The Many Shades of Gray

[Izanami Midorikawa]

Patrolling throughout the streets of Karkaura like every other day that she lived over the last year was the substitute shinigami known as Nami Kawa. It had been some time now since she had first been assigned to Karakura and now with her constant patrol of the town the citizens of the society actually knew her now. It wasn't all that friendly though as Nami rarely spoke unless spoken to first. Beginning conversation wasn't something that she typically did unless she had a question or a reason regarding safety.

None of the citizens or rather the typical none spiritual ones knew why she was constantly moving around town the way that she did, but after seeing it for more than a year now they had all accepted it. As for the spiritual community though most of them knew her now and she had spoken to most of them about the Hollows and other enemies of Soul Society that often arrived in Karakura with the perhaps of harming them or the town itself. Some of them had taken longer to accept her, but most of them now like all of the others just saw her as a weird human that lived to fight those that would do them all harm.

It was quickly reaching the middle of the day as she turned around the next corner onto a connected street that didn't have very many humans walking on it at the moment. The heat from the sun could be felt on her back now much heavier than it had been a moment ago. It was almost like the sun itself was placing pressure down on her. AS she kept moving though Nami felt a spiritual signature. One that she didn't know belonging to what felt like a Bount. It was just up ahead and the Substitute would continue forward and find out just who this was and why they were in Karakura.

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Perched atop a tree branch, Nadezhda intently clawed at tightly wrapped container. With her tiny fingers she dug into the thin plastic and tore it from around the brim of the container, finally gaining access to the rich, strawberry ice cream. Nadezhda licked her lips and squealed excitedly as she stared at the perfectly packed ice cream. She licked the top of the ice cream and smiled, appreciating the flavor. "Look at this, Brunhilda." She shouted before glancing to her left. "See, I wanted chocolate and you insisted I get strawberry. I didn't believe you. I said 'nuh uh, chocolate is better.' But you said yeah and I got the strawberry." 

Nadezhda chuckled as she dug through the pocket of her coat for the spoon she swiped. "Aha!" She shouted as she discovered the spoon with her fingers and raised it in the air triumphantly. She began piling the ice cream in her mouth, spoon full after spoon full. Her ravenous inhale halted as her pupils widened and her her body stiffened. "Ahhhhhhhh!" She shouted, clutching the sides of her head with her hands. She leaned back against the tree and began stomping her foot into the branch in a effort to defy the effects of the brain freeze. "Eeeee...." She muttered indiscernibly as she writhed in pain. 

Nadezhda was slowly able to recover as the pain subsided. "Oh me oh my." She said with a goofy expression. "That happened again. I need to listen to that old lady better, huh?" She snickered and placed the ice cream off to the side. She laid across the branch and kicked her feet back and forth behind her. "What should we do now?" She asked of the severed hand taped to the tree. "Oh! Be careful!" She said as she pressed the tape down into the surface of the tree to re-stabilize the hand. "If you're too squirmy you're gonna fall and hurt yourself. We don't want that, do we?" 

As if a light bulb went off in her head, she jumped to her feet with a determined expression. "I know what I must do!" She declared. She began fiddling with the ice cream container, taking spoon fulls of ice cream while tossing scoops onto the ground. "Mmm. There we go." She subsequently ripped the tape holding the severed hand to the tree and gently placed it in the bin of ice cream. "Perfect! Now you have your very own home! There you go! Oh, wait!." Nadezhda then taped two more fingers  onto the hand and secured it in the container with the lid. As she held the container close and conversed with Brunhilda, she scanned the park for suitable meals. "I'm still hungry." She said with a smirk. 

[Deleted]

Camila walked the streets of Karakura in a gigai created to her likeness. She was in a fair amount of darker clothes in appearance. She was in a band tee, a black jacket, and ripped jeans. Truly punk if one had glanced at her. She had an MP3 in her pocket that she had picked up a while back, and was listening to music while walking the street of Karakura and admiring her surroundings. She wasn't wandering the streets of Karakura for no reason, though. She was actually on a mission. She was given the task to check in on a substitute shinigami; Izanami Midorikawa, or more commonly known as Nami. She had little information on the woman. She was just told to make sure everything was alright; an annual checkup of sorts.

Walking through the streets, she did what she could in order to locate the woman. She had a general idea of what she looked like, and what she was like. This was something that'd help her out later on, as far as finding the woman in question. Albin seemingly appeared by her side, walking in his normal clothing and armor. "So, mind asking me what you're doing here?" Albin asked, whose voice could be heard over the sound of her music, oddly. "I'm on a mission, Albin," she responded. He sighed, disappearing and quickly reappearing to her left. "What's the mission? Kill quest? Fetch quest?" Camila smiled. "Just a checkup, nothing too big!" She continued walking forward, and Albin eventually disappeared again.

After a while, she eventually stumbled upon a shorter woman with light blonde hair. The woman vaguely matched the description from behind, though she couldn't really tell if she was the woman in question. She ran in front of her as she walked, and quickly turned around to see if that was the girl in question. Camila was quickly taken back by the young woman's physical appearance. She was certainly one of beauty. A faint blush began to rise from her cheeks, and she coughed momentartily. Strictly business, she thought to herself, listening to Albin chuckle in the background of her mind. "Um," she began to speak, "are you Izanami Midorikawa? Or do you happen to know where I can find her?" Camila laughed awkwardly, showing a dumb smile towards the girl in front of her.

[Izanami Midorikawa]

She had noticed the presence of someone that she didn't know off a short distance away. Nami had studied and learn everything that she could about Karkaura including all of the street names and which corresponded to one another. Her mind when it came to the job was like a computer and one thing she had learned to do was visualize Karakura as a map inside her head. By doing so the blonde was able to estimate that whoever she was sensing was most likely in the park.

As she kept walking towards what she was sensing it took a few moments for her to realize she had made a novices mistake. She did her best to keep moving the way that she was, but now she had picked it up. There was someone else behind her. She could tell based on the reiatsu that she was sensing that it was a Shinigami. That didn't mean it was an ally though as many shinigami lived in the world of the living as betrayers.

This was more complex the the usual Hollows that constantly poured into Karakura only to be slain. Nami could hear and feel the shinigami getting closer rapidly. Glancing around her quickly she could see that there weren't any citizens in sight at the moment and the street itself was void of anyone else. Grabbing the dogtags around her neck Nami would suddenly turn around commanding her Fullbring to take form.

The Shinigami had been trying to walk around Nami to see her face from the front, but would now likely stop in freight or simple self interest as Nami's large claymore of a Fullbring was positioned to strike her head. The motion of the slash as she turned was swift, but Nami didn't strike the Shinigami. She stopped with her Fullbring a few centimeters away. Nami would let the Shinigami speak and hear her question. "I am Nami Kawa. Are you from Soul Society? If so what do you have for me?"

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Nadezhda strolled through the park, her carton of ice cream in hand. She was surprisingly carefree considering the severed hand in the container. It was a moment of weakness during the throes of boredom. She allowed her impulses to run wild, resulting in a couple severed limbs. You should kill more discreetly. Koschei advised sweetly. “He deserved it.” Nadezhda responded smugly. To many this would be a clear indication of Nadezhda’s dark and cruel nature, but she honestly believed she was doing the world a generous favor. If there was one thing she hated it was clergyman and church officials.

I’m not contesting that, my dear. He surely deserved it, but it would be unwise of us to gain a certain reputation before we’ve regained our full strength. Nadezhda nodded in response to Koschei. She knew her doll was correct. Even now Nadezhda remains fragmented, a part of her soul sealed off from view. “Can you hear Libuše? Sense her, maybe?” Nadezhda asked nervously. Her mind went silent as Koschei paused to contemplate her answer. You know Libuše, Naze, she would quietly wait for an eternity until you are reunited. She’s likely just resting quietly until that moment she hears your voice. Koschei said lovingly.

Nadezhda sighed as she continued through the park. Eventually she arrived at a fairly busy intersection, but true to form, she simply skipped her way through danger. With her a song on her lips and a rhythm to her feet, she boldly crossed the intersection at a leisurely pace. Her presence, of course, causes mayhem. The sound of screeching brakes and clashing metal echoed through the area. Shocked and enraged drivers violently contributed to the cacophony of horns. They seemed to meld together in one tangled mess, but Nadezhda was unfazed by this chaos. Who knows what she would have done should a car have struck her.

The noise and commotion was loud enough to alert even the most preoccupied nearby. Nadezhda simply skipped and hopped along her path with an untroubled conscience. So carefree, in fact, that her path was cross with two spiritual beings and she appeared blithely unaware. She playfulled danced off to the side of Camila and Izanami, her attention focused on the movement of her body. You’re in the presence of others who wield power. Koschei announced. I know. Nadezhda quickly thought. The raven haired girl’s energy feels familiar. Not as threatening as those from before, but similar. It could only mean one thing.

Nadezhda twirled and danced as though she were the lead in a ballet. Remember to stay on guard, my dear. Koschei cautioned gently. Nadezhda was silent, glancing over at the two while she goofily danced. Don’t worry. She seems harmless by comparison to the others. As for the other one, she smells human. A different variety of human. Something about her is off, but that’s fine. Peculiar can still taste lovely. Honestly, I’m more curious as to how the raven-haired girl tastes. She seems different somehow. And I love different. Nadezhda thought menacingly.

Nadezhda suddenly tripped herself, stumbled, and rolled into the side of Camila Nadezhda’s ice cream container swayed back and forth beside her as she rubbed her knees to soothe the pain of falling. “Owee” She said said in a cutely child-like voice. “No more skippity skip with my peepers closed.” She said as she made a silly noise with her tongue. She picked up the ice cream container and set it right-side up. She lifted her body and dusted off her dress before glancing up slowly at Camila and Izanami. She delivered a toothy grin that spoke for itself. It was as though she was trying to communicate, “My bad! Sorry!”

She rubbed her head before snapping out of her grinning daze. She immediately grabbed Camila’s hand with both of hers and shook it violently. “Ohhhhh helllo!” She shouted enthusiastically. She pointed to herself with her thumb and excitedly announced “My name’s Nadezhda. Some people call me kiddo. Some people call me smallsies. Some people call me the dancin’ kid. And others call me sweetie and dumplin’. Not sure why, but eyes know better than to question tall people. I was always told to just listen. Listen to them. Listen to oldies. Talk ‘em. Talk about ‘em. Talk with ‘em.”

Nadezhda suddenly ran out of air resulting in a pause for deep breath. She leaned over and inhaled while placing her hands on her hips. Nadezhda’s rapid speech was disarming to most people, leaving them to believe she was a nutty child. “Whooo.” She shouted. “So you know me. What about you? WAIT!” She shouted suddenly. “Let me guess.” She glanced at Camila, eying her up and down. She puckered her lips and tightly squinted her eyes. She wagged her finger as though she was certain of her answer. “You’re one of those people. I know it. Just gotta think of it. A, erm, starts with a G. Gr...Gr...” She continued to try and sound out the word in an effort to remember it. “Gropers!” She announced happily. "You’re a groper. "

She looked over at Izanami. “Hmmmmmmmm.” She tapped her chin as she contemplated. “I dun know ‘bout you, lady. Or maybe. Yeah, just maybe.” Nadezhda mumbled to herself as she sifted through her thoughts, hoping to find an answer to Izanami’s identity. You play this part beautifully, Naze They are putty in your hands. Koschei commented. “Aha!” She declared as she leaped into the air. “You’re the number person. You know. The number person who has a bunch of rocks and sticky paper behind glass and in boxes. They are just like you. Ha.” She chuckled. “Yeah, you’re a number person. They are so like you.”

[Jeff Franklin]

I count 23 paragraphs awarding both participants 115 TP