn't stay out much longer, though she had said that many number of times in the past and not kept to it.

'I'll just find a new flower and then head back..' she reasoned within her mind, remembering that she had an excuse to be out. If her captain would accept that ecuse was unknown but that wasn't her main concern now anyway. Quickening her pace to a bouncy jog, the young girl turned the corner, heading to her most favored flower shop. It felt as though a part of her was missing when a flower wasn't tucked into her hair, adding a pop of color that reflected her colorful personality and she wanted that part of her back as soon as possible.

Her quick, youthful steps soon carried Hitomi to her destination and the sweet smell of different flowers filled her nose. She breathe hat smell in deeply, letting out a long, peaceful exhale. She hummed sweetly as she looked through the colorful flowers spread out before her, soaking up the sunlight. They all caught her eye. Lillies, roses, hibiscus, daffodil. All of them caused her soft blue eyes to light up with a new joy with each one they fell upon. She reached up and touched the smooth petal of an orchid, her touch much too gentle for one to believe her to be a strong warrior of one of the gotei 13. She lifted her head from the flowers to find a shop keeper staring at her. She recognizedthe woman easily after several visits to this same place. Hitomi smiled brightly but a certain gleam in her eyes told the woman to not say a word oor make any faces at the black handprint and the hint was taken easily.

As if reading her mind, the shop keeper reached over and pulled the orchid from those around it. Hitomi wondered if she had made it more than obvious she found the flower beautiful and as something she had to have. She readhed into a pouch she kept at her side, taking ouut a few coins she could more than spare. The blonde set the money down as the shop keeper trimmed up the orchid, knowing how Hitomi preffered to wear the flowers she bought in her hair. Once done she stepped around the display of flowers, gently tucking the orchid into silky blonde hair with a sweet smile. The lieutenant made a small hop with joy, clapping her hands.

"Thank you!" She called, already turning on her heals as she began to jog back toward the barracks of her squad, she turned slightly, waving her hand in the air as a goodbye. Finding that people were to slow, Hitomi leapt up to the rooftops again, breaking into a run once there. She didn't go her fastest, preferring to enjoy the wind her pace created against the warmth of the sun.