Sometimes, exciting things DO happen. (open)

Kuro walked down the crowded streets of Karakura town in his gigai, just passing the time away on another boring day. With the civil war in Soul Society ended without much conflict, peace brought with it an unsettling time of inactivity. Not that Kuro loved violence. But being a captain and being sent on less missions besides the big important ones left one stuck in an office and bored most of the time. He'd excused himself from the Seireitei for that very reason. But he wasn't finding much exciting going on in the living world either. Making his way into the park, he layed down in the shade under a tree and closed his eyes, listening to the soft breeze. How could he shake this boredom?

Stuart was on this way home from school after picking up some grocery's. He took a longer route home that went among the outskirts of town, he was hoping for a hollow to show it's self as ever since he obtained his powers he had this overwhelming need to use them , make then stronger.


Along his route he saw a man not to older then him sitting beneath a tree. At first Stuart didn't acknowledge the man then a feeling came over him, he turned his sight back up to the man and knew he was no human.

Kuro felt the spiritual presence of another person close by and opened one eye to investigate. He saw a young man standing on the path through the park eyeing him suspiciously. His power was puzzling. It felt sort of like a shinigami, but then again, more human? It was a mystery, but not exciting enough to motivate Kuro just yet. Not bothering to get up from his spot under the tree, he spoke in a lazy monotone voice.

"See something interesting sir?"

Stuart didn't speaking, he wasn't sure what he was sensing. It kind of felt like Kaiyo kind of pressure but this one felt more confined and hidden. Stuart gazed up at the man who seemed uninterested with the situation.

"What are you" Stuart said as he took a few brave steps forward toward Kuro. He was ready to summon his bow if needed but with many innocent people around he was reluctant to.

ooc: i hope you don't mind if i *ahem* cut in

About three stories above the two men, Jacques Kyoukan stood on a rooftop, smoking a cigarette, of course. He was in an unusually good mood, having just devoured a large quantity of souls. The Shinigami around here are getting lazy, he thought. At the moment, Jacques was too busy enjoying this rare moment of luxury to really notice the oddness of the two men below him. After all, his hunger satiated, why should he care about two extra bites?

"Aah," he sighed aloud, and flicked the ash from the tip of cigarette down below him. Unnoticeable to a human, perhaps. Perhaps not to higher level spiritual beings.

"Well..." Kuro began while pulling himself up into a sitting position under the tree, "...since you know enough to ask that question, I guess I shouldn't insult you by trying to make something up. I'm a shinigami. Not the first one you've ever seen I take it? Your level of spiritual power almost assures that you've seen..."

Kuro broke off in mid sentence as he noticed the few specks of ash blowing in the breeze. Not something that most would find suspicious, but the energy he felt from the ash hinted that it was not from a fire or cigarette that one usually found in the living world. Leaping to his feet, Kuro popped a soul candy into his mouth and emerged from his gigai. His eyes began to shift over the area, looking for the source of the ashes.

"Be on your guard young man, we're not alone here."

Stuart watch the man exited his body and from his apparel Stuart believed to claim to be a Shinigami. Stuart did not know what made Kuro become on edge so fast but knew it could be nothing good.

Dropping his bad Stuart concentrated his mind and summons his bow hastily as he did he found he could sense the presence of another with concealed pressure. Stuart drew an arrow and prepared himself.

Although Jacques had been previously unaware of the two spiritually significant beings below him, the act of the Shinigami emerging from his gigai was enough for him to notice the difference in spiritual pressure he was feeling. Jacques peered over the edge of the building down at him. The Shinigami wore a white haori over his Shinigami robes. Jacques hissed in distaste softly; Captains were generally the types of individuals who were sickeningly noble and the like.

However, because he was in such a good mood, Jacques wasn't particularly interested in a fight. He would if he had to, or if the Shinigami turned out to be a particularly annoying person, but for now, he decided it would be better to be civil, or even friendly. After all, it was much easier to kill someone if they trusted you, or thought you were a decent person. Yes...Plan Phony Friendly, thought Jacques bemusedly.

And that was why Jacques jumped down from the building to land softly, and non threateningly about 10 ft from the two men. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a silver cigarette case and a matching lighter. "Can I offer you a cigarette? They're top of the line. I know our...factions traditionally do not get along, but I have no reason to fight you on principle."

Kuro's hand twitched towards his blade as the arrancar showed himself. But he stopped himself as he saw the arrancar wasn't acting violent. Don't let your guard down...it may be a trick.

"No thank you, I don't smoke. And if you aren't interested in fighting, I see no reason to attack you as long as you remain peaceful. I choose not to let myself fall to prejudice and think that all hollows should die."

An awkward silence followed with Kuro's haori blowing in the breeze. He couldn't understand why this arrancar wanted to talk. Most of them usually acted like their lesser forms and jumped at the chance to eat powerful souls. This behavior was unusual.

"Ah well, if you're sure..." Jacques blew a smoke ring upward and watched it dissipate. There was a long, awkward silence, punctuated only by the clicking and clinking noises of Jacques closing his cigarette case and putting his lighter back into his pocket. "It is rather refreshing to meet a Shinigami who doesn't kill on prejudice."

Another long pause. "But you see, even if I have no ill wish towards you in particular, I do still have Hollow-ish tendencies. I do enjoy a good conflict now and then. What say we have a friendly little spar? It would certainly be a test of our prejudices, would it not? A test to see if we were capable of having one...that wasn't overly dangerous, I mean. And once we gain each others' respect on the battlefield, why, that opens up paths to even friendship. What do you say?"

Stuart saw the man and lowered his bow, he'd expected a hollow to shows its face. He wasn't sure why Kuro seemed on edge the mans pressure was enormous but he didn't seem to be a threat, not to Stuart at least.

Stuart listen to the conversation and was confused , the man was far from being a hollow. Stuart couldn't help but feel he was missing something here but as far as he could see all that was happen was two spiritually aware fight preparing to spar.

This definitely was looking like a trap now. A friendly spar was something that was unlikely to ever be experienced between a shinigami and a hollow. And though Kuro didn't feel like blindly attacking him, he wasn't comfortable with the way that the arrancar said friendship. Kuro didn't hate him for being a hollow, but with his position as a captain, he couldn't afford to make friends with such a being.

"I suppose I can accept your offer for a spar....but we can't do it here. We have to find a place away from the innocent people in this park."

"How considerate of you," said Jacques smoothly. "I don't see why there's so much strife between our factions, you seem a perfectly likable fellow. We may never be bosom friends, but I think there is potential for mutual liking." As a sociopath, Jacques was adept at mimicking people's emotions. He appeared genuinely sincere when he said this.

"Perhaps up in the sky, or on a rooftop? Or on the outskirts of the city?" Jacques suggested amiably.