Blood Soaked Sakura [Katori, Igen]

Igen was thankfully not particularly busy when Katori strolled into his office. His brows raising ever so slightly as he DEFINITELY noticed a rather odd shift in mannerisms for his friend. "Oh! Well Hi there." He greeted the woman before tilting his head a bit. Huh, what'd gotten into Katori?

"Uhhhhhhh ssssure, I don't really have anything I'm doing. I'm free for a spar. There uh...something on your mind though? Or just feel like a stretch?" He asked as he sat up and fastened his zanpaku'to to his waist. Did he have questions? Absolutely, but he could also tell that his friend was on some kind of roll. Maybe a long day? Maybe she had some aggression to work out? Or maybe she just flat out wanted to get some fresh air? He wasn't sure what it was, but hey, he wasn't gonna turn down a spar! And he couldn't help but be ...intrigued. She NEVER was this enthused about a spar, maybe she'd come up with some kinda cool move! That alone was enough for him to agree, promptly offering her a big smile, and waiting for her to lead him to wherever she wanted to have this little bout.

There was something honestly kinda....weird about all this. Eyeing the location she'd chosen for their little spar. Kinda out of the way, but they were still in like a general area with buildings nearby rather than out in one of the courtyard training grounds. Hearing his name made him snap to attention, brows slightly raised as he listened to what she had to say. Wait, what? He furrowed his brows just a little as she peeled her zanpaku'to from it's sheath. And then spoke it's name. A sudden look of surprise and alarm on his face as he saw the transformation! Not even particularly because of the transformation, but more along the lines of her demeanor! Katori had never been the one to just feel up for a spar, but one where she released her shikai was .... another thing entirely.

ACK!

He blocked! BARELY managing to stop that sweeping blade as it arced in and connected with his own zanpaku'to! But not before that blade got DANGEROUSLY close to his arm! Sure he had a lot of skill, but Katori was a bit faster than him! He gritted his teeth just a little and clocked the look on Katori's face. HE WRENCHED, snagging the jagged edge on his own blade for leverage, locking the weapon in place before he THRUST! Slamming his forehead into Katori's own before sweeping with his own left leg, keeping that pressure on her jagged blade. If she wanted to avoid his attacks, she'd have to let go of the weapon or wind up falling with Igen pressing down ontop of her. She was faster, but he was a decent bit stronger than her physically. But well, this was a Shikai. He had zero idea what kinda tricks she might pull with it out. But he was doing his best to be prepared!

He winced, tensing slightly as she dodged out of the way, grunting just a bit as he pressed down and kept her pinned to the ground! OR well, was going for that. HE raised a brow as she pointed at his chest. Shit, not fast enough to push it out of the way! The sharp WHUMP of her spell hitting him in the chest was more than enough to send him away from her! Gritting his teeth just a little as he skidded back, only to blur on the spot. As she charged after him to try and set up a follow-up attack, he would suddenly shunpo, closing the distance between the two of them just as she was readying her strike.

Naturally she was faster than him, and WAY better when it came to Kido. But he was much better when it came to raw strength and his Hoho capabilities. He promptly was directly within her personal space, bracing his shoulder and SHOVING as he aimed to SLAM into her in the middle of her own dash. Intent on knocking her to the ground and then executing a sharp BOOT to her side! Intent on using enough force to send her about as far as her spell had sent him.

"WHEW! Really getting in there! But uh. Kinda wondering what I'm supposed to be lookin at? You got a bit more moxy, and much less smiley. But uh... I'm still waiting for the part that would make us not homies." He called out to her. She was trying to make a statement, to be ...vulnerable. But uh..... maybe Igen wasn't like.... prime for that? She was acting different, but like.... so? He knew plenty of people that were all bloodthirsty. Hell sometimes it felt like Kyo was gonna split him in half when they sparred! Did she think a little less smiles and sunshine was gonna bother him?

Igen raised a brow slightly as Katori continued to show such plain duress. She was clearly going through something, and he frankly didn't know how to help. He glanced at his own zanpaku'to before he held it infront of himself. And suddenly his own spiritual pressure spiked. A bright, vibrant rumble crackling in his immediate area as he began pumping spiritual energy into his weapon.

"A zanpaku'to is the hardest, most potent part of our soul Katori. The part of our soul most suitable for killing. It is what we pour our energy and our will into. It is a reflection of our WILL TO FIGHT, not our soul as a whole." He noted firmly, his expression hard. "I know a lot of shinigami with terrible zanpaku'to. I don't care if some part of you is this dark. If this is what you need to be to fight, that doesn't matter. I don't even care if this is what you were to begin with. Even if this WAS all a lie." He closed in, striding toward Katori and reaching out to grab her firmly by the shoulder.

"I was never your friend because you were 'nice' or 'normal'. The first thought that ever entered my mind was.....'Nice butt'. BUT AFTER THAT! I thought that you seemed like you could use a friend. I don't care if you lied to me." He smiled softly. "I'm your friend because I wanna help you. and You've helped me. Even if it was a lie, it still made the academy a lot better for me."

Igen couldn't hep but feel for her, as she poured out her worries and her strifes. A soft sigh escaping him as he gently patted her shoulder, listening as she knelt down. He paused.... and let his own shoulders slump. Thinking about ...his own struggles. With being from one of the better districts. His looks. Always struggling. That ...THAT had been hard enough. But with what SHE was talking about? He simply couldn't imagine what that would do to a person.

"You don't have to be a noble. You don't have to be Normal. You just gotta be yourself, Katori. That....stuff. I don't really know about how to handle all that. I can't just...yaknow. Put on a big smile and say you'll be fine. Some people are gonna judge you for that. Maybe even dislike you for it. But fuck those bitchtiddies. Who cares? You got me. And plenty of other people who don't treat you any different because of that stuff. You can get help. Whatever.... stuff is still followin you around." He felt like he was rambling now. But all the same, he gently patted the top of her head.

"So yea, sure, maybe you were like....pretending to be something youre not. So what? I sometimes someone thinks I'm a chick and I just don't correct em. Doesn't make either of us a bad person." He noted with a bright smile.