"The Simple Joys"@en . . . . . "\u201COh, come on!\u201D Kenji couldn\u2019t help but grin at Kusaka\u2019s outburst. He really did get into his gambling. The horse he\u2019d put his money on had been leading but had just been passed and of course Kusaka was being loud in his protest. \u201CI don\u2019t care if you have to whip the arse of that piece of meat! Win me this race!\u201D \u201CHe\u2019s so loud!\u201D \u201CYou get used to him.\u201D Kazuma replied. \u201CHere; A cocktail for you,\u201D Kenji said to Ino; \u201Cand a bottle of Coke for you!\u201D He said to Kazuma. \u201CSorry, kid. The barmen knew better.\u201D \u201C\u2026 I never get to have any fun.\u201D \u201CGET IN THERE YOU GOOD THING!\u201D \u201CWho else could he mean?\u201D \u201CTrue.\u201D"@en . "\u201COh, come on!\u201D Kenji couldn\u2019t help but grin at Kusaka\u2019s outburst. He really did get into his gambling. The horse he\u2019d put his money on had been leading but had just been passed and of course Kusaka was being loud in his protest. \u201CI don\u2019t care if you have to whip the arse of that piece of meat! Win me this race!\u201D Kenji turned from the bar and returned to the table occupied by Ino and Kazuma. They\u2019d taken a boat from France to England and walked up through into Scotland, where they\u2019d taken another boat across to Northern Ireland. It just wouldn\u2019t do for Kenji or Kusaka if they didn\u2019t visit the country many claimed had the best whiskey on sale. \u201CHe\u2019s so loud!\u201D Ino had only been with them a few weeks. They\u2019d taken An\u012Bka\u2019s warning and stayed in and around Europe and the United Kingdom. The Collective Vices where busy in the west. They were a large organization with shady connections, a lot of money and a lot of manpower. They even had spiritual beings none save Ino knew anything about called Fullbringers, though she\u2019d kept the explanations short and sweet. A group like that was to be feared if not avoided. \u201CYou get used to him.\u201D Kazuma replied. \u201CHere; A cocktail for you,\u201D Kenji said to Ino; \u201Cand a bottle of Coke for you!\u201D He said to Kazuma. \u201CSorry, kid. The barmen knew better.\u201D \u201C\u2026 I never get to have any fun.\u201D \u201CGET IN THERE YOU GOOD THING!\u201D That could only be Kusaka. It seemed his horse managed a come back to win with only a nose ahead of its competition. He was roaring at the result of the photo-finish. Good. They needed that money or they\u2019d be sleeping in the tents for another night. \u201CSo what\u2019s the plan for today?\u201D Ino asked. Kenji wasn\u2019t really sure. Belfast was a big city and that made for a lot of people, a lot to see and a lot to do. They\u2019d gotten lost so many times up until they found this bar that even Kazuma\u2019s usual optimism had begun to fade away. Getting attacked by a Hollow in the middle of it all hadn\u2019t helped the group\u2019s moral either, nor had their close call with the local Shinigami stationed here. \u201CCan we stay? What about that guy?\u201D Kazuma asked. \u201CYou mean the guy in black?\u201D Kusaka asked as he took his seat. \u201CWho else could he mean?\u201D If they avoided mentioning Soul Society, Shinigami or something else related to the Seireitei or Rukongai they generally found they stayed concealed a lot longer. Despite An\u012Bka\u2019s considerable influence within the military and noble families there was only so much she could do. She was neither Captain of the 2nd Division nor Corps Commander of the Onmitsukid\u014D anymore and could thus no longer influence the leadership as she once did. It meant they had all types of trouble to avoid. \u201CWe\u2019ll press on in the morning.\u201D Kenji cut in, taking lead. \u201CThey\u2019ll be fewer obstacles to avoid further inland, near the smaller towns and villages. Besides, I wanna hit the nightclubs tonight. It\u2019s been a while since we let our hair down.\u201D \u201CNo argument here.\u201D Ino said, eyes lighting up. \u201CWhat about me!? They won\u2019t let me in\u2026\u201D Kazuma hung his head. \u201CThat\u2019s why you\u2019re coming with me.\u201D Kusaka interjected, arms crossed. \u201CYou heard An\u012Bka: if we make ourselves useful then there\u2019s a chance they\u2019ll leave us alone. We\u2019re going patrolling.\u201D \u201CEnjoy your night out in the cold.\u201D Ino smiled deviously. \u201CWhy\u2019d we bring you with us again?\u201D Kusaka questioned. \u201COh, yeah, I remember now! Kenji was thinking with his other brain.\u201D At least he had the sense to whisper. \u201CWhat was that, Kusaka? You where mumbling again.\u201D Ino said, confused. \u201CCan it!\u201D Kenji exclaimed. \u201CYou say another word and Kazuma will be doing patrol on his own.\u201D \u201CWhatever,\u201D Kusaka waved his hand. \u201CCome on, kid. Let\u2019s go.\u201D The night clubs where a lot less fun than either of them had suspected. The music was terrible and every second guy you bumped into thought he was a professional boxer worth his salt. They quickly found they weren\u2019t when Ino sent one sprawling with a closed fist to the jaw! And she said Kusaka was quick to action? That was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. It was why they were outside in the cold, getting rained on. \u201CWhat now?\u201D Ino asked, smiling. Kenji surrendered his jacket which Ino began to use as an umbrella. It left him sodden and colder still, but whatever. If he wanted to he could clear that sky up in an instant\u2026 \u201CNo idea.\u201D His stomach growled loudly and Kenji licked his lips. \u201C\u2026 Wasn\u2019t there an Indian around here? I haven\u2019t had one in ages!\u201D So they double-timed over to the takeaway and where soon filling their faces on Indian curry, which Kenji had to buy of course. Ino managed to burn through his pocket quicker than he did himself, which was no surprise, all considering. She did enjoy her shopping. They spoke about their origins. Ino revealed that she\u2019d been taken in by Garian as a young girl soon after reaching Rukongai and that her Shinigami powers had been nurtured by him. Kenji reckoned they where alike in some regards and recounted how he\u2019d come to be adopted by the Hiroshi family. They finished their meal and then decided to hit up another club, hoping the scene would be a little better. \u201CThis\u2026 is not what I had in mind.\u201D Ino said, hesitant. \u201CWho told you about this place?\u201D The doors loomed and the two bouncers flanking them looked at the duo as if to say \u201Cwell? What are you waiting for\u201D? Kenji surveyed the scene and silently vowed to both kill and kiss Kusaka. Young woman danced around poles in the back and there was actually good music being played. \u201CI thought that would\u2019ve been obvious.\u201D \u201CTrue.\u201D \u201CWe can go somewhere else if you want.\u201D \u201CNo, I\u2019m cold. At least we can get a drink here without any headaches. The rowdy ones seem to be interested in something else.\u201D Of that Kenji had no doubt. In a bar like this if you weren\u2019t interested in gawking at the talent on display or perusing the services on offer then you probably wouldn\u2019t come through the door. Not that he was complaining. Some of that talent happened to be at eye level\u2026 \u201CDon\u2019t be a pig.\u201D It was amazing how she could do that. Sometimes she could literally read his mind. \u201CIt isn\u2019t hard.\u201D She went on, rolling her eyes. \u201CWhat you\u2019re thinking is plain to see by your face. And if you can\u2019t by looking at your face then all you need to do is look downward.\u201D Kenji made to shield his privates! \u201CCan we sit down now? You know, before someone else notices?\u201D Kazuma sighed. The night was bitterly cold, it was raining and there wasn\u2019t a Hollow in-sight. You\u2019d have thought the white-masked beasties had seen the weather forecast beforehand and decided against feasting for tonight. Either that or they were just adept at hiding themselves. Huh. It was probably the latter. \u201CCan we go back?\u201D Kazuma asked, shivering. \u201CNo.\u201D Kusaka replied for about the tenth time. \u201CBut I\u2019m cold and my nose is running and I think my big toe fell off three streets back.\u201D \u201CWe\u2019ll get it on the way back.\u201D Kusaka replied, dismissive. \u201CNow can it! Use your eyes and look down.\u201D It was an alleyway and nothing really spectacular. Bins were pilled up against the wall and a few bags of trash that didn\u2019t fit in sat beside it. The lazy dogs! That\u2019d attract vermin. Like rats and cockroaches. Ino would just love this place. \u201CIt\u2019s an alleyway.\u201D \u201CUse your eyes. Look there, near the trash bags.\u201D Kazuma followed Kusaka\u2019s pointing finger and then drew his Zanpakut\u014D quietly, suddenly serious. It was a Hollow. Long and thin with a scaly hide and a humanoid body, it slithered through the trash like a snake, searching with its tongue on the floor. It hadn\u2019t seen them yet but its arms looked powerful\u2026 and that tail was long and slender. It was perfect for attacking at a distance or wrapping up its next meal. \u201CHave you seen the souls yet?\u201D He did then. Two of them lay nestled amongst some cardboard at the alleys mouth, which opened out onto a street. This was a residential area at night. The only lights were streets lights and it was after midnight, so most where in their beds asleep. There also wasn\u2019t any sign of the local Shinigami protector. \u201CWhat are we going to do?\u201D \u201CYou\u2019re going to watch. You haven\u2019t done Kons\u014D yet, so this\u2019ll be good experience.\u201D Kusaka disappeared via Shunpo and appeared right in front of the Hollow! He didn\u2019t even draw his Zanpakut\u014D. He just laid into it with his bare hands! He adopted a boxing stance and let loose with three quick jabs, dancing all the while atop the trash, following then with a full spin kick. The Hollow flew back but Kusaka didn\u2019t relent. He appeared at its back and caught its tail before pulling sharply! The creature rose from the alleyway and into the sky, where Kusaka then released. He followed up with a brutal assault of jabs and hooks, with the occasional haymaker. He kept closing and striking, moving, and then punching again. His defences were tight and strong. Any attack the Hollow attempted broke upon his arms like water on rock. Kusaka then feinted to the right before swiftly changing direction, before connecting with a brutal upper-cut that snapped the Hollows neck! Kazuma heard the bone snapping from where he stood. \u201CAnd that wraps that up.\u201D Kusaka finally unsheathed Shagetsu and sliced once vertically. The Hollow couldn\u2019t even scream its protest for Kusaka had shattered its windpipe and lower mask. It disintegrated quickly before Kusaka motioned his young charge to get on with his business. \u201CTake your Zanpakut\u014D,\u201D he began instructing. The two souls were still asleep. \u201CPlace the butt to their forehead, like this.\u201D Kusaka performed it on the first who was a young male. Kazuma followed suit on the second who was a slightly older male, and he watched as both vanished in a flash of blue light, becoming butterflies of a black shade. \u201CAnd that\u2019s all that Kons\u014D is.\u201D Kusaka finished. \u201CThey\u2019ll be sent onto the Rukongai.\u201D \u201CWhat now?\u201D \u201CNow we go back and find your frozen toe and hope Ino can reattach it.\u201D \u201CYou\u2019re funny.\u201D Kazuma replied, smiling. \u201CI try.\u201D Next Story >."@en .