Greener Pastures [Hyoka]

Noticing Shizuku calling out to him, Ryusuke turned to notice her in a cheery mood, filled with what seemed to be much charisma for the day ahead. Shizuku's hair even danced in the wind with similar joy as he glanced wayward, noticing her ears raised in a gesture that almost expressed excitement or interest. Still, she talked to him as a superior, something that rubbed his hair the wrong way. Ryusuke wasn't mad at her for it, but he thought of Shizuku as sort of friend, even though they had just met. He had only questioned how she felt about him, adorning a wide grin that stretched cheek-to-cheek as he replied, grateful to see that she had come after all.

" Shizuku-chan! I was wondering when you might show. I almost had myself believe you may not come at all. "

Rising from his seated position, Ryusuke dusted off his linens before turning to stand just a few feet from Shizuku, who seemed livid as always.

" Those books you recommended did their fair share, but I think you're a much more capable teacher than simple words on paper. How about it? You feel like getting a little exercise? "

It was hard to know what to anticipate from her, since he led himself to believe she was too kindred to accomplish the act of harming another being capable of sensing pain. But when he had to think on a reasonable level, she very well could be capable of various monstrous Kido. Even more, Shizuku's application of the demon arts could be rather naughty, even for a blissful girl like herself. He didn't yet know what was taboo to her, or if she held the capability to show real intent during actual practice. He felt certain she held some amount of strength, due to the ecstatic aura that seemed to radiate from her.

Although it wasn't necessarily his permission to grant, the first release of a Zanpakuto was nothing that would bring forth destruction to their surroundings (hopefully), and neither would it diminish the value of the property around them. Nodding his head to permit the use of her Shikai, Ryusuke watched in anticipation to see what the Zanpakuto would become; what it could do. It was a tanto in it's sealed form, the size causing Ryusuke to fright if her spiritual might was enough to withstand his own.

But there were many individuals who had fairly unique Zanpakuto of smaller sizes; even in their sealed form. It's what wasn't revealed by the appearance of the Zanpakuto that made it so powerful. So ominous.

" I believe there is more to you than that, Shizuku. "

Ryusuke's grin lessened to a smirk at the left of his lips, his eyes staring intently at the Zanpakuto in her hands. Hopefully Shizuku wouldn't hold back, since he was unsure what kind of damage she could do to him. He was still wary to Shizuku's move, knowing all too well how efficient and deadly the demon arts were when paired with the Zanpakuto of a Shinigami.

" I'm ready for you if you are. "

A flash step brought him backwards from her position to lay 5 meters of space between them, nothing but flat grass and giant trees in the distance dotting the landscape. Awaiting her Zanpakuto to be released, that's when Ryusuke could train his prowess within the defensive and binding Kido, known as Bakudo. Perhaps he could even improve his skills with Shunpo?

Watching closely to what Shizuku had been up to, his original make of things was some sort of twofold incantation. Utilizing his Shunpo, being a more than avid user of such a technique, he depended on it to evade to his right by over 10 meters, avoiding the mass of things as a whole.

Without hesitation Ryusuke allowed his feet to flicker once more, bringing himself just within 5 feet of Shizuku, raising his right fist in her direction skyward, inciting his own spell, and testing out the Eishōhaki (Incantation Abandonment) style on a Bakudo he had yet to ever use.

" Bakudō #63, Sajō Sabaku. "

As the yellow tendril came down upon his gesture, it attempted to confine not only Shizuku, but apparently Ryusuke as well within it's grasp, likely bundling them together should she prove unable to escape the poorly used Bakudo and making things too close for comfort (for her, anyway). It just went to show that he needed more repetition, practice, and routine in his training. Not to mention discipline, making a fool of himself by getting caught in his own trap, in front of Shizuku, of all people. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly, although internally he scrutinized himself.

Regardless, Ryusuke had thought about what Shizuku had done, and it still eluded him as to what exactly had just taken place, besides his own mishap. He felt a bad way for saying what he did, as her Zanpakuto was, by appearance, a book with things written somewhere among it. But what it did seemed most interesting, as the two Kido literally combined themselves to make a much more favorable end product. It only left him to wonder what would happen if she combined other, more volatile Kido together.

Probably nothing good, that's for sure.

Even though he had partially succeeded, as Shizuku was within the clutches of his Bakudo, Ryusuke still scorned his prior attempt as he too was obviously stuck inside. As she squirmed with her tail down below, causing them to lift and then fall over with Shizuku on top of him with all her weight, the situation invoking much excitement from the two of them.

"Wa-wa-wa-wa-"

The sound Shizuku had made was very nostalgic, but the touch of her tail was something he had not yet experienced, a single foreign extremity moving about down below instead of two legs. Ryusuke's body grew stiff and void of movement from his nervousness, unsuspecting of the girl to be on top of him in such a provocative manner.

Alas, it was his own fault for failing his Kido, and Shizuku probably realized now just how inexperienced Ryusuke was. In both the knowledge of Kido, and the female touch which had startled him to say the least. His heart had been beating out of his chest along with every vein in his body, and due to their upper bodies being strung together, Shizuku likely felt it just as he did. The same flush rose hues overtook the cheeks on his face, as Ryusuke almost lost himself in the deep azure eyes that were right before his own.

" So gorgeous...- "

Did I just say that aloud?

Ryusuke's heart rate only seemed to intensify as it was to beat faster, but soon the yellow band of reiryokou that wrapped them together had dissipated, with Shizuku left on top of him should she neglect to move. His eyes spelled fright, finding himself petrified of her. Not because he was literally scared of her; merely her rejection or something of athat sort. Nothing felt worse than that, to be unworthy of acceptance. Of course, Ryusuke may very well have been wrong to think he was the one whom should fear such rejection from her. She very well may be thinking it to be the other way around.

Unbeknownst to Ryusuke, as Shizuku reared up and away from him, an unsuspecting ploy of her's had taken place. He was just about to say something before the gale of force hurled him into the air in a manner that greatly challenged his reflexes, barely managing to break free with a late flash step back down to the ground not 5 feet from her reiatsu source. Ryusuke plummeted with a resonating thud, finding it hard to maintain his sense of balance to hold himself upright, falling on one knee before Shizuku.

After gaining composure he cackled softly at what she had said, but at second thought Ryusuke genuinely wondered if she was serious when she said that. It was a grey area for him, uncharted territory, something from his new-found ambition that made him lean towards her. Shizuku just made everything seem alright, and proved to be more than fun to have around, her skill and style with the use of her Zanpakuto and Kido making Ryusuke envy her something fierce.

She was precious, a friend, and her Zanpakuto complimented her skills in a way Ryusuke would have never imagined possible in thousands of years. Shizuku was perhaps the most unique person Ryusuke had met his entire life, mermaid-esque-and-all. However, that didn't mean he would make things hard on himself, which is why he had hoped this next Bakudo he used would be more efficient, still utilizing the "Eishōhaki" incantation method as his finger had to make several gestures in the air, likely giving away his move. But his movement was faster than hers, and getting her to move may prove necessary for further assessment of his Kido prowess.

" Bakudō #9, Geki. "

As his gestures were soon coming to an end, Shizuku swiftly brought about her own Kido, something he had vaguely foreseen due to the obvious gesture of a Kido in front of a Kidoshu member. Ryusuke felt the Hado collide with his firehead, causing him to tumble backwards a full rotation, even landing on his knee all-the-same. The dizzy sensation returned to him, causing his connection with the binding Kido to dissipate, as it would have immediately released Shizuku from paralysis. Since speaking was something one could do while gaining focus of their visual surroundings, the technique he had sought to exact on her was surely going to be more than familiar.

" Bakudō #63, Sajō Sabaku. "

Ryusuked extended his open hand skyward, bringing his fingers to clench into a fist to invoke the binding spell around her. It was hard to command the Bakudo, guiding it proving to be more than a challenge as he mustered all he could into making it reach Shizuku, and solely her. Would he capture his prize, or would she get away? With her witty tactics and efficiency with Kido, being a step ahead of him was hardly out of her reach, if at all.

It was a good thing he had someone such as her with foresight on Kido to test his skills in said art, meaning if he indeed landed something, on her it wasn't likely out of dumb luck. Ryusuke had earned his Bankai, his haori, but now he needed to attain the respect of Shizuku, as well as other Kido experts and masters among the ranks of the Kidoshu. They were like the good to the Goteijuusantai's bad, enforcing a balance into their realm. Kidoshu members were certainly much more pleasant to be around and operate with, and were likely of much higher moral standards than that of the Gotei's Shinigami. They were Ryusuke's kind of people, people he could trust, and get to know.