Nova Twins [Hard Adventure]

[Deleted]

Name: Nova Twins

Participants: Ishikawa Seiji, @minerva

Location: The World of the Living

Difficulty Level: Hard.

Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled.

Plotline: Both being unseated members of their respective Squads, both Albin and Seiji are given a mission together that initially appears as little more than "grunt work". Unbeknownst to them at the time, this mission takes a significant turn for the worst, and both Shinigami are forced to fight for their lives.

Estimated Enemy Strength: Class 8-3

Estimated Time Until Completion: 3-5 pages.

Starts: Upon finishing an introductory post.

Special Conditions:

At any given point during this Adventure, both Seiji and Albin are able to redeem TP rewards early for a thread. This must be done after said rewards are already earned (i.e. after each page has been completed), and until the completion of the thread, remain only in this thread. Upon completion of this thread, the TP spent is made permanent, and any remaining TP earned is earned as normal (should Seiji for example earn 1,400 TP by the end of the thread, but spent 700 early, only 700 will be awarded upon completion of the thread).

[Deleted]

Looking down toward the paper he was given, Albin sighed as he tried to read and walk. Of all the people that could've been given this, he thought to himself, why on earth did it have to be me? Reading through the mission assignment once more, it seemed that Albin was one of two Shinigami that were going to be dealing with a bit of field-work. Namely, a band of hollows terrorizing a small town just outside of Berlin. Reported hollows didn't seem to be too powerful, but were damn elusive. Seemed that the idea was to send a small group and have them deal with the problem, as opposed to actively investing in a larger group. Great.

Doing what he could to make sure he wasn't running into anyone, Albin slowly and methodically made his way into the Kido Corps barracks. He'd known who he was going to be headed on this mission with personally, thankfully. Someone that he'd been able to make friends with during his time in the Academy; a mister Ishikawa Seiji. Thankful for that fact, Albin did what he could in order to get a smile going on his face; showing his opinion toward this mission wasn't exactly something he wanted to do, lest he'd sour any thoughts Seiji might've had.

Spending a few short moments in the barracks in order to look around, Albin huffed when he realized that his friend wasn't in the immediate vicinity. "Hey, Seiji!" he shouted, trying to see if he could alert his friend about the situation. Assuming the two made their way to each other, Albin was going to jump on the opportunity before anything "official" started in order to just catch up with the man. Truth be told, he was excited for that fact! It was easily the saving grace of the mission ahead, as he liked to think the two got along rather well.

If Albin was in his company, he'd start with a quick hello. "Hey, it's certainly been a bit, huh? How've you been since graduation?" Giving him time to respond, Albin simply smiled and listened. He was looking forward to seeing just how Seiji had been doing, and definitely had his own fair share of questions for him. That said, he wanted to give Seiji a fair chance to speak first; such was the polite thing to do, and he genuinely cared to hear what he had to say. Here's to hoping he's been well in the meantime, Albin thought to himself, awaiting a response.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Albin's Stats & Skills}
Type:Fighter, Version 2

Strength: 50 [67]
Speed: 50 [37]
Spiritual Pressure: 50 [67]
Reiatsu Strength: 50 [37]
Instinct: 50
Senses: 50
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50

------------------

Weapons - Hardlight Weapons: 1
Strength of Will: 1
Damage Recovery: 1
Pain Tolerance:1
Hakuda: 1
Weapons - Katanas: 1

[Ishikawa Seiji]

Time passed slowly.

While, it certainly wasn't crawling along like some infant, the days could certainly drag on and on when very few of those within the Kido Corps were the social types. Neither was he, quite frankly, but they were worse than he'd been even as a young boy. Now that was saying something. Inquisitive about their work and research sure, or watching as others attempted new spells. Wincing as one after another blasted themselves across the training fields and into a nearby wall, some were amusing to see, others were just very painful. The cocky few brought down a peg or two, when attempting a Hado in the eighties was no mean feat and something the emerald haired Shinigami wasn't going to rush into trying like some here that wished to push ahead. Good for them for trying, but when that was the result, followed by a trip to Squad Four. He'd hold off, if only to preserve all his limbs being intact and not screaming in agony as his spine hit a concrete wall. No, he rather liked having use of his entire body, over confidence with trying to contain and unleash that kind of power wasn't for him. At his best guess he'd pass out before even finishing the incantation, if not worse and have it explode right in his face just as he lost consciousnesses from the reiatsu strain. No thanks.

That said, it wasn't all bad. Even if he did have to listen to the occasional loud explosion from outside, the gentle quiet of the archives was a welcome distraction from whenever the unseated Shinigami took the time to wander about the Seiretei as a whole. Though now used to the sight of, what was in his eyes, luxury everywhere compared to the squalor within Rukongai. Sometimes even now, he would stop and stare for a few minutes, watching nobility or even the servants of such people, complain about such trivial and meaningless things. People watching was an odd habit of his, sometimes spending hours atop a low roof just observing the world pass him by. It wasn't that he wished to fade into the background, not entirely, but when he had to deal with seemingly incompetent leadership from the seated members of the Corps. Well, there was only so much he could take, and still relatively keep his tongue in check before he said something that would get him removed from the Seireitei as a whole.

Occasionally however, it seemed that his superiors could do something worthwhile. Even if that meant sending him off into the World of the Living, not always his favorite place in the world for sure. But given the sheer variety, he was sure there would be something good to be found there, wherever he ended up. Of course, he knew why he was going, as soon as he read over the information they already had. Throwing him and another to the wolves because someone couldn't be bothered to get off their ass and arrange things properly. He hardly doubted plenty among the ranks of the Gotei 13 were exactly lacking for funds, maybe it was just a way of getting them out of the way. Or killing them both if this ended badly, it wouldn't matter, neither he nor whom he knew to be joining him were of any importance. Be it in rank or power. A potentially lethal test then, that would either help them grow or leave him and another poor fool in tatters. Sadistic bastards, the lot of them.

Still, he said not a word of such views to said superiors. Instead simply reading it over and briefly thanking them before he was out of the room, as swift as the wind, and back to his own quarters to retrieve his Zanpakuto. Still no name, nothing but mere whispers every so often that he wasn't even sure was something of note, he could just be going mad. Maybe he already was. Regardless, something in his gut told him he couldn't be all that far off, and thus far he'd learnt to trust his instincts above most things. So he would, for now. A hand on the hilt of his blade, carefully slipped into his obi onto his right side before he was back out the door, though at least this time he remembered to lock it. If he wasn't to be back for at least a day, if his assumption was right, better safe then sorry, even within the relatively security of the barracks. Few came near the Kido Corps without a very good reason.

Today was one such a day, not for him, but for the young man he'd be working with. One he'd met, albeit briefly, during his last year within the academy. A nice enough kid, a little too loud and overly happy when compared with someone like him, but he could manage. It wasn't a totally horrible idea to pair them up, he suspected that they had already met had been known by the higher ups. Sneaky that lot. That loudness showed itself, before he could even see the newly minted Shinigami in question, a voice carrying across the barracks, in a way that no one else ever would. Enough that Albin would get a few odd and annoyed looks from those that passed him by, had he not asked and simply wandered in like a lost puppy? It was almost cute, almost, minus the shouting. Eventually, after hopping up onto one of the lower rooftops, the young Shinigami came into sight. An easy to spot figure from his hair alone.

"Maa Al-kun, I had no idea ya liked me that much, shoulda said. Ya know?" The white haired Shinigami would find the familiarly accented voice coming from not far behind him, as Seiji hopped down and onto ground level with a soft landing. With what seemed akin to vulpine like grace as he moved to meet up with the other properly, tone amused, the grin upon his lips spread even wider than usual. Without another word he gestured for the younger to follow him, not deeper in, but out of and further away from the Kido Corps barracks. Those within would likely thank him later, for being spared that sudden loud presence, or at least he could certainly hope they might. Hands kept within the confines of his shihakusho, that grin remained as they walked, his steps light even as the younger began his questioning. Meant to be polite he knew, a lot had happened and most of it, he would certainly be keeping to himself.

A slight lift of one shoulder, a half shrug, like silk rising and flowing beside a stream of water. It was best not to dwell on such things, nor burden someone so young with his problems either. "Ain't much ta tell, things are pretty similar. Jus' no exams an' more paperwork instead. Real drag if ya ask me. I should be askin' you that though ne? New uniform, lotsa new things ta figure out, hows the Thirteenth treatin' ya?" It wouldn't be harshly, he knew that much all too well. Ludwig was a good enough man from what little chance he'd gotten to interact with him. Shin had certainly thought so, but he wasn't going to mention such things now, not when they had a mission ahead of them. One that, if they were lucky, wouldn't take all that long either. His tone at first spoke of dismissal, a gentle and harmless sort of manipulation to focus the questioning on Albin and not him. It wouldn't do any harm really.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Seiji Stats & Skills}

Statistics

Physical	Spiritual		Sensory	Miscellaneous
Strength: 50 Speed: 330	Reiatsu Strength: 200 (+25%) = 250 Spiritual Pressure: 200 (+25%) = 250		Instincts: 100 (-25%) = 75 Senses: 100 (-25%) = 75 Energy Sensory: 0	Light Aura: 40 Dark Aura: 60 Healing Expertise: 0

Skills

Mental	Battle		Body	Utility
Analyzing: 1 Strength of Will: 1	Weapons: Katana & Wakizashi: 1 Battle Analysis: 1 Pain Tolerance: 1 Kidō Mastery: 1		Mental Incantation: 1 Stealth: 1	N/A

[Deleted]

Ignoring the glances that his shouting had given him without a care in the world, Albin continued to make his presence known throughout the entire barracks much like he was fairly good at doing. Even during his time before graduating he'd been mostly known as "the loud one", so this kind of behavior wasn't exactly new for him. He didn't expect those that had graduated around his time would immediately forget this, and made no effort to try to mask a reputation like that. Especially after graduating, there wasn't really a point. That much had made itself apparent when going on to consider that, if nothing else, it made him identifiable amongst a crowd of no-name Shinigami. Such a trait was likely going to help him down the line while trying to reach highs within his own Squad. Though, that was neither here nor there for the time being.

"Maa Al-kun, I had no idea ya liked me that much, shoulda said. Ya know?"

Whirling around and immediately noticing the green-haired individual making his way over toward him, Albin couldn't help but shoot back a smile as a slight rush of red found itself across his cheeks. With a soft chuckle, Albin decided to speak with a softer voice, significantly lowering his tone now that the two weren't far from each other. "You'll have to forgive me, Ishikawa-kun," he said, gently resting his left arm overtop of his topmost Zanpakuto with a soft "clack" of steel on wood as his weapons shifted ever so slightly, "I'm not the greatest with the whole 'honorifics' thing; it's a bit difficult to get used to, n' evidently I haven't gotten the hang of it yet. I'll get it in time, though." At least, hopefully he would. If nothing else, this mission was going to be a good aid into that, with how often the two were going to be interacting. Here's to hoping he'd leave a good impression on Albin.

As he went on to ask Seiji the questions he did, he was somewhat surprised to be hit back with the responses that he was given. Huh, he thought to himself, kinda disappointing to hear, but whatever. Mentally shrugging as his friend continued to speak, Albin began to formulate a response as soon as he was done. "Yeah, lots of new stuff to figure out is right. Still haven't gotten an understanding of Kido, so I'm fairly certain that's not really going to change anytime soon." Truthfully, he found himself surprised about that fact. Even Camila had been quite adept at Kido; why hadn't he picked up on it? Truthfully it could've been due to his position within the girl's spirit as a hollow, but he'd have to delve a little more into that in order to figure it out; now wasn't the time for that.

"Thankfully, yeah, Squad Thirteen is treating me well. I've yet to have a formal meeting with Captain Ludwig, though I do know he's a good guy. Little temperamental at times, but I guess that's more pot and kettle, yeah?" He chuckled at the thought. He really didn't have any business calling someone out for being a bit on the angry side, especially given the fact that he wasn't entirely in control of his own temper as it was. Surely that was something he could work on, no? Seems like I've got a good list of self-improvement options going, he thought to himself as his mind seemed to move from one thought to another.

Looking back to the mission that the two had been given, Albin let out another soft sigh as he continued to follow Seiji from the barracks. "So," he said, dragging the word out to keep away the silence, "what do you make of this little mission we were given? Seems a bit of a pain given the fact that we're the ones who're assigned to take care of it, but thus is life, I guess. Hopefully things'll be relatively quick? Can't say I'm wanting to head into the Human World myself if I'm being honest." With a shrug, Albin awaited a response from Seiji. He expected more or less of the same from him, if he was being honest; neither of them were aptly suited to take care of a mission like this, and it seemed like an sort of abusive move from their superiors. When he got back, Ludwig was going to get an earful over this whole debacle.

If what he'd remembered from Seiji back during their time in Shin'ō, he excelled in the spiritual arts, much to the antithesis of how Albin was getting used to his own fighting style. He'd be able to compliment the guy well during this mission, thankfully. Truthfully, he sort of envied Seiji for his rising skill with Shinigami Magic, as Albin tended to put it. Certainly tended to make fights more interesting. That said, he wouldn't've traded his own martial prowess for the world otherwise. Especially considering the complimentary opportunities that he had when fighting alongside someone like Seiji; someone that benefitted from having a physical hand in the midst of combat.

[Ishikawa Seiji]

He would have found the younger anyways.

Despite that, ever since their first meeting, the white haired male had demanded he make himself known at every movement. Not by his actions, but by his voice and vocal cords. He wondered if, at the end of a day, he ended up with his throat hurting given how much he shouted on a daily basis. The odd complaint over heard from younger students at the time as to how bothersome it was. Poor kids. He had considered asking, then thought better of it for the time being. Best to get this whole mission bullshit at least started, before he started throwing out personal questions left and right. The younger Shinigami had a right to some privacy after all, of course, Seiji had a terrible habit of both eavesdropping and wanting to know about things that didn't concern him. This was especially so when it came to those that caught his interest, he never bothered with those that were ever so dull, drifted away as if he was never there. When Albin wasn't shouting, there was something else there, not that he could pin a word to what. Perhaps over the course of today he'd figure that out.

The complete lack of honorifics quite frankly, wasn't all that surprising to him. Some did such things as easily as they breathed, some forgot such mannerisms even existed until promoted by another or dealing with someone of far higher rank. Funny that. Fact of the matter was, the other wasn't totally oblivious and thankfully quietened down a bit once he'd approached. The color spotted upon his face wasn't entirely unexpected, given what he had just pointed out and insinuated between them, but it was enough to make his grin widen just a little more. Oh how easy it was to cause such reactions when he wanted to, some were just too easy to read and bait into slipping up, but here he had done that all on his own! Even in front of a few who were wandering into the Kido Corps barracks as he approached the younger slowly. Was that improvement or just a lack of awareness? He'd find out eventually.

"Aw look at that, ya took me so seriously! Don'cha worry 'bout it. Just don' let other people catch ya doin' that, they won' like ya much for it." If this was the elder allowing the younger to use his first name, or simply reminding him not to do such things again. Who could say? Either way, a hand reached out just as he moved to pass the younger by and lead him out of the complex. Thin fingers, chilly to the touch atop the young Shinigami's head for a moment, messing up strands of hair rather purposefully, though gently, for only a second or two before he let go. Returning to his sides and mostly buried beneath his sleeves. A chuckle parting from between a smiling mouth as he passed by, leading the way without another word more on the subject. Let the other make of that as it liked, it had always been his way, to test and tease to get a reaction. No matter who it was. Albin today, would simply get the brunt of it given their assignment, lucky him.

Helpfully, his little diversion worked just as it should have. Leading onto the younger speaking about his lack of talent for Kido, him and countless others that thought themselves a prodigy at the art. He wasn't either, far from anywhere good, passable at best. At least presently, that would change with time and hard work, as long as he didn't go crashing into walls like his seniors, he'd be fine. As for the one falling into step close by, he had to wonder about that, a certain young woman from the eleventh had said the same. Maybe they were similar, hopefully he wasn't quite as rigid to the idea as she was. "Yer'll figure somethin' out." Unhelpful and hardly encouraging words, but they would do. There was little he could say about others personal growth, that at least was something that didn't feel right to comment on. Their opinions about such things sure, but progress itself? Better not to touch on a topic like that.

Quiet footsteps did not stop as Albin mentioned Ludwig, the man could be rather difficult to see when he wanted to be. He had just been lucky that day, a fact he would not raise to the surface because that would lead to further questions. Answers he wasn't ready to give, not to anyone. Mentioning such similarities he simply raised a brow, he had yet to see much of the other's personality, but a tendency towards anger did not seem all too useful going into a mission. He'd work with it, figure out things as they happened, he was good at doing that. "Guess yer'll have to wait ta see how good till ya meet 'em then." A simple observation and rather throwaway comment at that, but it worked well enough. For all he knew, Ludwig simply hadn't had the time, or Albin hadn't been one of true note as of yet. He would have to wait to hear about that one, it would be quite some time yet for sure. Then again, without a proper leading of his own within the Kido Corps, it was a challenge to draw any sort of comparison from.

As he listened to the younger Shinigami describe their mission and his thoughts on it, he couldn't help but snort quietly. Almost too faint to be heard, little and it being a pain was an understatement in his mind. But he wouldn't correct him on that. For a moment he simply kept his pace going, not saying a word as they rounded a corner towards the very Squad they had been talking about moments before. It was the closest Senkaimon after all, so it made sense to be the one they used. Never mind the fact that he had used it before, illegally but that was neither here nor there. "Maa lil' is a nicer word for it. Don' look like it'll be much, should be back 'fore tomorrow mornin' easy." It wasn't confidence that fueled this view of his, simply logic, based on the information they'd been given. It wasn't a large job, otherwise they would've been forced to send an entire unit. A few hours best case, the rest of the day at the worst.

Even if it took longer, he could at least assume no more than two days if things decided to go downhill rapidly. Like throwing a sledgehammer down a hill at a hollow at the very bottom. An amusing thought, but not why he'd left the comfort of the archives or his quarters today. Arriving at the Senkaimon was nothing unusual, paperwork and showing that they had in fact been allowed to pass was a bore. But he recognized the young girl on duty, the same one who had dragged him into Ludwig's office when he was still barely a student. She spoke curtly and he watched rather passively about the whole ordeal, noting that even as they moved to pass through into the World of the Living, she had not looked him in the eyes. Not once. Poor thing. Coming out to a rooftop, in the middle of a sub zero Berlin, with snow all around them was not the sight he'd hoped for and it left the elder to look up briefly. Snow falling even now. Lovely.

"Well, no time like right now ne?"

[Deleted]

Growing ever-flustered, Albin turned to Seiji with a pseudo-shout, not quite to the point of raising his voice like before but enough that his tone was a bit louder. "Well yeah! Why wouldn't I take you seriously? Good lord, no need to make me overthink things like that." Albin laughed it off, making note of Seiji's warning. Truthfully, he was appreciative; he wasn't sure how others would react to the lack of honorifics, and truthfully he was in no rush to find out. Best just focus on respecting that and making sure he kept up with it where he could.

Being dragged out of his thoughts almost immediately by the feel of someone else' hand touching his head, Albin jumped a bit as Seiji reached out to play with his hair, shock quickly replacing itself with a sort of serenity as Seiji pulled his hand away just as quickly, prompting a chuckle from both individuals involved. Truthfully he didn't know what to make of it; maybe he was just being nice? Teasing him for his earlier slip-up? Truthfully, he had no idea, and if he continued to ponder on that, he was going to end up overthinking himself into another death. Forcing himself to get on with the conversation, Albin continued to chat up Seiji, putting what had just happened on the backburner for the time.

Letting out a soft sigh, Albin realizing that it seemed making conversation with Seiji was possibly going to be for naught. Sure, he was a bit upset by the fact, that that didn't inherently mean he was going to stop trying, despite the somewhat short, seemingly dismissive answers from his elder. He was going to get a conversation going with Seiji at some point, mark his damned words! Pumping his fist in the air in agreement with himself, he quickly steadied himself afterward upon realizing that he'd just done so not in his head, but outright. As the two of them walked on, eventually reaching the Senkaimon, Albin cracked his fingers. Truthfully, this was his first time seeing the thing.

Despite being in Squad 13, he hadn't really delved into the Squad's duties all that much thus far. Sure, he'd known a bit from the past, but even she hadn't done much for the Squad. He couldn't say he wasn't interested, though. If nothing else, it made for good potential conversation with Ludwig down the line. "So uh," he started, before the two of them walked through, "ironically enough, I can't say I know too too well how this thing works, so forgive me on that front, 'k? If something goes wrong, wasn't on me!" With a chuckle, Albin followed his elder through the gate, and out into the Human World. Almost immediately, Albin had made note of the temperature.

"Fuckin' hell it's cold!" he exclaimed, quickly condensing his frame and trying to preserve what heat his body did actually give off, "no clue how people endure this kinda' BS on a daily basis." Hearing Seiji speak once more, Albin simply nodded with a huff. "Guess so. Let's just get this shit done, yeah? Can't say I'm wanting to stay out here any longer than we have to." Putting his arms back down to his sides, and doing what he could in order to just endure, Albin took a deep breath to calm himself down, and steady the rest of his body. Stressing himself out over something he couldn't control wasn't going to do him any good.

"So," he started, once again looking over the mission report the two of them had been given, "we've got a small band of hollows that seem to be taking their pick on the living. Reports say we've got five or so to deal with; hopefully shouldn't be too too difficult to find and take care of 'em, yeah?" Reaching into his pocket and pulling out the stock-standard soul pager he'd been given upon graduating, Albin mulled over the device's ability to detect nearby hollows. Within a few short seconds of analyzing, he turned to Seiji, quizzically.

"Ishikawa-kun," he said, still glancing down at the device, "you think we ended up in the right area? Seems we've got a pretty minimal amount of hollows within a pretty significant distance... from what it looks like, seems to be at least a kilometer with... nothing." Albin put his free hand to his chin to think. How is that possible? Soul Society getting a report wrong by a margin that large? Unless some of 'em just kinda vanished, that doesn't seem plausible. Just what the hell is going on? To say that Albin was confused was nothing short of an understatement. With a soft sigh, he turned back to Seiji. "Well, looks like we've got some searching to deal with."

Tucking his pager back into his pocket, Albin checked his Zanpakuto, making sure they were snug and secure where they were. Last thing he wanted to deal with was losing one of them in the Human World. Raising his arms into the air and interlocking his fingers, Albin stretched his back before shaking out his hands. He was going to do what he could to warm himself up despite this cold. Though, was hypothermia a threat to him as a soul? He couldn't say for sure, but figuring that out wasn't exactly on his list of priorities. "Hey, do me a favor and please don't go out of your way to just outpace me, yeah? Can't say I've gotten much opportunity to improve in the last few years, unlike you I'm sure?" With a chuckle, he awaited Seiji's response.

[Ishikawa Seiji]

His words just made things worse, or better yet, made that shade of red grow all the darker for just a moment. As entertaining as it was to tease the other, just as he did with many of those around him, even those within the Kido Corps. That wasn't why they'd been assigned to head out into the World of the Living and as such, he kept going, even as he heard a now slightly louder voice directed at him. A few paces behind as Albin moved to catch up, it really was quite good entertainment, the boy seemed so very honest about his lack of knowledge or maybe it was just his memory that wasn't as good. Either way, he knew others would take such blatant disrespect far worse, better to keep the kid informed before he put his foot in his mouth even more than he already had. Against someone that would make his life harder for even daring to use their given name, instead of the proper title due to them. A load of bullshit if you asked him, but he played along, they were apart of a military after all.

"'Cause bein' serious all the time ain' no fun at all." The words were not helpful in the slightest, in fact he was all but certain that they would only confuse him even further. Syllables rolling of his tongue quickly, even as he lowered his hand to pass the younger by completely. He gave little thought to what he had just done, a sign of his own amusement if nothing else and the kid wasn't complaining about his hair being messed up so it was fine. Beside that, there were plenty within both the Soul Society and the Gotei 13 that were serious enough for themselves and countless others, he had no desire to add to the pile of those who did their jobs with such stoicism they could almost be considered robotic in nature. Far too many individuals were either too serious or far too cocky for their own good, he did not want to be classed as one or the other frankly. So this was a good middle ground, even if others disliked some of his methods.

Keeping a quick pace, they soon arrived at the all too familiar grounds of the Thirteenth Division. It wasn't difficult journey in the slightest, only fraught with memories and tales of a man no longer living, he pushed such ideas to onside. Instead focusing on how the younger seemed to be mentally encouraging himself for what was to come, judging by the other fist pumping there air as if no one could see him. Or maybe he simply didn't care, regardless of which it was, the elder kept quiet about it. If he embarrassed the boy a lot more, the poor thing might just faint, that or he'd have to give the kid a new nickname. And as fun as that might be in the long run, perhaps best saved for another time. When a certain red-headed Shinigami kept glancing at him as he handed their paperwork over for her to open up the Senkaimon to the correct location, she was trying to be subtle and it really wasn't working.

"Jus' be ready ta run if the Kōtotsu shows up, an' don't go anywhere near the walls." A warning he had heard plenty of times when Shin had returned to tell him of the sheer panic he'd faced, running for his life to return to the Soul Society from the World of the Living. The blasted thing consuming all in it's path, something Seiji had no desire to go anywhere near if he could help it. Once again, as he let Albin pass through first just ahead of him, that girl did not dare look him in the eye, offering a vague nod as if she were staring off into space as he stepped through. He'd likely never get a word out of her, let alone an apology for her actions and maybe that was for the best. It was likely she'd bring up Shin, and he had no desire to talk about his sibling with a mere stranger, as if she knew anything of him. Ha. Thoughts muddled as he stepped through, he kept pace with the younger easily enough to ensure they were out and only as they emerged onto the rooftop did the freezing cold hit him at full force.

Honestly speaking, the emerald haired Shinigami had never truly minded the cold all that much. It was frustrating at times yes, but looking out upon the city from up here, he might've called it beautiful, if they weren't likely to have to trudge through it. His white haired companion for the day however, had a far more open view about the whole thing. Bitter winds pressing into his skin as he listened to one complaint after another without a word said to stop him. Like it or not, they would both have to manage and fight in this cold. He'd experienced worse winters than this back in Rukongai, he'd be fine, though likely a little tone deaf by the end of it if Albin continuously sought to be grumpy throughout the trip. He hoped not. Words of their assignment already tucked neatly away at the forefront of his mind, he had little need to check what the report had stated.

Nevertheless, he let the younger repeat such things though he moved to glance over at the Soul Pager when it had been pulled out, and in turn over his shoulder. Well the signals weren't lying and unless it was the device itself, which seemed rather unlikely. Something had happened here. A disruption of some kind? A stronger hollow scaring the weaker few away into hiding? There were plenty of possibilities in a place like this, even if it didn't seem to be as Spiritually dense as the few other locations around the globe that he'd visited. "We did, no doubtin' that. Plenty o' reasons as ta why there ain' any hollows about, an' I'm not likin' any of 'em." He stated rather simply, no hollows in part of a city so large was not a positive sign in the slightest. The fact that they'd been sent alone wouldn't help matters, nor aid them in covering more ground to find the source of whatever had caused this. They'd only just got here and already he had a rather bad feeling about this.

Such a lighthearted request in comparison to what little they'd found however, made him chuckle. "Of all the things for ya ta be worryin' 'bout right now. Honestly. I ain't got a Shikai if that's what yer askin' so don't expect no miracles if shit goes south. I'll go nice an' slow so ya can keep up." It wasn't an assurance and frankly, his tone did not help matters. Mocking and lilting as a hidden gaze looked to the city streets beneath them rather than the white haired male, hands dangling at his sides. If he did have such power already, he'd feel a lot more confident about this whole thing. He'd just have to work with what he had, his wits and quick thinking had always served him well, this situation wouldn't change that. Nothing seemed off from the souls here at least, utterly unaware as they should be as snow continued to fall. All of them simply going about their lives, as they should and barely any spiritual pressure around. Save them.

"Ain't gonna get nothin' done stayin' here." Words simple enough to understand before he was off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop to explore further parts of the city. He did as he said, moving at a simple speed of fifty as to hopefully allow Albin time to keep pace with him. Standing around would not only make them freeze to death slowly, but it wouldn't get this done nor allow them to return to the Seiretei any faster. And with dismal sensing capabilities, it meant a lot more going from place to place to physically check. Yet without any sign of hollows around, even as he moved across the city slowly, his sense of uneasy only began to grow worse and worse as the minutes ticked on by. Why? Had it truly just been already dealt with? Something else? Hiding in a way so they couldn't be detected? Whatever it was that caused such a massive lack of them, he was almost certain that he was going to hate the cause of it all.

[Deleted]

Just before making their way into the Senkaimon, as he commented on his lack of knowledge and turned to Seiji, Albin couldn't help help but notice one of his apparent squadmates seeming to do everything she could in order to just ignore the two of them entering. Rather odd, he thought to himself, Captain Ludwig seemed to press this Squad as being some sort of family. That much I remember. Last I checked, I've certainly never met her, so that would mean- Before his thoughts could finish, Albin found himself dragged out of his mental rambling as Seiji spoke on the Kōtotsu and the walls. Nodding, Albin furrowed his brow, and made a mental note of what had just happened. For now, he was going to focus on the Dangai, and pester about it when they stepped out.

Being careful not to touch the walls, and moving quick enough to allow Seiji the same courtesy, Albin continued to press through the Dangai. Occasionally turning back to his elder, Albin continued to make his way through, doing what he could in order to make sure the both of them remained safe through their travels; naturally, that wasn't a lot, mostly just keeping his own arms to the side and continuing to walk carefully through the tighter areas, but for the most part, a lot of it was practicing general common sense. The two of them were going to be fine.

Upon emerging, and subsequently freaking out over the cold weather, Albin turned to Seiji to speak once more. "So, what was up with that girl back in Seireitei? She seemed... A little off. I know for damn sure that I've never seen 'er before, so I don't think that was due to me. You two have history or something?" He wasn't going to pry entirely, but to say he wasn't curious would've been a lie. Especially when it involved his own Squad. If he got nothing from Seiji, he'd just have to see if he could get any information from her later on. Whether that would be possible, however, remained to be seen.

Going on to comment about the tracking on his Soul Pager, Albin listened to what Seiji had to say on the matter, seeming to take things rather nonchalantly despite not actually liking the situation. Letting out a soft sigh, Albin realized he should've probably done the same. Sure, things weren't looking very great, but at the same time, nothing had gone out of its way to become a problem. Yet. Perhaps it might've been a good idea to just chill for the time being, and see how things progressed? "I'm with you," he said, tucking his hands deep into his pockets,"guess we'll just have to wait and see what's going on, yeah?"

Deciding to continue joking around with Seiji, Albin made another comment after his elder. "Please," he started, "of all the people that I could've been paired with, you're the one that I expect some kinda miracle from." With a gentle pat on his shoulder as a display of camaraderie, Albin gave his elder a smile of sorts. "Jokes aside though, don't sweat it! I'm not exactly in a better place in that case, so we're pretty much in the same boat." Pulling his hand back, Albin tucked it back into his pocket as he felt himself shiver momentarily. Gods, the cold was getting annoying.

"Ain't gonna get nothin' done stayin' here." Well, he certainly wasn't wrong. Just as quickly as he'd said that though, it seemed Seiji was off. "H-hey!" Albin called out, before realizing what was going on. Taking to the rooftops behind him as his own top speed of a measly 37, Albin did what he could to keep up, trying to weave across rooftops as elegantly as Seiji seemed to make it seem. Truth be told, he was struggling. Though, trial by fire, even in this regard seemed to be the best option for the both of them. It was the only way that Albin was going to get a taste of the field work, and improve his own physical prowess (as well as spiritual, for that matter).

As the two of them continued to make their way through Berlin, moving from rooftop to rooftop with relative ease - at least, from Seiji - Albin caught a glance of something from the corner of his eye. Turning his head to face whatever he'd seen, Albin jammed his feet into the ground in order to stop his movement. Quickly realizing what he'd seem, Albin drew one of his Zanpakuto; seemed that, in an off-shot alleyway, relatively disconnected from a main road, a hollow was feeding. Turning his head to face his elder, he called out. "Hey, Ishikawa-kun! We've got one down here!"

Turning his head back to face where he'd seen the hollow, Albin watched in utter confusion and concern. The hollow was gone. "That... what?" he thought aloud, sheathing his blade and slowly making his way over to the alleyway, "no, that doesn't make any sense. I could've sworn something was here!" Assuming his current partner followed in suit, the two would quickly find that the entire alleyway had been... normal. There wasn't any sign of damage, no blood, no plus, and oddly enough, no sign of a spiritual disturbance. Everything seemed to just be average, everyday Berlin. "I'm sure I saw something. Big, bird-lookin' thing was picking away at some poor human." Looking around to make sure neither of them were being targeted for an ambush, Albin let out a sigh of relief; he saw nothing. Shivering once more, he continued. "Maybe I'm just seeing things?" He chuckled, hoping that wasn't the case. If it was, this was going to be a long day.

[Ishikawa Seiji]

Rinkawa certainly wouldn't be the first to feel uncomfortable in his presence. As far as he'd noticed, he'd had that effect on quite a number of people for differing reasons. none of which he really cared nor bothered to focus any time upon. She was an exception, given it had been the young girl's doing that she'd shoved him into that mess to begin with. No wonder she couldn't bring herself to look at him. A reminder of a dead man, a friend of Shin's perhaps, staring her right in the face every time he came to step into the World of the Living. It couldn't be a pretty reminder that was for sure. The fact that he looked like his sibling was bad enough, that they even sounded similar, speech patterns aside would not help matters. Briefly he considered asking Ludwig about how to handle her, or if to simply avoid her outright for some time. Give the poor thing some space, to not wonder if she saw a friend or merely his double wandering about the streets of the Seiretei in the early hours of the morning.

Such thoughts were quickly discarded as they entered the Dangai, a by now familiar if a little weird space. He did not take to walking, instead lightly jogging through the space, prepared to sprint for his damn life if that thing decided to show up. With some common sense and never walking side by side, it was child's play to get through, although he simply had to hope that it would be just as effortless to return to the Seiretei. The fact of the matter was, they were just lucky that on such a day, the place was relatively stable. He'd heard more than enough rumors of horrific tales of groups sprinting for their lives and barely escaping without being terrified from what might have been, had they been just seconds slower. Frankly, it was part of the reason he'd trained his body a fair bit over these past few months, the emerald haired Shinigami had no desire to be flung somewhere random across the Three Worlds. Or into the depths of some unknown dimension either.

Or at least, as they arrived, the icy winds pressing against his skin through his relatively thick Shihakusho. He had thought anything that could be said about that girl and her lack of response to him would be put aside, ignored entirely by the younger. Too focused on what was ahead of them. Obviously not. The young man was far more of the curious sort then he'd first imagined and while that wasn't an issue per say, it did present him with a conundrum of what exactly to say. He could be truthful, but that was never really his style. Not to anyone. Besides, some things were not spoken of for good reason, this was one of them. He settled instead for half truths and omitting key facts. "Rinkawa-chan? Nah, I jus' remind her o' someone is all. Poor thing's just embarrassed." Guilty and likely grief ridden too, but such descriptive's would lead to further questioning, something he would much rather steer away from if at all possible.

Regardless of the young girl, his attention quickly turned to the here and now. To what little was around them and the distinct lack of well.. just about anything remotely spiritual nearby. Sure, there were plenty of places all across the World of the Living that were far less spiritually dense and thus, few such beings ever ventured out that far to take a look. But within a city so large, so filled with souls barely guarded? What hollow, or any other being for that matter, wouldn't come here to at least take a peek and see what was on offer? He certainly would, if he were anything like such beings. So the fact of the matter was, there had to be a cause and one way or another, neither of them would be returning home until it was found and dealt with. He wouldn't mind it, were it not for the falling snow and in turn, low visibility should they drop below the rooftops. Even above, it made things rather troublesome.

A brief hum of agreement was all the younger Shinigami would get, at least at first, as a response. Nothing stood out to him, no matter how far he stretched his gaze, or with what little sensing he had, told him the same as the Soul Pager, yet on a far more limited scale. Why? Though the edges of his mouth remained turned up, enough to indicate a smile though never anything genuine, it seemed utterly motionless. Like the rest of the elder as he stood there lost in thought, well it seemed there really was little else they could do without searching half this damn city. Everything just had to be extra work, huh? Only the physical contact, a brief tap upon his shoulder that his instincts left him tensing slight from even unconsciously so, was what seemed to be enough to draw the other from his reprieve. Not happily mind you, a hidden gaze sweeping over towards Albin for a moment, he had listened, but he wondered just how much the younger had improved since they'd last spoken.

"Guess we'll hafta see how much ya gotta play catch up then." Nonchalant and teasing, it wasn't much longer until the elder began to move from the spot they had arrived in. Clearly, judging by how the other raced to attempt to catch up, he at least out paced the younger in terms of raw speed. But anything else? Well, he'd have to wait and see about that one. The bustling crowds below in Berlin were unremarkable at best, something that passed him by as he moved from one roof to the next, far slower than he would like mind you. But better that, then to wait for ages for Albin to try and find him halfway across the city. Still it seemed even at such a reduced pace, the young Shinigami caught something he didn't. The sight of a hollow, was it really? By the time he had already doubled back to look, leaning across from the rooftop above into the alleyway below to see just what the other had seemingly found.

There was nothing.

Eyebrow raised as he was reassured that he had indeed seen something. But then why hadn't he as well? Had it been so fast that it would out pace him and leave the younger thinking it might have teleported somehow? But no, there wasn't even a drop of blood, no scent of death or even the faint harshness spiritually that he'd come to associate with many a hollow. "Ya might be, but I doubt it, ya weren't crazy last time I checked. Unless there's somethin' ya ain't been tellin' me Al-kun. Some kind of illusion? Somethin' perception based? Seein' it only outta the corner of yer vision?" If so, there had to be something or someone within a safe distance away, controlling it. Directing it and likely monitoring them, but it was far from the only possibility. So he threw out a few, thinking as he spoke, only to shake his head and wordlessly gesture to the younger that they move on. Lingering in one place for too long would do them no good.

Or so he wrongfully assumed. It was as he turned, to resume moving along the rooftops and further down the street, that something caught his eye. Not beside him, or even across from him. But a short distance away, another alley yet further down, on the other side of the road even. It almost seemed predictable, but the hollow was definitely there. He could see it, unaware of them as it was, foolishly. "Stay here." He said, without even glancing to look back. Instead he took himself forward, from a jog to a sprint. Launching his body from the rooftop at full speed, rushing through the air as best he could to fall just above the hollow. Zanpakuto drawn in mid-air, not as fast as he would like, to cut the creature clean in two. Yet as he blinked and landed within the darkened and damp back alley, blade already sheathed at the assumed kill, what greeted him was thin air. Nothing at all. As if his target had never been there in the first place, just his mind playing tricks on him. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me..."

[Deleted]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play Me While You're Reading UwU}

As Albin chuckled off his own delusions of hollows within Berlin, he couldn't help but wonder just what had actually happened. Was he truly starting to lose it? Was he just paranoid? He'd been unable to tell. Though, Seiji's words seemed to pull him straight out of his own thoughts. "Ya might be, but I doubt it, ya weren't crazy last time I checked." With another chuckle, he nodded along, reaffirming himself as Seiji spoke. "I'm uh, I'm not sure. I got a good look at it before I alerted you; at least, I thought I did." With a soft sigh, Albin put is hand to his forehead as his head softly began to pound. This whole thing was growing ever confusing by the second.

Noticing Seiji's gesturing, Albin nodded in affirmation and began to join the man in hopping across the rooftops, occasionally making use of Shunpo as he fell behind, still very obviously lost in his own thoughts. Just how had that happened? He'd remembered that Hollows tended to have little abilities like that, but for something to be so... intricate for some Stray hollow? I suppose that even stray hollows are starting to evolve more so than they used to, he thought to himself. Still, something felt wrong about this whole thing. Was a hollow just messing with them then? Though, while spending his time lost in thought, Seiji's words once again pulled him from this stupor. "Stay here."

"What?" Albin asked, "and leave you to die in some alleyway? Not happening." Following in suit as Seiji bolted through to the alleyway - far faster than Albin could even hope to keep up with on his own - both made themselves poised to attack on the supposed beast that found itself lurking in the shadows of the city. Though, much to Seiji's initial, and Albin's eventual surprise, it seemed that nothing was there, once again. Slamming his fist into the nearby wall, Albin started to shout. "Ugh, damn this!" Sheathing his weapons, Albin crossed his arms. Forcing himself to take deep breaths in order to calm down, Albin turned to face Seiji once more.

"So, what do we make of this? Seems we're being toyed with. It's the only reasonable explanation." Jumping to conclusions aside, Albin did definitely feel that this was likely the reasoning behind what was going on. Things seemed just a bit too perfect to be true otherwise. "Think we should set up some kind of trap for whatever it is that's going out of its way to mess with us like this? Truthfully, I'm not sure where to go from here. I'd like to kick that thing's sorry ass, though, that much I'm sure about."

[Ishikawa Seiji]

"See that's the trouble when ya think too much All-kun, things gettin' all mixed up and confusin'." That much was obvious, clear as day to him. Not because of what the younger thought he had saw. But judging purely by the look on his face, one of where he wasn't totally present in reality. Off in his own little dreamland. Sure, everyone did it, even he did. But he always made sure to not make it all that obvious. As if to emphasis his point thin fingers reached out once more. To tap twice against the side of Albin's head, as if to shake him awake from the clearly concerned state of mind he was experiencing. Not harshly and the pressure could barley be felt before it was gone, the elder still smiling as he ever was. "Thinkin' too much like that's gonna get ya killed if yer not careful, an' I dunno 'bout ya, but I'd rather avoid that." Death was a fact of life, a fact of their very being. Intricately woven into the essence of every Shinigami that slayed even a single hollow during their career. They were 'Death Gods' for a reason, but that did not mean he intended to go down without a fight.

The end wouldn't happen here, not today, he was almost certain of it. With that thought so sure in the front of his mind, they began their trek through Berlin once more. Snow covered and freezing yes, but so were plenty of places in the World of the Living at this time. At least it seemed that way, from what he'd heard of others returning from Russia. Poor people, each and every one of them had looked absolutely awful and generally fed up with the world around them too. He wondered if he would end up with a cold or something similar from all this. Hopefully not, at the very least he would try to avoid looking utterly miserable when they returned. Which it seemed, wouldn't be for quite some time yet. If whatever was causing this was of any indication, they could be searching for hours, if not all night if whatever it was intended to lead them on a wild goose chase across the entirety of Berlin for fun.

Had he the time between seeing the beast itself and hearing Albin speak up, he would've snorted. But that went ignored in favor of launching himself across the street in one go, not going into Shunpo for good reason, but as fast as he could. To gauge whatever this was, how fast it might react, if he needed to go faster or not. Yet as it turned out, the same ting seemed to repeat itself. Leaving him sighing in frustration as he sheathed his Zanpakuto quickly. There was no assumed difference, and based on that, he doubted the results would change even if he came at the beast with a further boost of speed. No, none of this appeared to be real, likely an illusion at a guess. A rather accurate once unfortunately, which meant tracking whatever this was down a hell of a lot harder. Great. A hollow was certainly the most likely of the bunch, but the emerald Shinigami wasn't about to rule out other species lurking in the city either.

As the younger spoke, he moved about the back alley slowly. Uncaring of the frost beneath his feet, he could barley even feel it, a hidden gaze searching for anything and coming up short no matter what he looked for. Dammit. "Well ya ain' wrong 'bout somethin' obviously gettin' their kicks seein' us run around in circles. What'ver it is, it's got enough reiatsu ta track us at a distance, or can hide well enough that we ain't seen nothing yet. If it's targetin' each of us separately, which it seems ta, it's gotta be at least somewhat close by ta see us both though hearin's a bit different." As he spoke, the elder of the two paced back and forth within the small space. While his expression remained mostly unchanged, there was a slight furrow to his brow, thinking, planning, trying to figure this whole thing out. If this creature could hear them talking as well, then they were at even more of a huge disadvantage than he had first assumed. But if not, that could be used. Doing what they had been, clearly wasn't working, which meant a chance of tactics was in order.

For the moment, he would assume that they couldn't be heard. Even without sound, frustration was visible from at least Albin, so maybe that was why he'd been targeted next? To gain a similar sort of reaction? Anything, he figured, could be possible at this point. After another few minutes of silent pacing, not even answering the younger's question he came to an eventual meandering stop. It wasn't much of an idea and it may not even work, but they were here until the threat was eliminated, so it wasn't like they were on a time limit. Soon without a sound he moved down a few streets, into a separate alley and simply and to hope the younger would follow him. Reaching inside the small bag he kept strapped to his side, he pulled out a familiar looking object and really, it didn't take all that long to set up, wordlessly gesturing for Albin to do the same with his own before he stepped inside. A gigai, uncomfortable at first, but as they'd been prepped with thick coats and boots for such weather, it wasn't awful. Just rather limiting.

Only once Albin had done so, and they'd stepped out onto the street proper to begin walking down it, did he finally raise his voice to speak once more. "Now this is jus' a guess, but I reckon what'eva this thing is has been watchin' us. Not listenin' in, likely followin' our spiritual pressure. So, they're gonna have ta get closer ta find us, gonna be even worse if we go find somewhere crowded. Should be able ta spot 'em from there, no one's got endless patience after all. Why run 'round in circles when we can make 'em do all the hard work for us." He explained in hushed, low tones as they wandered through the snow covered streets. He was searching for the first busiest crowd they could find really, a hat atop his head to help hide the bright color of his own hair that would give him away in an instant in a place like this. He was nothing if not prepared for the worst, including shitty weather.

[Deleted]

"Now this is jus' a guess, but I reckon what'eva this thing is has been watchin' us. Not listenin' in, likely followin' our spiritual pressure. So, they're gonna have ta get closer ta find us, gonna be even worse if we go find somewhere crowded. Should be able ta spot 'em from there, no one's got endless patience after all. Why run 'round in circles when we can make 'em do all the hard work for us." Albin took a moment to consider just what had been said; truthfully, it wasn't a bad idea. Seiji was onto something there; to make the Hollow in question work for them? Truthfully, the idea was nothing short of genius, all things considered. "Not a bad plan at all," Albin said with a smile, following Seiji onto the streets.

Given the cold weather, coupled with the winter storm that hadn't exactly been letting up, the streets were fairly empty. Well, comparatively speaking, that is. Given it was still Berlin in early January, having empty streets wasn't exactly something that the two were going to have to actively deal with. As the two made their way out of the alley, a small crowd of people made themselves readily-apparent; if either of them listened in on the crowd, they'd quickly realize that this was a rather large group of tourists. Some accents indicated American, others Slavic, some Thai... All-in-all, it seemed to be a pretty healthy mix from all around the world. Including the guide that had been leading them through the city, there were about thirty or so different people.

With a smile, Albin pointed the crowd out, keeping the same hushed tone of voice that Seiji had originally. "Well, damn," he started, "seems we've hit the jackpot here, huh? Hopefully shouldn't be too difficult to blend in, yeah?" Albin smiled and threw his arms behind his head, interlocking his fingers and pulling them against the back of his neck. Seems like things were starting to pick up after those short few moments that they'd been forced to deal with. He was glad.

Taking glances around as the two presumably began to blend in with the crowd, Albin quietly spoke while keeping his eyes on everything except his friend. "Where do you suppose this thing is gonna try to head after us from? I'd like to think that a vantage point like the rooftops is probably our best bet, but at the same time, this place has got so many twists n' turns that the allies like the one we were just in seem like a pretty good possibility too." Once he finished, he'd pay attention to what Seiji had to say, but for the most part, Albin was watching around like that of a hawk; if he could help it, he wasn't going to let a damn thing escape either's eyes.

[Ishikawa Seiji]

Knowing that the younger was likely to follow him helped, it was even more of an advantage to know that they were being hunted by whatever this beast was. Not because it was fun, not exactly. But because of the nature of such creatures. If it was indeed a hollow, then the movements it made, after a time would become predictable. So consumed with hunger and want to devour prey that continuously evaded it. Such motives were hardly difficult to figure out, of course the fact that it seemed to create an illusion of some sort and target them both individually spoke of slightly more intellect than most of it's peers. Or many that he had encountered whenever he'd been sent out into the World of the Living. Or found one roaming desperately for souls with reiatsu out in the far reaches of Rukongai either. As much as he was sure others would take such things and ignore them, sticking to what was commonly known about these beings of destruction, he for one wasn't about to take any chances.

"Ain' much, but gotta be better than wanderin' around aimlessly fer hours right?" He brushed off such perceived praise quickly, slipping from the alley in which they had briefly inhabited and out onto the freezing streets of Berlin. Now all the colder in a gigai, sure the winter clothing helped. Thick boots sturdy enough to trudge through layers of snow and frost, and a near full length coat that meant it was easy enough to hide both his hands and general movements. The feel of his Zanpakuto at his side, concealed beneath the gigai itself was reassurance enough, he may not be able to touch it, but knowing he was still armed was all the more comforting when going into a situation like this. It could work, it could fail spectacularly and explode in their faces, but nothing was going to get done by them standing around and talking about the issue at hand. No matter how much he might wish this was already done with, no such luck.

It seemed, that for the moment, fortune was somewhat on their side. Dragged out of his thoughts as Albin gestured over to a group of tourists. Obviously so, but how they looked at everything with such wonder. In his mind, snow covered cities this time of year were much the same. Save for the usual humans that inhabited them, that was what made each place interesting. "Looks like it, should be easy enough." A confirmation and agreement was all that was needed really, hands tucked deeply within the pockets of his coat as the pair ambled along. Increasing his pace only slightly, to the casual observer, it may seem as if the two were simply rushing to catch up with that same group. As if they'd fallen behind, only to fall into step right at the back of the considerable crowd, enough to blend into the masses, but not enough that they couldn't still watch their surroundings without interruption.

The question that was put to him as they began moving along, was an interesting one, and a fair point at that. Predicting patterns was one thing, but he knew if this hollow was even remotely smart, that things could take a turn for the worse at a moment's notice. Not to mention the fact, that while their assignment had stated a group of hollows, the elder Shinigami was not about to underestimate the potential that other beings could be lurking within the city. Waiting to draw out weaker prey. Better to focus on what they could deal with, rather than the unknown. "Nah, rooftops ain't gonna help 'em much. Too much time fer us to see 'em as they charge, 'less they're far quicker then us then it ain' gonna matter either way what we do. Betta ta keep an eye on these alleys fer now, least until we're in a more open space.'' It couldn't all be bustling streets, there had to be some more open areas, and in which case, they would just have to hope for the best and assess from there when they got there.

[Deleted]

Hearing Seiji's recommendation on keeping an eye on the alleyways, Albin simply nodded. Truthfully that had to've been the best option they had at the moment, all things considered. "Can't disagree with you there, Ishikawa-kun," He said, finding himself shivering ever so slightly, "that's likely going to be our best option. here's to hoping that we can just find this damned thing and get out of here." Chuckling to himself, Albin stuck close to the boy and started walking, assuming the two of them were going to continue to prowl about amongst the alleyways. While certainly not the most vigilant, Albin was going to do what he could to keep his eyes open for any potential threat.

As the two continued to walk the alleyways of Berlin, they'd find that the originally-peaceful snow was quickly being accompanied by a growing breeze. Wind chill made itself apparent, with even most tourists nearby starting to either huddle together or find their way indoors to escape the ever-dropping temperature. Shivering more violently than before, Albin spoke up. "Good lord," he said, breathing into his hands, "why does today have to be so damned cold?" Tucking his hands underneath his arms, Albin did what he could to look around. Falling snow worked to blanket the area, making sight relatively difficult to deal with; seeing more than a few meters in front of him proved to be difficult.

With the snowstorm continuing to rage across the area, Albin turned to Seiji once more. "D-do you think we can take some kind of break? I'm f-freezing my ass off out here!" Forcing out a pained chuckle, Albin gave Seiji a smile to try to make light of the situation at hand. It seemed that just standing there was growing ever-difficult for the younger Shinigami. While the cold wasn't exactly something he disliked, having much preferred it over any sort of heat, the current weather was not enjoyable. Waiting for a response from his friend, Albin breathlessly cursed himself for not bringing heavier clothing. He hated the feeling of being unprepared.

As the two continued about their time out in the snow, even with minimal energy-sensing capabilities from the both of them, a faint amount of reishi laced in with the snow slowly made itself apparent; reishi that was easily identifiable as hollow. Tensing up, Albin once again turned to Seiji. "Hey..." he said, "do you feel that? I... I think that whatever it is we're here to stop might be what's causing this weather." As if on queue, the storm once again picked up. Snow began to batter against both Shinigami, and into nearby buildings with a fairly noteworthy amount of force, threatening to knock the both of them over. Albin allowed his left hand to hover just inches away from his weapons. He really didn't like where this seemed to be going.

[Ishikawa Seiji]

Despite the blistering cold threatening to seep into his bones, despite layers of clothing both within his gigai and out of it, they had to keep going. He knew that and so did Albin, but did not make the trek any more bearable nor pleasant in the least. Why couldn't it have been somewhere warmer, it did not even have to have beaches, he wasn't much a fan of them anyways. But at least somewhere without quite so much snow and frozen temperatures, even Japan last he recalled wasn't quite this bad. One thing was for sure, if he could avoid going to Russia in the near future on assignments such as this. Then he would, without a doubt. A short hum of agreement, of understanding and listening as they walked. It did not mean that he wasn't paying attention, quite the opposite, only that his mind in that moment was focused on what was around him rather then who was behind him. Even if he still wore that same enigmatic smile, little changed.

"Now ya know hopeful talk like tha' is just gonna make this take longer Al-kun." A drawling tone as the harsh winds blew against them like a hurricane, typically he had found that speaking of wanting to get this done quick only ended up with matters taking up even more time then previously planned. It had with this last trip out to the World of the Living, the emerald haired Shinigami had no desire to repeat the events of back then. Not the time taken and certainly not the deaths that had occurred from his comrades own carelessness. Thankfully he knew from their previous interactions that Albin was far from the completely brain-dead sort, so he had less to worry about. A good thing to, with this weather giving them more than enough trouble for the pair. Snow now more like a blizzard and so heavy it was making it hard to see, for a moment he wished he'd brought goggles, before he pressed on. Pace quickening they had to get to an open space, or maybe even an enclosed building and fast.

While the complaint about such cold was duly noted, there was little he could do about it at the moment, a small shrug his only answer. In gigai they were limited and given the intention was to join a crowd, suddenly making a flame with his bare hands, did not seem like the potentially safest option for maintaining cover. Or keeping a crowd of humans calm once they got there either. The trouble was, as it stood actually getting out of these alleyways, useful though it was to analyse the area. Without a clear view, it felt as if they were all but sitting ducks. Just waiting to be attacked, a feeling that unsettled him. Even his previous outing, he could rely on his senses. Now all his body told him was cold and that he really should get inside somewhere warm sooner rather than later. "If we were able ta take any kinda break Al-kun, we'd be goin' back ta the Seiretei." There was a smile there as he spoke, as bright yet unsettling as it was to many, lightening the mood was a lovely attempt but in his mind taking a break would only delay this even longer. And give whatever it was, presumably a hollow, more time to plan to attack.

Cutting through the snow was next to impossible, though he knew they had to be at least somewhat close to the end. To where they could step out into an open space once more, maybe even find some higher ground to go from. In this weather, it felt like a priority. Or it did until his senses alerted him to something. Reiatsu in the air, a faint but lingering sensation that made him straighten a little, body tensing as if just waiting for an attack to come. On edge. "Ya know, ya might be onta somethin' there, gotta be nearby too, if it's tryin' ta shove us around." Raising his voice to be heard, even with Albin next to him wasn't too fun, but neither was standing around like morons just waiting to be attacked either. "C'mon, ya gonna attack us or not ya coward!" Taunting the creature perhaps wasn't the smartest idea he would ever have, but he was cold and rather sick of this shit already. And they'd only been here for less than a few hours, screw this place, basically.