Hitting the Town

Karakura Town... I wonder if I traveled here during my life? Ishpaleum sat atop a building, overlooking the town that had once hosted one of the most major battles of the Soul Society, and from which many heroes had sprung. He had decided to take the patrol himself today, to stretch his legs and get out of the confines of his office, which he had found himself stuck in more and more often as of late.

Feeling a spiritual presence nearby, he rose to his feet and drew Jinsei from its sheath. "Well old friend, it would seem we are about to make a new acquaintance." With that, he vanished from view, moving faster than even most Shinigami could see, and shattering the windows of the buildings around him. When he arrived, he began searching for the presence, until he saw his target: a Hollow, that seemed to be stalking a family of four. He called out to it, deciding to give it a chance to surrender before obliterating it. "Hey there!" He waved to the beast, a massive smile on his face. The Hollow turned to him, seeming to hesitate before roaring at Ish. Ish nodded, calling out once again. "Yes, you! You seem to be at least semi-rational, so how about instead of this usual dance where I have to destroy you through force, you simply surrender?" The Hollow froze, seeming shocked by the audacity of this Shinigami. It raised up, deciding to speak to the overconfident man. You dare claim superiority over me Shinigami? I've devoured your kind before, and you shall join the-" Before it could finish, it found that a blade was sticking from its head, with Ish standing on it. He laughed, then waved again. "Goodbye." The Hollow erupted, and another purified soul was sent to the Society.

Alice was stalking around town, as per usual, looking into fancy dress stores and eloquent tea shops. Next to bloodshed these were her favorite pass times. Truth be told, it was indeed her turn to watch over the town of Karakura, alas... What fun is that without a bit of shopping? Needless to say the choice to hunt down the mildly dangerous Hollow that was bouncing around came second to the need for exotic teas.

Her fun was ruined, as the energy of the Hollow she was tracking was twined with a Shinigami presence, and the simple Hollow was snuffed out.

Alice stood from her bent over position, looking over the isles of English teas, until her head was tilted back so her eyes looked to the ceiling and let out an overly exaggerated sigh. er hands were placed on her hips, as though to express the pains this other Shinigami was causing her.

She quickly soared to the buildings above the mystery man, in no way hiding her spiritual presence. Her hands still positioned on her hips and standing like an angry mother, leering down at the man below, tappin her foot.

Ishpaleum landed, having struck down the Hollow and released another soul. That was hardly worth the effort. I wish that they would all just come at once so I could at least have a challenge. He shook his head, moving to sheath Jinsei. He froze, however, when he felt a new presence approaching him. He turned, deciding to sheathe his blade so not to appear too threatening. Looking up, he saw a strange sight: a girl in a dress that reminded him of playing cards. Clearly a Shinigami by her spiritual presence, he decided that she was more than likely an ally, though he did not recognize her.

As he looked at her, he noticed her hands on her hips, and her foot tapping impatiently. Clearly I've either offended this girl, or she expects something of me. He smiled, calling out to the strange woman as he waved. "Hello there friend!"

He began to approach her, walking calmly up the air as he continued to speak. His movements seemed to carry a regal or military manner to them, as though they weren't used to being impeded. As he got closer, he saw what he thought was annoyance in her eyes, and it made his spine tingle. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned... but what did I do?

He stopped as he arrived on the building, putting out his hand for her to shake. "My name is Ishpaleum. I'm the Captain of the 11 Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. May I ask your name?"

Alice's eyebrow rose as the man started to wave and walk up the sky, calmly towards her. "Tch" she hissed. His blade was sheathed, so she assumed by now he had figured out she was a Shinigami. The sun gleamed off his metallic suit. It was particularly harsh on the eyes, and not of Alice's taste. Whatever, if the point was to look flashy, he accomplished his goal. She also noted he had a very stiff way of walking, as if he was militant. She couldn't help but wonder, Who is the stiff?

"My name is Ishpaleum. I'm the Captain of the 11 Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. May I ask your name?" He said, extending his hand in a term of comradery.

Her eyes ever so slightly rose in surprise. All squads recently re assembled and she too was a new Captain. The last thing she needed was some die hard soldier boy trying to parade and run the house. "Well, I hate to point out but I am on patrol today." Her English accent still present after years upon years in the Soul Society. Her arms went to a strong fold in front of her chest. Her foot was still slightly forward, but no longer tapping in his direction. Her chin slightly lifted as she presented herself. "Captain of the 6th, you may simply call me Alice."

Ishpaleum was a little surprised when the girl who called herself Alice folded her arms rather than taking his hand. So this is the new Squad 6 Captain? Seems a bit impatient, but there does seem to be a certain aura to her. Alice huh? She does remind me of the story.. He pulled his hand back, running it through his golden hair as he smiled at her, his red eyes fixed on her. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Alice. I'm always happy to meet a fellow defender of souls. How goes the patrol? It is nice to rid the world of these foul demons, is it not?"

He noticed that she seemed to be squinting at him, and remembered that he was wearing his armor, which captured the sun's golden rays. "How rude of me, my armor must be blinding." With a snap, his armor was replaced by modern clothes, as his armor was returned to his spirit world. He smiled, his blade still on his side. "Say what you will about humans, they have come into their own since my time." Or at least what little I can remember.

"So, your accent is very strange, but I believe I may have encountered it before. Where are you from?" He always had a curiosity when it came to new people and cultures. He believed it was probably a trait leftover from his time as king. He remembered flashes of traveling the world, his army behind him as he founded an empire.

He seemed unphased by her rejection of a handshake, and pulled his arm back and let his fingers run through his golden hair. A smile crossed his lips, and his prominent red eyes looked at her with quite a bit of intensity. It could be assumed some people may be a bit shocked by the presence of those eyes, but Alice isn't one to be easily upset. Her emotionless green eyes returned the stare, looking almost bored by the situation, if not distant. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Alice. I'm always happy to meet a fellow defender of souls. How goes the patrol? It is nice to rid the world of these foul demons, is it not?" He said in an upbeat tone.

Alice couldn't help but drop her gaze to roll her eyes. Her folded arms dropped, and her weight shifted to one leg. He really was some alpha military type. As she shifted the man's bright suit changed to a casual current day outfit. "How rude of me, my armor must be blinding." He continued. His blade stayed at the ready, on his side. "Say what you will about humans, they have come into their own since my time." The man mentioned. Alice simply disagreed. Standing in her victorian dress, she was very fond of older fashions. It did appease her to not have to wait months to have her elegant garments made, but there was much of both times she disagreed with. "So, your accent is very strange, but I believe I may have encountered it before. Where are you from?"

Alice tilted her head slightly to the left and narrowed her eyes. " Merry old England. 18th Century London. A hard time in England where the poor were at their poorest, the rich were at their richest. The situation imbedded quite a bit of distaste for monarchs for Alice. She lived as a maid at the time, fresh out of the asylum. Mental health wasn't something that was being studied in a humane way. Quite a bit of Alice's humanity was lost during that time. Her empty eyes seemed even more distant, going from a narrow to a wide eyed emptiness as her mind was flooded with the few human memories that stained into her brain.

Her head returned to a straight position, eyes still very vacant. " So soldier boy, what brings you to my post on this day? I don't enjoy being intruded upon. A soldier like yourself should remain to his post and do as he is told." A cruel grin cracked across her porcelain face, with her eyes so empty she looked like some sort of twisted antique doll. She did like to antagonize and poke at the minds of others. Perhaps for crashing her party, she could get to know her new comrade...

Ishpaleum laughed heartily at her mention of him as a soldier. So that's what bothered her; I took some of her sport away! I'll have to try to make amends, as any king would. He was a bit taken by her emerald eyes, which reminded him of someone he had tried to forget since his death. A bit ironic, since she seemed to be the only constant to the small flashes of memory that he had managed to retrieve over the time that had passed. They seemed to have a certain emptiness to them, not unlike those of people who had lost loved ones in a war. Those eyes have seen pain.

Clearly not impressed, she had rolled her eyes at his question of how the patrol had gone, as though she suspected that he already had the answer. This girl clearly wasn't the type to fool around, looking almost bored by the man before her. This was not something that Ishpaleum was used to, and it reminded him of the time after he had died. The months spent wandering through the Human world as a spirit, unable to touch or speak to anyone, had nearly driven him to become a Hollow himself.

When she mentioned she was from England, Ish smiled. He had not personally seen the shores of that island nation, but he had studied it thoroughly when he had come to the Soul Society, desiring to one day visit its shores, and perhaps sit down with its queen and chat. "England in the 18th Century huh? I'm afraid I missed you by a few thousand years." He laughed again, running his hand on his neck. Though he did not have many memories of his life, he did remember the sand and great gates of his city, and knew that it had been destroyed thousands of years ago.

After she had called him a soldier and asked why he had left his post, a cruel grin pulled across her face. And so the wolf shows her teeth... funny, and here I thought she was more of a white rabbit. He decided to respond politely, giving a bow before replying. "My apologies, it was not my intent to steal your patrol. But I am no soldier, but a warrior, and a warrior must follow the call of his own heart." He moved his hand to indicate the family that was walking by. "Had I not intervened when I had, that Hollow may have slain this family, and my pride could not allow that." His shoulders shrugged after that. "Besides, I had no idea that another Captain would be on patrol today."

Instead of taking offense to her crude comment, the Shinigami broke out into laughter. A response most alpha male types wouldn't have. Perhaps he did not have the exact personality type Alice had assumed. It would be better that way, keep things interesting.

At her first mention of her origin the other captain smiled. He wouldn't be smiling if he knew what that time period was like. Alice thought to herself. Her grin dropping to a neutral position. "England in the 18th Century huh? I'm afraid I missed you by a few thousand years." He again erupted into laughter. His hand slid up along his neck. He rubbed it for a bit. "My apologies, it was not my intent to steal your patrol. But I am no soldier, but a warrior, and a warrior must follow the call of his own heart." He continued.

Alice's eyebrows raised, as her eyes narrowed. Self righteous bullshit never did settle well with Alice. "Had I not intervened when I had, that Hollow may have slain this family, and my pride could not allow that." He shrugged before continuing his hero speech. "Besides, I had no idea that another Captain would be on patrol today."

Alice started with a deep sigh to keep her sass minimal. "Yes a pride is a terrible thing to have at times." totally overlooking the loss of life that would have occurred. Being quite a narcissist it is hard for her to express remorse for others. Her low empathy allows her to do the darker jobs that must be done in the soul society, but makes for poor table manners at times.

"Well, I would assume the day shift is done. " She said while looking over her shoulder at the setting sun. A slight breeze swayed the hem of her dress, her hair following the current. " So what becomes of us now?" She asked the open air. Not asking for a response, but not denying one either.

Ishpaleum stepped forward, a smile on his face. "The patrol never truly ends, does it? We must be on guard at all times." Saying this, he sat down, his legs hanging over the building as he looked up at Alice. "I'll be here all night, I've relieved my squad for the entire day so they can focus on the training exercise I left them." A cruel smile pulled across his lips as he thought of the nightmare they were facing. He had set his arena up using his Bankai, and had left several of his soldiers to face off against his squad members. If they aren't careful, they may die... many of them were heroes in their own times. He figured that at least three might die today, and many others would be injured. However, those that survived would learn much from the combat, and would grow to become more reliable defenders of the Seiretei.

He reached out, a golden urn materializing in his hand along with two goblets. He turned to Alice, who was peering off in the distance. I wonder what goes through the mind of a girl like that... She is an odd one, but most heroes start out that way. He held one of the cups up to her, having filled it with a red liquid. "Do you drink? This is the nectar of the gods, the finest wine that was ever created. It would be a shame for me to have to enjoy it alone." It had come from his treasury, the only thing he had kept when he had died. His inner world had consumed it, and now all that it had within was still within his reach.

Her comment about pride had struck him as a bit cold, but he understood where it came from. As he held the cup to her, he added "Perhaps we may discuss the nature of pride, and how it leads men to both glory and their downfall. You seem like the type with a story to tell, and nothing goes better with wine than a tale of heroism."

"The patrol never truly ends, does it? We must be on guard at all times." The man's voice said, filling the silence in the darkening air. Alice continued to stare off, hearing her comrade slump into a sit off of the edge of the building they had been standing on. "I'll be here all night, I've relieved my squad for the entire day so they can focus on the training exercise I left them." He mentioned, with a slight amount of venom. Alice could feel a tiny change in his aura.

It was enough for her to pick up on, and Alice glanced back to the man. He was materializing some gablets as well as an urn. He lifted a cup to her, "Do you drink? This is the nectar of the gods, the finest wine that was ever created. It would be a shame for me to have to enjoy it alone."

Alice's eyes looked into the crimson liquid. Eyes shadowed with memories still crawling in her mind. A time where red wines were common friends to her lips, as well as it being shared with one special to her. Her hand slightly twitched, as if to almost clutch for a moment to something that wasn't there.

"Perhaps we may discuss the nature of pride, and how it leads men to both glory and their downfall. You seem like the type with a story to tell, and nothing goes better with wine than a tale of heroism." He mentioned with a bit of gusto in his voice. Alice had many tales to tell, but none of heroism.

Alice climbed down with er boots now off the edge as well. Her hand accepted the offering, taking a firm grasp of the wine filled goblet. Alice's voice came out much softer this time, as if she was in a dream. "When I was human, shared red wine was a sign of endearment. Shared between lovers." Her face looking straight forward. As if the statement was more for herself to hear, than the man beside her. Her eyes as vacant as ever, she lifted the cup to her lips and look a drink. It was as wonderful as the high priced specially saved bottles she had enjoyed with royalty. The memory in it almost made the high quality wine bitter for her to taste.

Ish was surprised by the softness of Alice's voice as she looked at the wine he had offered her. Something shared between lovers... Ish shook his head at that, as if ridding himself of a bad thought. He had shared wine at many feasts during his time as king, and had tasted the most exquisite foods, but the only thought that came to him was the memory of the woman he had once loved, the woman who had come close to him and betrayed him, and took the life of the so-called King of Heroes. Since his death, he had tried to swear off women entirely, knowing that it was that vulnerability that had allowed an enemy to get that close to him. He still remembered the last words he had heard from the twisted mask that had once been his wife. Perhaps we shall meet again, hero. Perhaps we shall... and when we do, I will put an end to her.

Realizing he had been lost in thought, Ish looked back to Alice, letting out a small laugh. "Lovers huh? I don't know if we're there yet, but I've always drank with my comrades. It's a small way for me to repay them for their service, and to learn more about them." He saw the look on her face, as though the wine tasted bitter to her. "Is it not to your taste? Men have killed just to taste a drop of the liquid you hold."

He had become more aware of the woman beside him as he took a drink of the wine, letting its sweet taste fill his body and mind. She certainly was beautiful, in a strange way. Back when he was alive, he probably would flirted with her, and invited her to dance and sing with him. Now though, he would not take such a risk. The man who called himself Ishpaleum had resolved to be an island, so as to better defend those he cared about. He faced her, speaking with a friendly voice. "Tell me, when's the last time you sat and had a drink?"

As her mind left her, it seemed to leave him as well. For a moment they both seemed lost in inner war stories. He let out a mood lightening chuckle. "Lovers huh? I don't know if we're there yet, but I've always drank with my comrades. It's a small way for me to repay them for their service, and to learn more about them." Yes of course, Alice thought. Her eyes zoning back in, seeming intense.. Almost lethal. Light manipulation to learn more about others to use their weaknesses and exploit them...

She blinked her way back into awareness as he asked if the wine was not of her liking. She turned and looked at him. "Just reminded me of home." She kept her face neutral as she spoke and took another drink.
"Tell me, when's the last time you sat and had a drink?" He asked. Alice tilted her head and thought hard. Her eyes also slid to the side, trying to remember. Having such a damaGed mind made recent events seem so distant, and distant so recent.

"I suppose it was when I finished killing a large amount of infected children." She said as casually as mentioning the weather. "A parasitic Hollow was jumping between them and ultimately I was asked to job because no one else had the ability to do what needed to be done.. So I killed them all." She took another drink before continuing. "I was offered a bottle of wine to calm my nerves, but I had none so I simply drank it with a nice lobster dinner back in my office." Her face and demeanor was cold and calm as she explained the slaughter.

It was not her words, but her face that chilled Ishpaleum to the bone. He understood that in war sacrifices had to be made, and he himself had sent thousands to their deaths in order to achieve victory, but he knew the name of every soldier who lost their lives for him, and every child who had died in his conquests. For her to speak calmly of such an act... this woman was not just odd, but dangerous as he had expected. Her coldness shook him, and he felt his hand make a fist for a moment. Perhaps she's merely shielding herself from the pain. He wondered if she was like this before she became an agent of death, or if she had this personality in her life.

"... It must have taken a lot out of you, to harm so many to destroy a single Hollow. I'm sorry." He laid a hand on her shoulder as he took a drink. "The battlefield destroys all that it touches, doesn't it? That's why it's my dream to unite us all, to make warriors like you and I obsolete." He looked at her eyes, and seeing the sharp intent within them put him on guard again. Those eyes do not hesitate to kill. They are not the eyes of a warrior, but those of an assassin who strikes in the night, leaving no witness.

He stood after that, looking down at Alice, his red eyes sharp and serious for the first time. "Miss Alice, why are you a Shinigami? What made you decided to take on the role of warrior? You do not seem the type to defend another, nor the type that's interested in politics, so what made you decide to fight, and hard enough to become a Captain at that?"

Alice seemed confused by his concern, and really didn't understand it. He had even made a fist for a few moments, which she would be lying if she said the thought of an altercation didn't excite her. She was calmly opening her mouth to respond and explain it meant nothing to her, when the man's arm lifted and his hand touched her shoulder.

Everything else was drowned out my her racing pulse. Her eyes grew large and animalistic. "If you ever touch me again without permission I will fucking slit your throat and bathe in your blood. A man touching a female without permission is utterly disgusting and I will fucking kill you." Her voice stayed calm, but she had spoke quickly. Her eyes stayed locked on the hand upon her shoulder.

"As for why I am a Shinigami is why any large corporation keeps certain people around. Someone has to do the dirty work, and I am fine with it being me." Her voice was cold and empty. Like the harm she could do was as meaningless to her as reading the paper. Her hungry eyes met his gaze. "I don't suggest testing that theory."

Ishpaleum blinked a few times in surprise at the ferocity which she showed him, moving his hand back after a moment and taking a firm stance, his shoulders squared. "I apologize if I have offended you. It has always been a show of compassion for a person to touch another in my experience, and I did not mean for you to take it otherwise." With that, he gave a quick bow.

As he rose again, his eyes had hardened further, looking like they contained all the fire and blood in the world. "I did not ask why the Soul Society needed you, I asked why you chose to fight for them. If it was just to fill a position as killer, I cannot approve of you as a captain. A captain, like a king, must embody an ideal. They must be someone that men can look to and admire, someone who inspires others to fight harder for their beliefs. Someone without any beliefs of their own could never fill that role." He hesitated, his gaze softening a bit. "And besides, that would be the most lonely existence I could imagine."

After he finished, his words hung in the air, and he simply stood, his cup on the ground. The wine that was left in it matched his eyes. Surely this girl is not simply a killer. There is something else there, a pain that hasn't left. A scar that has yet to heal. Perhaps this is what drives her..

The hand pulled back, instantly lowering Alice's energy level. "I apologize if I have offended you. It has always been a show of compassion for a person to touch another in my experience, and I did not mean for you to take it otherwise." He responded to the outburst. Even a bow. His body returned to the standing position with a much harder look about him. The anger within them didn't see to register to Alice. She was indifferent to the harshness of their intent. "I did not ask why the Soul Society needed you, I asked why you chose to fight for them. If it was just to fill a position as killer, I cannot approve of you as a captain. A captain, like a king, must embody an ideal. They must be someone that men can look to and admire, someone who inspires others to fight harder for their beliefs. Someone without any beliefs of their own could never fill that role." his gaze softening a bit. "And besides, that would be the most lonely existence I could imagine." his voice showing sympathy. Something Alice just couldn't understand.

She layed back, now against the roof, her feet still over the edge. Her head was slightly tilted back to see the Shinigami who was some what attempting to shame her. His words didn't really seem to get through to her. She was still calm and indifferent. "Why do you always use terms for males? Kin. men, etcetera. You may not notice it but you have a hate for women that shows as clear as day. How interesting. I wonder why."

The conversation before seemed to completely slip away. Her focus was now elsewhere and very intent. She placed her cup beside his. " Rich red wines are for lovers. wonder what lover had scorned you so deeply." Her face stayed neutral; focused.

Ishpaleum froze for a second, having not expected her response at all. Then, he pulled his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "I was right about you after all, you do go for the throat!" He looked back to her, the smiling having returned to his face. "It's true that women have always been a weakness of mine, but it isn't out of hate." If anything, I tend to be too easy on girls... especially ones with beauty. After all, that had been the reason for his downfall in the first place.

"Do I only use male terms? That may be true.. It's not out of any disrespect, but rather it's just the ease of use. Even as a king, I was never the most eloquent of speakers. I've always been a warrior first and foremost, and honor is my creed. So if you have misinterpreted my words, I do apologize." He stepped forward, taking his cup again and drinking of it before refilling it. "That being said, it is true that there were not many female soldiers in my army. It was a different time, and with but a few exceptions my people were not ready for that type of change."

He paused a moment before continuing, knowing that she might use this against him. "One of the those exceptions was my wife, the only woman I have ever truly loved. She was the strongest person I've ever encountered, and I had faced gods and demons that could divide the world. In the end, she was the one who struck me down. I do not deny that I have been stung, but as a king I do not let that pain control me, and as a Captain you should not let yours."

He sat next to her again, taking another drink before continuing. "When we met I knew you had a story to tell, why not share what caused you so much pain that you've shut down your mind? What made you a blade rather than a person?"

The stopped like he was a deer in headlights. Then, he pulled his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "I was right about you after all, you do go for the throat!" And he smiled. "It's true that women have always been a weakness of mine, but it isn't out of hate."

"Do I only use male terms? That may be true.. It's not out of any disrespect, but rather it's just the ease of use. Even as a king, I was never the most eloquent of speakers. I've always been a warrior first and foremost, and honor is my creed. So if you have misinterpreted my words, I do apologize." He took a step forward to her side and filled his cup.  "That being said, it is true that there were not many female soldiers in my army. It was a different time, and with but a few exceptions my people were not ready for that type of change." He explained. "One of the those exceptions was my wife, the only woman I have ever truly loved. She was the strongest person I've ever encountered, and I had faced gods and demons that could divide the world. In the end, she was the one who struck me down. I do not deny that I have been stung, but as a king I do not let that pain control me, and as a Captain you should not let yours." Alice could tell that last bit was aimed at her.

He sat next to her again, taking another drink before continuing. "When we met I knew you had a story to tell, why not share what caused you so much pain that you've shut down your mind? What made you a blade rather than a person?"

Still laying on her back, she simply turned her head to face the man. "They say some people are born with an evil, it just needs to be let out. A man tried to grab me by the arm, and something inside of me just turned. I snapped his forearm. I felt no remorse for the act. I noticed that I could do more cruel acts and not feel sorry for it. The rules of society had simply stopped me before. Even now I feel no sorrow for the things I do. "  She wasn't lying. Something was deeply wrong with Alice. Perhaps there always was. Perhaps it was the experimentation on her mind. What ever it was, it happened and now she was a cold blooded killer.

Her eyes narrowed and she brought one of her les up from the side of the roof. It caused her dress to slightly slide down, but nothing too inappropriate. She grabbed her cup and drank the remainder of what was in her cup. A drop of crimson wine rolled down the corner of her mouth that the man sat near.

"I'm not a sword. I still sometimes feel. Just rarely. I think, I have a heart beat... Just my thoughts are very different from yours... And the heart is simply empty.

Ishpaleum nodded, understanding what it meant to feel empty. When he had died, those first few months had filled him with absolute despair, and for a while he had been broken. He had seen the face of evil before, in demons and monsters whose sole existence was validated by the suffering of others. Somehow though, he didn't feel the same darkness coming from the girl before him. Some people are born with darkness within them, that may be true. But somehow I don't believe that she holds the same kind. There may be darkness within her, but not evil.

"I can't disagree with you there, our thoughts are very different. And I'm sure you have a heartbeat, as sure as I am that it is not evil that dwells within you. Darkness is not always evil, sometimes it's just a cloud that we create to hold in what little light remains in us." With that he stood, his empty cup resting on the ground. The sun was beginning to set, casting colors more vibrant than Ish felt he deserved to see across the world.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This world that we defend hasn't truly changed since it was divided from the heavens, and yet with but a few rays of light it can transform into a completely different place." He looked back to Alice. "Perhaps a different shade of light might help change the darkness within you." He turned, his back to the sunset, one hand on his hip as a grin appeared on his face. "I know that your shift is over, but what would you say to a quick run around the town, to see if any beasts roam the streets?"

"I can't disagree with you there, our thoughts are very different. And I'm sure you have a heartbeat, as sure as I am that it is not evil that dwells within you. Darkness is not always evil, sometimes it's just a cloud that we create to hold in what little light remains in us." With that he stood, his empty cup resting on the ground. The sun was beginning to set, casting colors more vibrant than Ish felt he deserved to see across the world.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This world that we defend hasn't truly changed since it was divided from the heavens, and yet with but a few rays of light it can transform into a completely different place." He looked back to Alice. "Perhaps a different shade of light might help change the darkness within you." He turned, his back to the sunset, one hand on his hip as a grin appeared on his face. "I know that your shift is over, but what would you say to a quick run around the town, to see if any beasts roam the streets?"

Darkness? Evil? She thought. She listen to rest of his ramble. A crooked half grin cracked across her lips. You have no idea what you are talking about... Her mind continued. She rose to her feet, sliding her other foot up onto the roof and pushing up from her lay by her palms. She took a moment to dust off her nice dress before replying.

"I think I may just decline. I find your search for good in everyone distasteful." She turned her back to the man and opened a portal to return back to the Soul Society. That was enough snooping and learning for one day. A whole day in fact spent on just that. Her narcissism only extended friendship to the degree of usefulness and then it was gone. It was a very cold angle to perceive others, but it was honest and simple.

She peered into the dark tunnel now before her, the gusts of wind from within blowing her hair and dress back. The heavy hem at the bottom kept the dress down in these situations, so it raised no alarm in Alice. She waited for the conversation to conclude before venturing inside.

Ishpaleum nodded, noting the portal's opening. "I see, you do not believe that there is good within yourself. Very well then, I have enjoyed speaking with you. You are a very interesting woman, miss Alice." With that, he smiled and walked to the edge of the roof opposite her. "Perhaps we shall meet again, as allies on the battlefield. And perhaps there you may find a piece of yourself that you didn't realize was there." He placed his hand on his neck, letting out a small laugh. "Or perhaps I'm just an old man who just sees the world as he wants it to be."

With that, he vanished from the rooftop, moving to the outskirts of town to resume his search for Hollows. As he moved from rooftop to rooftop, his mind went back to the strange girl he had met. I wonder if all the new Captains will be as odd as she is. The Soul Society is certainly becoming a stranger place. With that, he nodded and smiled, excited for the battles and triumphs that no doubt laid ahead.