Back Here Again [Nami/Hana]

Normally, Hana only came to the academy in order to meet up with Hiroe, especially when it was her day off, but today was different. She had a few pieces of paperwork she needed to turn in, including an application for someone she had worked on recruiting in the Rukongai. As she walked out of the administration office, the final class of the day was released and students hit the halls. It was strangely nostalgic, which made little sense. She had been here a few months go. It wasn't like her graduation was years ago, but she still had that feeling.

Hana wasn't dressed like a student or Shinigami today. Instead, she wore some of her casual clothing, and looked out of place as she walked the halls, slowly making her way to the training area. She looked around, trying to find someone she knew, or at least recognized. She even hoped to spot Hiroe, but she had no luck.

Ichi, ni, san, yon..."

Etc. etc. She was still dressed in her academy attire, the red hakama and trim highlighting against her bright purple. They called her "Shiden" because she was apparently really fast for an academy student, whatever that meant. Nami never really thought of herself as fast but she thought the nickname of being called violet lightning was uncool. It'd have been better if it was a bird or flower kind of name, she thought. Regardless though, Nami continued her kata thoughtlessly.

She wanted to ingrain these movements into her muscles, these hands could do more than steal and these feet could do more than run away. She just had to keep trying after she'd put all the six years of effort into her goal to become a shinigami thus far. It would be wrong to run away now even though no division really appealed to her.

Having noticed her absentminded gaze, one of the other students threw a bottle of water at her to test her reflexes. Fortunately, the little thief was instinctively aware of danger and side-stepped the bottle of water which was thrown with enough force to continue to glide through the air like a pretty swallow towards the girl that had just entered without any uniform on.

Nami could've called out but she was too focused on how the bottle was flying to open her mouth, poor girl that had just entered. She was standing there like a worm ready to be pounced on by a raptor.

Silence. The halls at this time were eerie and still. She became more alert as her ears searched for something, someone making a sound. Hana finally made it to the training area and could hear the low mumbles of multiple voices. She made her way to the room, passing by a couple of others that were either unoccupied or had one student in them. As she turned the corner into the room, she caught the sight of a water bottle flying through the air, directly toward her. She wasn't that much better than when she was a student here, but she had more experience. At this point, she'd killed at least a dozen hollow and had multiple intense training sessions with her Division, so her reflexes let her snatch the bottle out of the air.

Hana looked at the bottle, then up to the group in the room. They were staring at her, both in surprise and guilt, like they didn't want to get in trouble. Good. They recognized her. Hana made her way in and held the bottle up, shaking it at them.

"S-Sorry, Hana," one guy said. "Didn't see you there."

They wouldn't remember Hana as some hard-ass, but she did not like people breaking the rules. She also was a noble, so that came with some clout.

"Obviously not," Hana said, tossing the bottle back passed the only one seeming to be practicing here. "Is there a reason you threw it at her?" Hana rolled her eyes at whatever answer they gave and looked to the girl. "Are you all right?"

Of course there was a reason they threw it at her, Rukongai brats like herself might be accepted but they didn't really get held to the same mettle as the noble ones. Maybe it was just a trend that noble souls tended to have greater reiatsu, Nami wondered if it was like inbreeding. You got pretty flowers when you engineered their growth and development but it didn't mean it was good for them. Oh well, she didn't mind either way.

Her absentminded purple eyes just focused on Hana with a brief stare that would make people wonder if the lights were on in her head before she seemed to click and know what she wanted to say.

"Yes, it didn't hit me."

Not that she really expected it to hurt too badly if it did hit her but the projectile made a convenient test of her nimble reflexes. A little at odds as to what to say next she just parroted the question. It seemed convenient since this pale flower of a woman seemed to be the real victim of the flying hawk (water bottle).

"Are you okay?"

Hana watched the girl curiously. The girl's demeanor was somewhat dull. Was she bored or were the lights not all on upstairs? At least she was physically okay, but the mimicked question had Hana questioning her mental state. The others started chuckling, obviously making fun of this girl. Hana glanced back toward them, and furrowed her brow. How disappointing... Hana thought, rolling her eyes again.

"I'm just fine," Hana answered the question after it hung in the air for a bit.

Hana shook the bottle again before suddenly throwing it at the chest of the guy who initially threw it. The bottle struck him right where she aimed. He winced in pain and rubbed the spot she struck before glaring back up at her.

"Damn, Hana," he said.

"My apologies," Hana said. "I did not mean to put that much strength into it. Moving on from that, however, leave the girl alone, alright? Enough bullying. It's childish."

The group took the hint and began gathering their things to leave. Hana shook her head at them as if she were ashamed, and then looked to the girl with a smile.

"As you heard, I'm Hana," Hana said. "I hope they don't behave like that often."

"Hana..."

That's a good name, she wished that she could have a name like Hana sometimes. It was the best kanji as far as she was concerned. Right next to bird but you could say a thousand words through the arrangement and types of flowers that you utilised and that was a wonderful thing in her book. Now if they called her Kashin rather than Shiden, that'd make her heart skip a beat with excitement but unfortunately you didn't get to pick your own nickname. It was kind of lame if you picked it yourself.

"I'm Nami."

She answered back and shrugged when she was asked if they did that often. Every now and again, it wasn't like she'd done much to really earn some revere around here. She was clumsy and not the best student for grades or skills but she was also pending graduation so that suited her just fine. Then she'd never have to deal with these guys again and get to spread her wings like a bird leaving the nest.

A colloqualism for maturing, yeah. The old man must surely be proud of all the effort she's done to get to this point.

Hana was almost annoyed at this point, which was a surprise in its own right. She wasn't the type to get annoyed so easily. There was only one person that seemed to bring that side of her out, and he wasn't here. Nami, on the other hand, was just weird. She was coming off air headed. This wasn't apathy or even shyness. It was like nothing was going on inside that head, at least nothing that brought any sort of life to the girls demeanor. Nami reminded Hana of those girls who were known for randomly walking out into the street while a car was coming, and someone else had to pull them back from danger. She wasn't sure how to react.

"Look," Hana said, glancing over to the group. They were leaving now, all out the door a second or two later. Hana was slightly regretting coming here now. "Do you need help? Or an escort to your dorm? You seem lost, or like you may be sick."

"Sick? Don't be silly. I'm more durable than an Azalea I'll have you know."

She insisted to the young doll-like woman. Nami's eyes looking away from Hana to stare in the distance like something caught her eye. It was brief and quickly her eyes went back to Hana's own, probably right as she went to look for herself if she followed the gesture. The purple-haired shinigami bent down to the ground, picking up her asauchi which was on the ground at her feet while she was training.

"Would you like food?"

Of course she probably wanted food right? It would be a good way to apologise for dodging the water bottle and making this poor young woman involved in the situation. She should've been the victim of the vicious hawk to spare this woman the need to catch it. Though after another quick consideration...

No, she made the right choice.

Okay, good. There was a tad more life in that comment than anything else the girl had said before. She thought the comparison to an azalea was interesting. Maybe Nami was really into flowers? The azalea wasn't exactly a flower she expected people to bring up. Hana sighed, a bit in relief, and smiled more genuinely.

"Food?" Hana said, her questioning tone more toward herself. "I could use a bite to eat. Is there any place you enjoy going? Otherwise, I know a good cafe."

Once a food location was decided, Hana started out of the training room, only stopping to wait at the entrance if Nami needed to collect her things.

"So, how is life at the academy?" Hana asked to break the silence.

"Not really. I sometimes go eat lunch and feed the birds some grain."

She explained and looked around again before settling back onto Hana. They were the kind of habits that would probably make people feel nervous and anxious that something was going on at how flighty she looked. You always had to be ready to make a runaway as a childhood thief. Three students south east preparing to leave, two girls to the north east and it was a good time. Nami was always prepped on the spots to make a getaway through if she had to.

"Let's go to your cafe."

Nami did in fact have things but she never really brought anything valuable with her to classes, so she just left it behind. All she needed was her asauchi anyway and it was doing fine for now.

"It's almost over. Then I get to spread my wings and fly away to be a... shinigami."