The exploration

[francois]

"..And with that, class, our tale comes to an end.. until next time." The words ceased and were greeted by the begrudging moans of many. An instant later the familiar bell sounded and the classroom was lit with the chatter of many.

Francois, a new transfer to the college, stood and sighed with a grimace upon his face. The first day was always awkward. He'd come into the middle of the lesson and his only saving grace would be independent study. It was a pain but a necessary one.

Gradually he gathered his possessions and wandered off through the crowd, making his way out of the building. "Bon chagrin. Qu'est-ce une douleur." The man muttered to himself in his home language. It was a new and different experience to arrive in Japan and frankly it annoyed the man to no end. The new language, the new people.. It was hardly worth the trouble.. but he was here now and with a deep sigh Francois would seek to make the most of it. He would wander and soon the young man found himself in a park near his school.

Leisurely he wandered and soon the foreign quincy made his way to an isolated spot, creeping toward a dull reiatsu he'd sensed in the area. Before the man was a hollow. It was a hollow of low power overall, one he pursued mostly to quell his frustration with this new land. The man stood at the outskirts of a small clearing in the thin den of forest and he stared, as if surprised by the wriggling creature before him. It was a large spider-like hollow that stood nurturing a sack of eggs.

A long moment passed and the creature turned it's eight black eyes to the quincy, glaring with an indiscriminate look of blood lust. Francois knew right off that it saw him and sought his blood to feed it's young. "rendre ou de mourir!" The quincy shouted, staring ferociously at the hollow, which stared back with a relatively blank look.

After a moment the quincy sighed and spoke again, this time with only a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I said surrender or die... you idiot..." The creature then stirred, growling a distorted voice at the man. "Idiot!? You dare!?! I will kill you human scum!" With that the hollow leapt at the man and screamed a ferocious war-cry. To this, Francois could only sigh as his right hand withdrew into his pocket.

Francois leapt toward the hollow, his expression dulled as if it were insulting him whilst from his pocket a seele schnider was drawn. The creature, un-peterbed, continued it's approach, spreading it's long thin legs as venomous fangs gleamed from it's dark abysmal mouth. The man's eyes sunk shut as the weapon formed into a blade and he sliced as his eyes opened, removing four of the creature's eight legs.

Both of the combatants landed, Francois with a dull thud and the hollow with a hard crash. It looked to him in both surprise and rage but before it could speak Francois began in a calm voice. "vous avez pensé....." The man paused to translate within his head. " You thought you could face me hollow? You are dirt. How dare you?" The creature hissed and reared back as it's legs regenerated and yet the man only stared. He seemed amused only slightly at the creatures persistence. It was a nice feeling though, that moving to this foreign land wasn't a complete waste.

[Makoto Kurosaki]

The older Kurosaki sibling walked through Karakura Town leisurely. It would likely be one of his last patrols, as his sister had graciously offered to handle them for him. He did have a family, after all, and he dislike running out on them at random times to protect the city from Hollows and Arrancar. It was irritating and had begun to strain his relationship with his family. However, that would not be a concern of his anymore. Fumiko would be the one patrolling the city and protecting its inhabitants. He only had to assist her if one of the former Espada appeared. Those Arrancar, in the top tier of power in Hueco Mundo, warranted the combined power of the Kurosaki siblings. Anything less powerful than that would be Fumiko's problem.

Checking his watch, he noticed that class was ending for the students of Karakura University. That meant that there would be considerably more people in the streets and he needed to be extra careful and alert to watch for Hollows. They also preferred a large group to prey on, in the hopes that the sheer numbers of the masses would prevent their black robed hunters from finding and eliminating them. Makoto shook his head at their foolishness. Obviously, any Shinigami worthy of the title could eliminate a Hollow without arousing suspicion from the non spiritually aware humans. His brown eyes narrowed as he recognized the reiatsu of a Hollow. It was close and protecting similar yet weaker reiatsu signatures. The orange haired man disappeared from the crowd, quickly reaching an isolated rooftop. He ate the soul candy and his Shinigami form jumped out of the Gigai he so often used.

After his Gigai had concealed itself well enough, Makoto reached the location of the Hollow and saw eggs behind the creature in a nest. Those have to be destroyed, the older Kurosaki sibling thought. He also noticed a young Quincy fighting the Hollow, slicing off half of the creature's legs which immediately began to regenerate. Attacking anywhere but the creature's vital points was a sign of inexperience. All it did was enrage the creature more, giving it the ability to ignore its minor injuries. Makoto unsheathed his Zanpakuto and sliced through the Hollow's mask effortlessly before firing a Sokatsui at the eggs, obliterating them. He glanced at the young Quincy for a moment. "What are you doing, Quincy?", he said with a berating tone. Didn't this one realize that Karakura Town was under the protection of the Kurosaki? Quincy interference would not be allowed.

[francois]

"Hmm..." The quincy stared, initially detached as a figure interfered in his little skirmish. The man stood with a more relaxed composure as the seele schnider flipped in his grip. Francois held the weapon to his side like a cane and seemed to lean lightly upon it. He was fixated silently on the figure, a shinigami by the look of the second attack. It was perhaps even the town's guardian for all he knew. Of course, it wasn't very important in this instance.

With a long sigh of aggravation Francois mulled over the words and formulated his response. His words weren't terribly distorted by his accent, as most's would be, but it was clear he was still learning to fluently comprehend the language by his pace and attention to pronunciation. "I was enjoying myself.. Yet it is I who should ask you what you are doing. I did not ask to be 'saved' and yet you interfere?... Is interfering with others a custom of the Japanese or the Shinigami?" The man questioned, staring inquisitively as his somewhat polite tone faded to passive aggressiveness.

It was his custom to be polite to strangers but it was clear Francois was a bit annoyed by the occurrence. His words showed a hint in the tone but he was making an attempt to be civil over the matter. Toying with that hollow wasn't exactly his goal in life but it was one of the best stress relievers he knew. A luxury which had been denied by this pesky interloper. Francois was known to bruise heads over less, so he felt he was being especially polite even with his annoyance showing through.

[Makoto Kurosaki]

Makoto frowned as he heard the young Quincy's words. Were he a different man, he might have even laughed at them. The Quincy was the one who was interfering with his and his sister's duty to protect the city. The Shinigami were the actual guardians of the human world. They didn't play at it while causing ever more chaos and disruption like the foolish Quincy did. Of course, they did not see it that way, but their perspective was irrelevant. Whatever they believed, they had to learn that it was not their place to eliminate Hollow, no matter where in the world they were. While this new Order of theirs gave them the illusion of strength in numbers, they stood no chance against the full force of the 14th Division, let alone the entire military power of the Gotei 13. If this boy interfered with his duty, he would be eliminated, too.

"You're the one who's interfering, Quincy boy. This city is under the protection of the Kurosaki as it has always been and always will be. You're a nuisance who should leave the Hollow to be destroyed by their proper foes." The older Kurosaki sibling shook his head at the boy's attitude. The Quincy were increasingly defiant and ignored the limitations of their power. Overseas was not his concern, but if they attempted to impede he and his sister in their responsibilities here in Karakura Town, they would face severe consequences. This child was just yet another example of this; he didn't seem to be aware or even mind that this was not his territory yet he still attacked a Hollow without hesitation. Considering his youth and obvious inexperience, Makoto would probably not take his life this time. The boy seemed rather irritated by not being able to finish off the Hollow, even if it was not his to kill in the first place.

Turning to the Quincy, the brown eyed warrior watched him warily. If he wanted to do something about his "stolen" kill, so be it. The thrashing he would receive should teach him a lesson about not doing as you please in someone else's territory. The Quincy probably wasn't too concerned about him since it appeared that the two of them were evenly matched; however, the boy would soon realize the vast difference in their power in the most humiliating way possible. Makoto was still irritated about his last encounter with the Quincy and perhaps he could vent some frustration by taking down this boy a few notches. His Zanpakuto remained in its sheath, but the man placed his right hand on its hilt, daring the Quincy to attack him. It would be a mistake he would soon regret if he did although it would be rather enjoyable for the older Kurosaki. With his full power, this young one didn't stand a chance against him but Makoto silently willed him to attack. He hopped up to a rooftop just in case the Quincy did attack him. He didn't want any civilians to be injured in their battle, now did he?

[francois]

A certain tension grasped Francois' body as he listened to this 'Kurosaki' speak. A "Nuisance"? "Proper foes"? Who did this arrogant spirit think he was?! The quincy had had relatively little contact with shinigami in the past but if this was how they acted then he was glad he didn't have to deal with them before. Francois had even been called a boy by this condescending party crasher. He had striven for civility before but this was the last straw. If there was anything the quincy couldn't stand it was common disrespect. He would have to choose his words carefully, and so there was a short pause before Francois spoke in a stern and defensive tone.

"The hollows have never had a more proper foe then I 'Kurosaki'. I don't know who you are or who you think you are but I have always known a fight to be between the combatants... Not the ones who arrive late and interfere with what was already started.. If you have a problem with that then we can settle it however you want." The finale of his words came out matter-of-factly as the man continued to glare at his opposite. Francois' freehand slipped into it's pocket gracefully and as it came out a second seele schnider ignited. He watched the shinigami move and then smirked to the other man's demeanor. This Kurosaki wanted to fight and Francois liked that attitude. It was akin to his own.

The Quincy followed his would-be combatant with little hesitation to the chosen ring. It was a flat rooftop, away from obstruction of trees and people. Two light taps echoed as Francois met a soft landing opposite Kurosaki on the building. He took a long stare about the two of them to absorb the monotony before Francois spoke in a calm toneless voice. "You like to fight Monsieur Kurosaki? I do. Perhaps we could settle our differences with a small skirmish of our own. The first to lose their will to fight loses." With that the seele schniders both sat, held like canes spread loosely in front of him to bare Francois' weight. He would let the shinigami make the first move. Someone this full of himself needed to learn his place.

[Makoto Kurosaki]

The older Kurosaki listened to all of the boy's words before responding. His first words were nothing short of extremely amusing. He was a Shinigami, a true protector of humans unlike this child pretending to be one who thought he stood a chance against an opponent with fifteen years more experience. Not only was the Quincy young and inexperienced, but he was also horribly arrogant. His first statements didn't even warrant any response except for Makoto shaking his head and laughing softy. The kid had a very elevated opinion of himself, thinking that he was some sort of savior, just like all Quincy did. Annoying fools. Neither he nor his sister could ever stand the pompous attitude of the white robed interlopers. Well, this one's attitude required change and a good thrashing should serve that purpose well.

Standing up, he realized that the boy had already brought out two Seele Schniders to hold in each hand. So he was really serious about this, then. Makoto sighed and scratched his head. He really was becoming too old for this sort of thing, but he would oblige the Quincy this one time. His brown eyes glanced over to the Zanpakuto resting on his left hip. He wouldn't overwhelm the Quincy at first, only test him to see exactly how powerful he was. Judging by his reiatsu, the boy seemed to be about Lieutenant level. Makoto wondered why the Quincy thought he really had a chance against someone much more experienced and powerful than himself. "Normally, I don't like scolding children, but in your case, I'll make a little exception, Quincy boy." Makoto's tone was one of amusement and blatant disrespect. This boy didn't deserve his respect, at least not yet. He hadn't earned it yet.

The older Kurosaki sibling unsheathed his Zanpakuto slowly, allowing the Quincy to gaze upon the European long sword that served as the man's primary weapon. He held the blade in front of him, pointing at the boy with the blade's tip. In a flourish, he moved the sword so that it was facing behind him and said calmly, "Getsuga Tensho," firing off a blast of purple energy at the boy with a quick slash. It wasn't his most powerful, not by far, but it was still fairly powerful. All it was meant to do was help him gauge his opponent's strength, not actually cause damage. Not yet, at least. He would do that with later attacks once he was finished warming up. The boy wasn't much of a threat, so he could take his time becoming serious in fighting him. His brown eyes remained fixed on the boy to see how he would handle countering his first attack. That would determine how much effort he had to put into teaching the boy a few lessons.

[francois]

With a dark, indignant stare Francois acknowledged his opponent's resolve and prepared his weapons. One crossed above the other in front of him - but not quite touching. He processed the disrespect this shinigami had blurted forth and only sighed lightly to himself. They truly thought of themselves as gods, these shinigami, how pitiful. As if they were better then anyone else. It gave a surplus of fuel to the flame of battle within the quincy. Though he'd been called a child Francois felt as if he'd been insulted by one half his age.

It was in that moment that the shinigami released his assault. -"Getsuga Tensho."- The battle cry escaped without much force or emotion behind it. Francois stepped forward and glared into the array of energy that was sent his way, insulted by the heartless battlecry and lack of effort in the attack. The seele schniders both rose and thrust forward into the attack, hacking into the wave as the weapons were crafted to do. The quincy then ripped the blades apart and dispersed the attack into a glittering rain of reiatsu around the glaring Quincy, who then proceeded to straiten his posture.

"Is that the best you've got?" The man spoke as if he were offended by the display. "I've met children with more resolve then that. Treat me like an adversary. Don't treat me like a lowly human who can't compete. You'll be my lunch before breakfast." With a smirk Francois readied his weapons as before and drew slowly closer to the shinigami. He was subtly mocking the man's disregard for the situation, as if claiming he could easily withstand his next barrage. The ones who were as arrogant as this were easily withstood, as long as one did not allow their sight to shorten. This shinigami proved to be the perfect test for Francois' training. Strong, stupid and just a little bit crazy.

[Makoto Kurosaki]

(OOC: Sorry for the long wait. I wasn't feeling well for the last four days or so. Enjoy.)

A middle aged face remained impassive, its orange mane tousled by the wind created by the boy effortlessly destroying the pathetically weak Getsuga Tensho that Makoto had sent his way. It was no surprise that the boy won that round, considering his opponent's move was simply a test to assess the boy's capabilities. His taunt and arrogant confidence did nothing to improve the quality of the game, so Makoto wished that he would close his mouth and play rather than waste the man's time. His time had to be used efficiently, for he had many other things to do other than play this game. Arrogance simply radiated from the boy, a detrimental quality for a player, observed by the middle aged Kurosaki to be the cause of innumerable losses of both this game and several others. Judging by his response to the last turn, the boy had some experience playing the game, although not a considerable amount, yet his arrogance would likely cost him the victory.

He decided to make his turn worlds apart from his first, dreadful one. The first objective was to eliminate his opponent's mobility, so he pointed his index finger at the Quincy child, a spark of yellow energy forming at his fingertip quickly transforming into six beams of light that materialized around the boy at waist level, racing to slam into him. Bakudo 61, Rikujukoro, occupied his mind for a moment prior to the continuation of his turn. Purple reiatsu gathered along his sword, the master of games fixing the arrogant figure of the boy with a disapproving stare before beginning his second turn. His slash was powerful this time, not tempered by assessment or caution, but fueled by his desire to obliterate this child's temple of self-worship into nothing but ruins and flame. The words "Getsuga Tensho!" resonated from the man's throat, a concentrated, powerful slash of purple energy flying at the boy, seeming to slice through the air itself. A swishing sound characteristic of Shunpo echoed through the air, the middle aged man appearing at all sides of the boy, firing the attack four more times, forcing the boy to make the first move of his next turn carefully or risk losing already.

Satisfied with his turn, the middle aged man returned to his original position for the optimal vantage point. This game was one to be observed and studied, improved upon, and passed on to the next generation of players eternally. It was not something to neglect, nor would it likely ever be, due to the sheer size of the playing population. Potentially, anyone was a player if certain conditions were met; truly, no game could rival the brilliance of this one, forged by the first players millenia prior to games being recorded. Makoto hoped that his opponent would not disappoint him with his next turn, his brown eyes capturing the beauty and magnificence of an excellent turn. How would this game continue and eventually finish? He pondered this crucial question, standing atop a pillar to human ingenuity and across from a perfect example of their worst flaw.