A Bloody Treat [Aiko/Hannah]

"Ahhh..."

The air seemed to be sucked out of Aiko's lungs as she struggled to speak, her voice fading away. Caught off guard, her face twisted with surprise and discomfort, clearly not expecting to be choked. Despite managing to compose herself, the uneasiness remained, causing her to cough softly in an attempt to shake off the unpleasant sensation. Being suffocated was definitely not a pleasant experience, and she needed a few moments to gather herself.

"No need to suck the air out of me to prove a point..."

Aiko spoke with a raised eyebrow, her words expressing a mix of playful irritation and lingering unease.

Her lips released a sigh, weariness evident as the adrenaline drained from her in the aftermath of the surprising occurrence. However, undeterred by the slight shake in her resolve, she pressed on.

"I was thinking, you know, there might be value in instructing something to another. I'd be the one reaping the benefits, but I reckon you'd gain a better grasp on your expertise in the process of guiding another."

After another cough, she carried on.

"If we did train, however, it would be tomorrow if that's fine with you?"

Her narrowed eyes displayed a newfound resolve, and her focus sharpened.

Aiko's state of mind was vividly portrayed by her words, revealing her surprise, annoyance, weariness, and determination. Despite the initial setback, she was determined to learn and grow, ready to overcome the brief discomfort.

"Interesting note; I didn't suck any air. It's more your Reikaku picking up a threat of immense magnitude, and thus making you go all Deer In Headlights, forgetting that breathing is kind of good and important. Also of note, a person can do it even without any kind of spiritual energy. If you develop a metaphysical mentality strong enough, you can project this outwards and cause people to inherently understand their impending doom, and lock them in place"

Hannah would finish her cup, and then stand from the seat.

"Though, tomorrow is fine, yes. Do you want to exchange phone numbers, or do you want me to pluck your presence from the ether and speak directly to your very soul?"

The way Hannah was so deadpan about the second option implied she could really do such a thing....

Still standing there, Aiko's heart pounded out of her chest, still calming down after the influence of Hannah's spiritual energy lingered. It left her breathless and thrilled as her veins coursed with an inexplicable thrill.

Aiko responded with an excited yet nervous glimmer in her eye.

"I totally understand what you're saying. I need to enhance my mental fortitude and access that amazing energy in order to generate those mind-blowing effects!"

Her hands trembling with anticipation, Aiko reached out and handed her phone to Hannah, betraying her anxiousness with a slight chuckle. Fear didn't hold her back; she was determined to forge a connection beyond the bounds of their unique abilities, making this more than just about training.

"Here, um, your number can go in there. It's not just for meet-ups during training. I mean, I'd definitely love to connect with you, hang out, and learn from you on a deeper level as friends."


After expressing her feelings, Aiko's cheeks turned into a mix of excitement and shyness. She couldn't wait to explore the depths of her own potential, to grow alongside this mesmerizing shinigami. There was something captivating about Hannah, drawing Aiko in like a moth to a flame. This training meet-up marked the start of it all.

As Aiko looked into Hannah's eyes, she knew that this journey, filled with self-discovery, friendship, and the enchantment of the unfamiliar, was about to alter her life indefinitely.

"Mmhm. The Mayor of Minatumi Harbour was able to make a person feel like their bones were snapping, or even knock a person out just with her glare. The upper capabilities of such are varied and potent" Hannah would reply. And then, get Aiko's phone.

The woman was looking into Hannah's eyes; glazed and unfocused, and waiting. So Hannah, would sit there, and wait to see how long it took Aiko to realize. In her defence, Hannah did seem pretty capable in the whole world, so the finer details could be lost on someone, but still....

Hannah's silence made Aiko blush even more, feeling a bit awkward for presuming. After a brief pause to compose herself, Aiko replied to Hannah with a genuine yet slightly embarrassed tone.

"Sorry about that, Hannah. I sometimes get carried away in the moment. It's just... your presence is so captivating, it felt like you could sense everything around you."

Aiko apologized to Hannah, acknowledging her tendency to become overwhelmed in the heat of the moment. She couldn't help but be entranced by Hannah's captivating aura, as if she possessed an acute awareness of her surroundings. After a pause, Aiko stumbled upon the right words and spoke out:

"Uh, if you have a phone number, you can just tell me. If not, how do you want to communicate? I guess we can go with the soul thing you mentioned if you don't."

Hannah received a warm smile from her, which conveyed her eagerness to connect and learn from the blind woman.

There we goooo~

"Don't worry, Aiko. It's cute to imagine you blushing. As for my surroundings, I can do most things. But screens don't have a physical presence, so I can't see anything on them. And phone buttons are very small, which makes it hard to focus enough to see them while also not bothering everyone else around me with that focus"

Hannah would then pull out her phone, which was a old, sorely outdated thing that seemed capable of getting a call, and that was about it. Made sense for a woman who couldn't use screens, to not have a new smart phone that was all touchscreen.

"Here is my phone. You can plug your number in and call me any time"

"Ohhhhhhh, that makes a lot of sense. Uh, I'll still avoid that in the future. Just a lapse of logic on my end."

At least Hannah seemed understanding of the whole situation. That caused a sense of relief to overflow in the eyes of Aiko as her cheeks gradually lost their red flush.

With her blood eyes focused on the outdated phone, Aiko took it in her hand and called her own phone so that she could have Hannah's number saved in it. When she did so, a Japanese metal band started screaming, but they seemed to be mostly female vocals. Something about a "Babymetal" as Aiko hummed the tune after picking up the call and putting Hannah's information into her phone.

Once it was taken, Aiko smiled and gave the phone back.

"And phone data extracted~ Thank you Hannah!"

After a nod of her head, she continued with a merry tone of voice.

"Guess we should call it a day, huh?"

"

"I would call it a phone, myself" Hannah would reply, giving a coy grin. Taking the phone and putting it away, Hannah would spiral her finger around the rim, cracking it in a thousand places, and then sending a strand of energy snaking through the cracks, healing as it went. The action seemed almost subconscious, as if she wasn't even thinking about what she was doing.

"But yes, unless you want to come with me, I can drag Kisuke out for the night, and you two can figure out what people do when standing for the one night, I shall see you tomorrow" Hannah would reply, standing up and giving Aiko a light, parting bow.