M.S.A.A. pt. 77

"...Hmm, that's very odd. I never have known Virginia to just sneak off on her own. Though she can be rather devious, she isn't one to go off without telling someone, especially since she's the newest person to the Soul Society. I wonder why she did it. Maybe she wanted a breather. I mean, I know that sometimes a break is needed to continue with progress, so I guess that would understandable. But still, it wouldn't explain why she ran off without telling anyone. Hmm...maybe she felt sick. No, that's not it. When she's sick, the first thing she always does is throw herself on Cree or me and begin to moan and whine about how horrible she feels at the time. She didn't do that. Heck, she didn't have the expression. So, if neither is the case...what exactly is the big idea behind her disappearance?..."

July
SOUL SOCIETY
Virginia's Perspective
"Again!"
Virginia pants, running towards Cree as Mariya had instructed her to.
"Roar through the Blizzard, Yukitora!" Virginia yells, holding her arm out in front of her.
Instantly, a cool breeze begins to blow through her fingers, becoming solid as they begin to take shape. She grins, watching as the shape shatters, revealing her recently met zanpakuto.
"Great, now pery!" Cree yells as she comes to be feet from Virginia, swinging her sword, Hebi Denkou, left across her body.
Virginia's grin fades as she grits her teeth, bringing her blade up in front of her to block Cree's attack.
"Good, now, fight back!" Mariya yells from a few yards away, watching with Kayla and Bianca.
"Right!" Virginia answers, pushing Cree's weight off her blade.
Cree blinks, staggering backwards, giving Virginia a perfect opening. With a flash, Virginia whips her wrist around, somehow twisting her sword around Cree's, pulling up to rip it from her hands. Cree's eyes widen, hurrying to her feet to escape and save her sword. But, before she can stand straight, she freezes, feeling the cooled tip of Virginia's blade aiming at her neck.
Silence rings out, only broken by Hebi Denkou as it lands feet behind Virginia, only inches in front of Mariya and the others, causing them except for Mariya to jolt in fear, before it disappears.
Between her pants, Virginia hears clapping, slowly turning in exhaustion to see Mariya walking closer, a warm smile on her face.
"Congrats Virginia, you passed!" Mariya says.
Virginia grins.
"R-Really?" she asks, lowering her sword from Cree's neck.
Cree nods.
"Definitely, you beat me fair and square eight times in a row." Cree answers.
"I only won because we've been parring like this for five hours, exhaustion let me win." Virginia replies.
"That doesn't mean anything!" Kayla says, walking forward, "It took me seven hours to do what you just did."
"And with me it took six." Bianca adds as she joins the group.
Virginia blinks.
"S-Seriously?" she asks.
"Yepe, the only one you didn't beat was Cree's time." Mariya says.
"What was her time?" Kayla asks.
"Three hours, twelve minutes." Cree answers.
"Dang! That's great!" Kayla comments.
Virginia deflates a bit, feeling her spotlight taken by Cree.
...It seems this always happens to me...
...Yes...isn't it annoying?
Her eyes widen, taken back by hearing another voice in her mind. It's shocking enough that it causes her zanpakuto to disappear, catching everyone's attention.
"Virginia? Everything ok?" Mariya asks.
"H-Huh?" Virginia asks, pulled from her thoughts.
"You feel ok?" Bianca asks.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, why?" she answers.
"Well, no reason really." Kayla replies.
"Alright then." Virginia says, trying to end the conversation, "So, why don't we go get something to eat?"
Kayla's expression changes almost instantly.
"Yes! That sounds awesome!" Kayla says.
Cree laughs.
"Well, how about we go somewhere inside the Sereitei." Cree comments.
Mariya nods.
"I agree, then we won't have to worry about leaving." Mariya agrees, turning in Virginia's direction, "What do you think Gin-"
Her eyes widen, taken back by Virginia being gone.
"W-What the?-" Kayla starts.
"Where'd she go?" Bianca interrupts.
"I-I don't know, Mariya, did you see her leave?" Cree asks.
Mariya shakes her head.
"No...and I can't sense her Spiritual Pressure at all...she must not want us to follow her." Mariya answers.
"Why not? Where could she be going?" Kayla asks.
"Yeah, she doesn't know her way around here anyway." Bianca adds.
Mariya stares off into the distance for a moment or two, before looking over at Cree, who gives a nod.
"Well, she probably won't get too far. Let's just trust her, and go ahead to the tea house." Cree says.
"What?!-" Kayla starts.
"She wants to be alone for some reason, even though we may not want to, we must honor her request for us not to follow after." Mariya interrupts.
The trio blink, staring at Mariya. Mariya groans.
"Ok, now what?" she asks.
"Well, you're sounding all old and wise again." Kayla says.
"Seems that your memory incident did influence you after all." Cree says.
Mariya's eyes widen, before her look becomes more content, looking up at the skyline.
"Guess so..." Mariya trails.
Bianca sighs.
"Alright, let's stop for now, and go eat, I'm starving." Bianca comments.
Mariya's look softens, and becomes warm again as she smiles.
"Ok, but I call in seat by the window!" Mariya yells as she begins to run away in the tea house's direction.
Kayla groans.
"Hey no fair, you always get in seat!" Kayla yells after her, running after Mariya with the others.
"Then you should try and speed up before I take it!" Mariya calls back with a laugh, disappearing as she flashsteps.
"Mariya!" Cree yells, before disappearing with Bianca and Kayla, following Mariya.
The wind blows by, the warm summer air beginning to carry a cooler breeze as Virginia steps out from behind a near-by tree.
Mariya...she felt my presence...but shielded it from the others so that they couldn't find me...She must feel I deserve alone time...
She grins.
"Thanks...Mariya." Virginia trails, before flashstepping (she just learned how two days back) slowly back to Mariya's home, her current residence.
As she reaches the front courtyard, she sighs, looking up at the sky.
"This place....it's a lot more confusing then I had ever imagined." she comments to herself.
Since the day before, when Mariya had fully explained the situation again to her (she hadn't really been paying attention the first time, considering that she was in too much shock to let it sink in), Virginia has had a lot on her mind, thinking about what was coming next for them in this war she's now found herself in the middle of.
Before long, she finds herself falling against the door as she closes it from the inside, letting out a longer sigh then before. Then she looks up, her eyes more serious as she stands straight, walking towards the stairs. With each step, her mind becomes more focused, and as she reaches the second floor, she's on a high lookout. Reaching her assigned room, she opens the door fast before shutting it, allowing the door to make a noise as she closes it.
Her room is simple, a nice and calming blue, similar to the ocean in the gulf that she sees in Florida on vacation. Her full bed has a nice and detailed sapphire bedspread and pillows, picked out by her after she arrived. The pattern is that of various designs, from zebra, to polka dot, to zig zag, to splatter. All in different shades of the deep blue, some lighter versions peeking out here and there. Everything else in the room is modern, from the furniture to the last picture frame, all in a nice shade of ice white. As she is at the end of the hall, she is happy to have one of the few rooms with a floor to ceiling window wall,  usually hidden by blue satin curtains, under laid with a thicker white curtain, each now pulled back to let in the light. She walks closer, taking the satin in her hand, running her hand over the bead inlay, in the design of falling snowflakes. Looking out at the world, the sun beats warmly on her skin through the newly enforced glass, probably bullet proof now since the incident Cree had told her about.
....It's peaceful...here and now though....
"Yeah, but probably not for long."
She jolts, whipping her head around to spot the intruder.
"Y-You!-" Virginia stutters.
"Now, now, don't go freaking out." the boy says, chuckling as he leans against the white door frame.
She grits her teeth.
"How did you get in here?" she asks.
"Hey, a magician never reveals his secrets." he replies.
"You are no magician." she answers, turning back towards the window.
"Oooh, that was almost harsh Virginia-" he comments.
"Tell me something." she interrupts.
He blinks.
"Alright, what?"
"You..." she trails, "What did you do?"
"What?"
"You affected what happened, didn't you?" she asks.
"Depends, what happened?" he asks.
"My zanpakuto."
"Huh?"
"You affected when I would unleash Yukitora."
He doesn't respond for a moment.
"Now, how on Earth could I do that Virginia? And when?" he asks with a chuckle, his voice sounding light.
She turns to look at him, her blue eyes unwavering in their seriousness.
"You did something that morning, the morning of when I learned the name of my zanpakuto..."
EARLIER IN THE WEEK
"Damn it! I'm screwed..." Virginia groans into her pillow.
She hears a knock at the door, causing her to lift her head.
"Gin? You ready yet?" Kayla asks from the other side of the door.
"Almost. Just give me a minute." Virginia answers.
"Alright, well, Mariya and Cree have already gone ahead to open the training grounds for the day. I'll come back in five minutes." Kayla replies.
"Kay." Virginia calls.
After a moment, Virginia no longer hears Kayla's distinct walking pattern, deflating back into the covers.
"I'm gonna die..." she groans.
"That's not true."

Her eyes widen, her head jolting up quick enough that's she semi-surprised by the fact that she didn't give herself whip lash, turning over to see a boy leaning against her door.

She catches her breath, beginning to turn red. He has blond hair, like Mariya's brother's type of hair style. A style kinda similar to that of Zac Efron's and Justin Bieber's combined. His eyes appear gray, alluring and somewhat mysterious, but strong and determined. His kimono's sleeves are cut off at the end of the shoulders, showing off his muscular arms. He's from Mariya's squad, easily told by the pattern running across the trim of his uniform. And his dagger of a zanpakuto is drawn close at his side, like Rikuto's is (she met him the day before). Oh, and one more little comment.

He's super cute.

"W-Who are you?" she asks.

He chuckles.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm a comrade." he replies.

"I can see that, considering the uniform." she replies, sitting up, "Now, if you don't mind, can you tell me how you, A, got into our house, and B, got into my room?"

"Well, both are simple to answer." he answers.

"So answer." she says.

"I'd rather not." he comments.

She groans.

"Ugh, a joker." she sighs, standing, walking towards the window, hidden by the curtains.

As she begins to open it, she's taken by surprise as strong arms wrap around her, causing her to blush as she's pulled close.

"W-What are you-" she starts.

"You feel like an outsider, don't you?" he interrupts, whispering into her ear.

Her eyes widen.

"You're different then them. Different then Mariya." he says, "I can sense that."

She doesn't respond, in shock.

"You and I are a lot alike Virginia...beings that aren't meant for what we are placed in, and deserve better." 

"W-Wait...how do you know my name?" she asks.

He chuckles.

"I know everything about you, Virginia Jenkins..." he replies.

She feels her cheeks go pale.

...He knows my last name?!....

"Or would you like me to call you Marie? Maybe even Gin?" 

She gasps.

...And my middle name and nick name?!....

"You're confused, aren't you?"

She shudders.

"You see Virginia, I can read mines, just like Mariya and Cree. I am a T.P. Soul Reaper after all."

"W-What do y-you want from m-me?" she stutters.

"From you? I just want to know everything about you..." he trails.

She blushes, her eyes wide as he kisses her neck.

"W-Why? There's n-nothing to know." she replies.

He chuckles again, raising his head.

"You don't know that Virginia. In fact, I know a few things about you that even you don't."

She blinks.

"What?....That's not...p-possible..." she trails.

"You would be wrong about that." he says, "I mean, snow falls so distinctly, doesn't it?"

Her eyes widen more then before, turning her head to look at him.

"S-Snow?" she asks, "What do you mean by snow-"

He silences her with a kiss on the cheek, causing her to blush even more then before as he loosens his grip on her.

"You shouldn't spend your time as second best to them....You deserve better...."

"W-Who are you?!-" she yells.

She's cut off as she realizes that his presence has vanished, turning around to see him nowhere in sight. She pants, running her hands through her hair. Her heart is racing, her face redder then a beat as she slides down the wall. Then, she puts her hand to her cheek, feeling of what he last left with her, the spot somehow...cool...

PRESENT

"Well?" she asks.

He just stares at her for a few moments, before chuckling.

"Well then, seems like you're more wary of your surroundings then you look." he says.

"Just realize that?" she asks, turning back to face the window again.

"No, I've always known that about you." he answers.

"Well, you're not the only one that has information." she replies.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Hmm?-"

"You're the same guy that scared my to my wits end at home....the same guy that came up to me in the mall..." she trails, "Unfortunately for you, I recognized your voice, and the color of your eyes. And with the information Mariya gave me, it's almost too easy when it comes to identifying you."

His eyes widen slightly.

"You're Kenta, aren't you?" she asks.

He seems to get choked up, not prepared for her to know anything about him. Virginia takes the advantage.

"Yukitora..."

Kenta blinks, taken by surprise as he feels himself becoming restrained. Looking down, his eyes widen as he sees his body icing over, becoming more unmovable by the second. He looks back up at her, seeing her glaring him down from over the shoulder.

"V-Virginia..." he stutters.

"You've come here to kill Mariya, haven't you?" she asks.

He grits his teeth, not responding as he tries to break free.

"If that is the case, I will do everything I can to keep you frozen until she gets here, so that she can deal with you personally." Virginia continues.

"Why don't you just do it?" he asks.

"Because, I assume Mariya would want to see you alive." she responds.

He laughs.

"Why are doing this by what Mariya would want?" he chuckles, "I mean, it's not like she's your superior or anything like that."

She narrows her eyes.

"Or maybe, she is?" Kenta continues.

"She isn't, she's my best friend." Virginia answers.

"Oh really? Then why do you follow her orders like a subordinate?" 

She clenches her teeth, though doesn't open her mouth. Her blood is beginning to boil, a bit enraged by Kenta, the same person she was told tried to murder Mariya.

"Why do you allow her to tell you when you must do things, like train for example." 

"She's trying to help me with my powers-" she starts.

"No, she's trying to measure your power, to see if your's rivals her's." he interrupts.

Her eyes widen slightly.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed." he continues, "Think about it. Who is the most respected person you know? Mariya, right?"

"What does respect have to do with anything?" she asks.

"Now, who respects you?" Kenta asks.

"Mariya, my friends-" Virginia begins.

"Ha! You really believe that? With her, everything is just a game, and she'll do whatever she can to make sure she comes out on top." Kenta laughs.

"That's not true! Mariya is kind and a considerate person, much more then you'll ever be!" Virginia yells, turning all the way around to face him.

"Really? Tell me, who was it that you have been parring with these past few days?" Kenta asks.

"Mariya and the others-"

"No, I mean, who was it that actually bared a sword against you?" he interrupts.

"Cree did." 

"And Kayla and Bianca?" he asks.

"Yeah, I fought them too." she replies.

"Now, have you fought Mariya?" he asks.

"Yes-"

"I mean since you gained your zanpakuto?" he rephrases.

"N-No...what does that have to do with this?" she asks.

"Were there times she could of?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing! Don't you see it Virginia? She doesn't fight, she let's her underlings do it-"

"We are not her underlings, we're all best friends-"

"Yet in the past days, she has refused to fight you." he interrupts, "Do you have any idea of why that may be?" 

"No-"

"Well, I do! I know perfectly well. She sees you as a pathetic weakling. She thinks that fighting you will stain her sword, and her pride as a warrior!"

Virginia's eyes widen.

"N-No..." she trails, beginning to shutter.

The ice holding Kenta begins to crack in places.

He smirks.

"Don't you get it?! She doesn't see you as a warrior!" he says.

"S-Stop..." she stutters.

"She doesn't see as anything special or important!"

"Stop it-"

"To her, you're nothing but a useless waste of space!-"

"STOP IT!" she snaps, grasping her head.

He falls silent.

"Mariya....Mariya is my best friend..." she trails, trembling.

Standing there, she imagines Mariya's face, turning to look at her. Her smile is wide, her hazel eyes warm, her dimples showing clearly, becoming more apparent as she laughs her light and airy laugh. She's beautiful, and has a warm glow that could draw in anyone. She holds out her hand, her other pushing her chestnut bangs from her face.

...Virginia, you silly girl...You're my best friend, don't forget it!....heheheha...

Virginia looks back up, her eyes strong.

"She couldn't feel that way about me! She cares about me!" Virginia snaps.

Kenta stares at her for a few moments, giving out a sigh.

"You poor girl, she's brainwashed you into believing she's a good person..." Kenta says.

Virginia blinks.

"B-Brainwashed?" she stutters.

"Yes, she's got you wrapped around her finger. And very tight as it seems. You're letting her words and deception affect you're thinking and cloud your thoughts." he explains.

She takes hold of herself, beginning to tremble more then before.

"Shut up!"  she snaps, cracks in the ice becoming larger.

"Why won't you believe me? I mean, you've believed all the lies fed to you up til now, right?" he asks.

"I said shut up!" she yells.

"Considering that she kept this place a secret only to you, probably the most powerful out of the four she brought along, must mean you can understand that her lies are threaded though almost all you know of her-"

"SHUT UP!!!" she screams, the ice around him shattering into thousands of shards.

She falls to her knees, the light in her eyes flickering as she pants, still holding herself as she trembles. She listens to Kenta's footsteps as he gets closer, kneeling in front of her. He leans over, whispering in her ear.

"You deserve power, and so much more then her trickery...little puppet..." he trails.

She blinks, looking up to see he has vanished yet again.

Alone, she shutters, tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes.

....heheheha...Virginia....

"Mariya...." she trails, a tear trailing down her cheek.

Then she falls to lay over the carpet, her tears flowing fast from her eyes, the cold now inside her beginning to grow, not even melted by the warm sun rays that beat down on her through the large windows.