Shock to the Heart (Private: Aya and Fujimaru)

As he heard the words Aya spoke, a feeling of relief washed over Fujimaru as he realized that he hadn't made as much of a fool of himself as he had thought. Then again, from what he had seen of Aya so far, she was a kindhearted person, and wouldn't chastise him unless he actually deserved it. In fact, Aya's personality, how she was kind, and basically just as beautiful a person on the inside as she was on the outside, made it quite a bit easier for Fujimaru to relax around her. Of course, he was still shy, but seeing as how she was so easy to talk to, Fujimaru found himself beginning to think a bit more clearly. "Heh, thanks Miss Kawasumi" he said to her, his tone holding a true sense of appreciation. "Like I said, I'm a real klutz with beautiful women like you" he started, scratching the back of his head in a slightly comedic manner to show he was a little shy. "But, you're a really nice person...and I gotta admit, you make it a lot easier to talk to" he said with a friendly smile. While he may have now been talking a bit better, less of his nervousness coming off from his tone, Fujimaru still felt like he might have just said something stupid after he spoke. Granted, he was more of a "modest" person, at least about "sexual content", so he could rest assured that he wasn't gonna say anything of that nature. Of course, seeing as Aya was there to shop, they weren't going to just stand in one spot all day; and as she began to proceed further into the store, Fujimaru followed her. "It's kinda funny really; I have no trouble completing a difficult mission or taking down a powerful hollow, but when it comes to just plain talking to a beautiful woman, I can hardly function at all" he said jokingly, trying to continue their conversation.

Of course, after he said that, Fujimaru soon realized that Aya probably thought he was just another human. It wasn't as if that was something he wanted to hid, but having been caught off guard by Aya's beauty, it had completely slipped his mind. Luckily for Fujimaru, explaining this to Aya would be a good way to shift away from him constantly saying how bad he was at talking to beautiful women like her. "Oh yeah, I suppose I didn't mention this before, but I'm, well, a Shinigami" he said, his tone more straightforward. Of course, judging by Aya's high reiatsu, as well as the fact that pretty much everyone now knew about Shinigami, Fujimaru hoped that she would take this information well. "I'm only a Lieutenant right now, but my goal is to become a Captain on day" he added, revealing his rank to her as well. Of course, he had done more than just reveal what rank he was, but he had also told her one of his goals. Having said that that, for some reason, Fujimaru's mind thought that a good new conversation point would be personal goals. "Well, that's not my only goal; while I may be a Shinigami, I also have some normal goals, like finding that special someone out there" he began, and as he spoke, a calm look crossed his face as he kind of imagined it. "You know, that person to spend your life together with..." he added, before actually coming back down to reality and realizing what he had just said. "Crap!" he thought to himself, as a slight blush crossed his face. Once again, Fujimaru felt like an idiot for what he had said; especially since it sounded, at least to him, like he was trying to hit on her, or claim that their meeting meant something more. He had just gotten caught up in the new topic of discussion, and really was just stating a future goal, or more like dream, of his.

"Heh, uh, you probably don't just wanna hear me talk about myself all day" he said, trying to recover from what he had just said. "Well, how about you, is there anything you'd like to talk about?" he asked, hoping that maybe if she began the conversation, he'd fare a bit better. Of course, with all of this, Fujimaru had almost forgotten to actually shop while he was here, so as not to look like a creep and actually get what he needed. Luckily, the bakery section was right after the produce, and as they passed, he made sure to pick up a nice, fresh loaf of bread. As they continued, Fujimaru couldn't help but feel like an idiot for his words and actions up to this point, and was really hoping that Aya wouldn't decide to get away from him. He really was trying not to make a fool of himself, but it was hard around Aya; she just seemed so beautiful, both her looks and her personality, that he just couldn't think straight. right about now, it would take some kind of sing that he actually stood a chance with Aya to help defog his mind.

As the conversation went on, Aya had intently listened to every word that flowed forth from the vice captains mouth; His stuttering still remained, but at least he was starting to relax as he coninued to talk to her without that fear he possessed moments ago. She spoke to him in a solemn and modest tone, her eyes filled with the constant benevolence she wore frequently. "...Fujimaru-Kun, refer to me as Aya. Calling me miss just makes me feel―Old," Said the brown haired maiden. Aya knew her age was no longer within the realms of normal humans. She had lived far longer then most of her clans villagers―――Yet, always felt a sense of unease. Even if she had lived through these 400 years, the rest of her life is not guaranteed. In fact, she could not ascertain the information as to why she had lived for those years to begin with. Only two theories in her mind could explain this unusual phenomenon. Her clan's blood―――the blood of a Kawasumi woman. When Aya was but only a small child, she had heard of stories from the common men and women of her village. The stories were based on just how long her mother lived. Some said she was immortal, others said her life was being preserved by Reiki, there were many rumors she could name off the back of her head. None of them, however, were true. But it did make her wonder. In what way, was she possibly able to live longer then a normal human? Aya was no normal human, but still, the question came up on a daily basis. There was no use in pondering on the unknown, she might as well call it a blessing of heaven.


Needless to say, as he continued on, she felt flattered by every single word he spoke. Any woman, teenage, or adult, loved to be complimented. Whether through words of love, or through the praise of their peers, there is something about being praised by others that excites even the arrogant and the cocky. Aya was no exception to this fact. She was never one who prided herself on her looks, but still, everyday a man would come to her in the hopes of winning her heart. Uproarious crowds of female friends would swarm to her like bees, complimenting her on her choice of clothing and her beautiful brown flowing hair. She was never one to flaunt her looks, at least not enough to garner attention or praise from others. She never once let such compliments get to her head, but she didn't ignore them either―――over time, she started to experiment with her appearance, and frequently made requests to go out on a shopping spree for modernized clothing. She had always felt a sense of elation spring forth when she was complimented on her choice of outerwear and her overall beauty. Today was no different; she enjoyed this praise and took it in strides. As the two descended towards the section filled with meats of many kind, Aya came to a halt as she took a gander at a specific type of steak on her shopping list. There was lamb. There was duck. There was even normal beef and steak, all were nice and fresh ready to be bought and used in the finest dish one would dream of. Aya assessed the proper nutritional values, and also took into account which animal was killed to make this exist in the first place. Though, she had never cared about that. It was nature's way of life, she thought.

Did this make her seem like a hypocrite?; Anyone who knew Aya personally, knew that she abhorred killing with an absolute loathing. The sight of blood sickened her, yet day in and day out, she was forced to see the sight of blood on her blade. However, 400 years would undoubtedly change someone, even if only a little, Aya could be considered a shining example if this is the case. She does not intend to change her way of life and one should not consider her to be a murderer. She still views war and carnage, as the nightmares that should never occur, but also knows that in order to stop these nightmares she must brandish her blade against the demons and the evil that exist within the world today. The sacrifice of animals were not things that affected her anymore, as opposed to the past. As long as there wasn't constant bloodshed, she could see no problem with what she was doing right now. Others like vegetarians would think differently, of course, no one knew that Aya was both a connoisseur of meat and vegetables. Meat dish, Hotpot, Mongolian cuisine, these were the types of things Aya cooked using meat. Still, it wasn't as though it overshadowed her vegetable based meals either. Her elders just preferred meat over veggies any day. Those silly geezers would kill themselves one day; and leave her and her older sister alone. She chuckled lightly at such a ridiculous thought, they would never die while she was around. Even if she had to force them to eat healthier meals.

While she scoped through the meat section, she was still listening intently to the blonde haired male. It would be rude not too, and moreover, conversation was always a wonderful thing to have! she looked at him for a split second to see him reveal his identity as a shinigami and his vice captain's badge. Surprisingly, Aya knew he wasn't that much of a normal human to begin with, if he could lock onto her spiritual pressure and seek her out like he did. She smiled gaily as she looked back at him, picking up a few packs of raw lamb, steak, and chicken. "...I'm sure you'll reach your dream some day, hard work will be your key to success. " Aya said these words with care, in order to get her point across about how hard work pays off, if your willing, of course, to go through heaven and hell to make it to the top. Aya was not a woman who was pampered in life, nor was she given a silver spoon. She trained day and night, to reach her level of skill. She honed her battle prowess to an almost insane level of prodigal value. Aya was a woman who earned her name on the battlefield. The road was as anyone thought, brutal and unforgiving. There were times were Aya cried, there were times where she lamented on failure, and there were times were she thought about giving up but knew no good would come of quitting something you had already started. This undying will, this zealous passion, for success forged her soul into what it is today―the soul of a mighty warrior.

Surprise and curiosity soon followed, because after Fujimaru spoke about his dream of becoming a captain, he spoke about something that also became the center of Aya's life. Finding that special someone; It was a dream she had been pursuing for all her life, yet, found no success. She too, wanted to find a man to love her unconditionally. And in deference to his love, Aya's loyalty and protection. Aya was the material of not only a house wife, but what one would call aYamato Nadeshiko . No matter what, through thick and thin, she would protect her husband and stay with him through the good times and the bad. Such were the dreams that Aya had sought for such a long time. Would she ever be able to find her one and only? She didn't exactly feel an attraction from this man. But the words uttered just now, caused her curiosity to spark like a flame being lit by firewood. She took a deep breath and calmly continued to look through the meat section. As he spoke his last few words, Aya curiously looked back at him and asked him one simple thing; "I don't mind that...but...what is it about me you want to know exactly?" Aya had no qualms of telling him about herself, as long as it didn't reach the realm of personal, at that point, her growing trust for this man would probably plummet towards the ground.

Fujimaru couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at Aya telling him to use her first name. While this was usually more natural for Fujimaru, he did not want to come off as rude to Aya. Of course, he had called her "Miss Kawasumi" for two main reasons. For starters, he had no idea just what kind of mannerism's the woman used; so sticking with the most "respectable" set was a clear choice. Not only that, but he did not want to make her feel as if he was becoming too "familiar" with her. It was definitely not that he didn't want to get to know her better, but even as timid as he was, he knew not to push matters like that. That, and it was practically obvious that Fujimaru didn't think she looked "old", at least judging from the compliments he gave her. Still, since Aya had just openly invited him to use her first name, this little "conflict" was dealt with and out of the way. "Heh, sorry about that Aya, I just wanted to be polite; there's no doubt that you're young and beautiful" he clarified with an innocent smile. For those who knew Fujimaru, they'd know that this innocent looking smile wasn't in his usual repertoire of facial expressions. Now, this was not to say that he was a ruthless and evil person, just that his expressions usually carried more energy behind them. This look was not a facade either; it was brought on because he was beginning to feel much more comfortable around Aya. Sure, they had only been talking for a little while, but something about Aya just made it easier for him to talk to her. Just the way that she listened and wasn't really "critical" of him were beginning to wipe away his initial shyness.

When Aya responded to his goals, Fujimaru couldn't help but grin a bit with confidence. While he was still in his "talking to a girl" state of mind, Fujimaru was still very able to show the pride he had in his accomplishments. "Heh, yeah, that's something you don't gotta tell me twice; er, not to be rude, just, working hard is part of who I am" he said, his grin still there, even though his words did sound a tad bit awkward to his ears. Having grown up more "by himself" and in one of the outer Rukongai districts, Fujimaru was used to having to work for, well, just about anything. He had always been driven by a strong will, and when he set a goal for himself, he worked his ass off to reach it. "Trust me, ever since I entered the academy I've had this goal; and come hell or high water, I'll still reach it" he said, and for a moment, all of the shyness he had gained around Aya seemed to disappear; replaced by his natural confidence. Of course, a friendly yet slightly shy smile soon returned to his face. "But, uh, it is always kinda nice to receive some encouragement like that" he said, a more humble tone to his voice. Sure, he knew that hard work was required, it was always nice when someone shared the same view as yourself. Of course, as Aya got the the final part of his words, Fujimaru had to take a second to think. To be honest, he didn't really know where to start; he just knew that he'd love to get to know Aya better. "Well, uh, I'm not exactly sure" he admitted, scratching the back of his head inquisitively. "Well, er, if you want, do you you have any goals? I mean, if that's too personal, you don't have to answer; I know that I probably 'jumped the gun' by blurting out mine" he said, chastising himself a bit. "Or, maybe just hobbies, or things you like" he added, before pausing and hitting his palm against his head. "Wow, I sound kinda like one of those cheesy dating sites right about now, don't I?" he asked, a hint of comedy to his tone. But, in his defense, figuring out if you like the same things as someone else was a good way to get to know more about them.

As they walked through the meats section, Fujimaru just realized that he hadn't gotten anything to buy yet. Of course, while one might think that he had forgotten just why he was still able to talk to Aya, the real reason was simply because they had only gone through fresh produce and meats; both of which would require proper storage sooner rather than later. Because he was on a rare day off, Fujimaru had no intentions of going all the way back to his barracks in the Soul Society just to store some meat. He did, however, actually plan to do some shopping. While he wasn't going to buy anything that would "spoil" on him, Fujimaru was going to get what he needed to make a lunch for himself. Basically, this meant that his cart would be empty until they reached either the deli or bakery. While Fujimaru himself knew this, there really was no way for Aya to have, so she might start getting uneasy. "Er, don't worry about my empty cart Aya, I'm just waiting till we get further in; seeing as I'm not gonna be heading straight back, I don't wanna get anything that will go bad, but I'm planning on making myself a little lunch" he explained. Of course, after explaining himself to Aya, Fujimaru was struck by an idea. "Actually, if you don't have any previous plans, and if you wouldn't mind, would you care to join me for lunch? We could even make a picnic out of it" Fujimaru suggested, a small bit of his shyness returning as he asked this. Sure, while it was still very early in their possible "relationship" (this is just talking about Fujimaru becoming a friend to Aya), it wasn't really that out there. "I mean, not to intrude or anything, but, sharing a meal can be a great way to get to know someone else; and it would be my treat" he said, his smile returning as he tried his best not to lose his composure again. Of course, this really was an innocent offer, and Fujimaru had no ulterior motives for this; since Aya already knew that he wanted t get to know her.

"There is no need to think you’re rude, that's the spirit many people should actually have!" Aya took no offense to the confidence deep inside this man's spirit. It is something all warriors should aspire to have when they fail. Confidence, Persistence, Adamancy, and the will to succeed. If one can acquire these things during life then no goal should be impossible. Aya started to reminiscence on her years of childhood. Those beautiful, ethereal, times of being taught life skills that would later bring Aya to greatness, were coming back to her like raindrops within a torrential rainstorm. Aya smiled wryly at the thoughts of her deceased mother. She wondered; "Just what would my mother tell me today?" Aya was still a young girl in both mind and heart; a woman who simply yearned for answers to her questions each day. Still, she didn't quite imagine she would ever find half of the answers that fluttered through her head. She took a deep breath and carried on with her daily shopping routine while socializing with Fujimaru as an unexpected added addition. She couldn't be depressed in front of this courageous young man. Since he was making conversation, she felt that it would have been rude to do so.



"...Goals?" Aya took a moment to ascertain what her goals were. During her life before 400 years, she had already completed many of her goals at the age of 19, and was the happiest girl at the world at that time. She had brought glory to her clan, became the leader of that clan, and fought for them gaining many victories over the years. Her goal was to reach her mother’s level, yet, not only did she reach it but she had surpassed her mother with flying colors. "...Goals..." Aya's exuberant gait came to a halt at that time. Was there anything better then achieving a goal for your people?; She took the time to think about that and found no answers. "...I...Well...um..." She stuttered slightly, trying to find words to the answer. "I...don't have any goals...heh..What i want...is happiness...." Aya nodded to herself and to Fujimaru. "I...had already completed a goal of mine, many years ago. That was to bring glory to my clan's name, become a great leader, and acquire the respect of my peers. I also wanted to make the spirit of my dead mother proud of me. That goal has come to pass. “Aya’s smile widened even more as she continued to speak. "My happiness...is that...well...the one goal i have is to find...a husband. I know...that's strange, but I’m a lovesick freak...as my sister would say...." Aya said with a sheepish smile. This was the only goal - No, wish she had. Everything else had already been completed beforehand. If this one wish would come to be, then Aya would finally be complete. But, even through all of these years that wish had never been granted and Aya didn't know how long life would grant her with its embrace.

"But...that's it. I haven't really come up with other goals. I'm strong just like my mother. My elders are proud of me. My sister is proud of me. Everyone who i fought to make happy and trained for everyday until i sometimes - fell unconscious are all of them are satisfied with this woman known as Aya Kawasumi. So - if you had to ask me what my goals are now, i'm sorry but i don't have any. “Could one really call looking for that special someone a goal? To Aya it seemed more like a wish then it did a goal. It was even a dream, but a goal was not the right word for it - Was it? Aya then took the time to proceed onto the next subject, hobbies. "Hobbies....heh this is an easier subject to talk about..." she said as she gave him an emphatic nod and started to speak with a more ardent tone.”I love cooking and eating, equally. World-wide cuisine is something to die for...And i love making my peers happy when they taste a dish or two of mine. “She then went onto the social aspect of her hobbies. "I like to play visual novels, watch those "cheesy" romantic movies and play sports from time to time...and that's about it. I love adventures, so i have traveled the world before. “Aya’s statement just now was definitely true. She had lived for 400 years, so why not use that time to see the beauty and wonders of the large world? China, India, Hawaii, these were only a few places Aya had the honor of gracing with her appearance. She learned of so many things, from their mannerisms, to their cuisine, to their way of life. It saddened her to know that they were dying endlessly now due to the increasingly hellish monsters using this world for their target practice. Maybe someday the world would return to its momentary peace where almost everyone could be happy.

"Er, don't worry about my empty cart Aya, I'm just waiting till we get further in; seeing as I'm not gonna be heading straight back, I don't wanna get anything that will go bad, but I'm planning on making myself a little lunch

Aya chuckled benevolently and gave him an approving nod. "Sounds Deelish~ "

"Actually, if you don't have any previous plans, and if you wouldn't mind, would you care to join me for lunch? We could even make a picnic out of it"

Aya's interests had peaked at the moment he spoke these words, but what came next caused her to become excited.

"I mean, not to intrude or anything, but, sharing a meal can be a great way to get to know someone else; and it would be my treat"

"Uwahh...." Aya's eyes lit up revealing a endearing expression. She loved to eat food. Free or brought, the taste of food was something that Aya loved so very much. Of course, she didn't eat boat loads of anything that would cause her to lose her curvaceous figure. She just loved to try new things. "...If it's your treat, then i accept!” Aya smiled and latched onto his hand, while the other was still placed on the handle of her own shopping cart - which made for a nice contrast to Fujimaru's empty shopping cart. "Can we get something sweet!? Oh Oh! And also something gourmet style or spicy too! i'll even help...! Oh, there are just so many things that are good to eat here!" Aya had become much livelier now that the offer of lunch had been given to her. She stopped herself and regained her composure as she put her head down shyly twiddling her fingers softly as she pulled away from holding his hand. "G-Gomen...I..I...Sort...of get...like that..hehehehe" Aya scratched her head softly before giving him the chance to speak and let him decide on what he should buy. It was rude to intrude on whatever he had planned for lunch. "I was being rude...i don't want to ruin whatever plans you had for lunch, so whatever you can think of is quite fine.” Aya said as she tried to keep her cool. Exercising self control was the key to getting out of this embarrassing situation.