under the sea

Sharks start out as eggs, but incubate and hatch in the womb. Sometimes the number of pups is less than the number of eggs that were fertilised. Do you know why? Cannibalism. I'm not so terible after all.

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Domesticate (Kisame and Grimmjow)

[hellpanther]

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, interest undeniably piqued.

It was something that he had to keep under tight wraps here, his bloodlust, what with Pendulum being less forgiving with what was the norm in Hueco Mundo. In a way, it didn’t make too much of a dent in his life. Grimmjow didn’t take pride in senseless violence. Perhaps if he was that bored, sure, but in the end, it was the strength of the opponent that made it worth his while. He could elicit a hell of a lot more enjoyment out of a challenging battle with one than he ever could out of a thousand with weaklings.

The grin remained on his face, the Arrancar not once backing down.

“Ho? Must be a pretty hard life. So I take it you’re not gonna head in to get your ticket?”

Whoever this bastard was, it was clear to Grimmjow that he had to at least have a few tricks up his sleeve. There was strength in that muscle, and it might be worth his while to pry it out.

Although from the looks of it, he needn’t do much of that. Bastard was about as battle-driven as he was.

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Purposefully being as subtle as a rock to the head, the Shinobi was pleased to see that the stranger remained adamant in his glee. The creature was cut from the same cloth, and looked to be desiring some cutting of his own.

“I find myself suddenly disenchanted by the whole idea,” he chuckled, turning his back on the cinema. Moving a few paces, he turned and stared at the other for a moment, silently urging him to keep pace. There was a great deal to see in this city, it seemed. The top of his list now was the quality of it’s crop.

“I expect you’ll be able to direct me somewhere more appropriate for one looking for a good time,” he mused. Now that his blood was pumping, there were few activities that were likely to quell the pulsing in his ears. The drum that shook his core. Energy needed to be exerted, or at the very least his teeth sunk into something raw and bloody.

Whichever was the more immediate solution. “You strike me as a man familiar with many forms of leisure. I hope you wont disappoint me.” 

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Domesticate (Kisame and Grimmjow)

[hellpanther]

Grimmjow could almost, almost laugh at that little warning.

This bastard clearly had no idea who he was talking to.

It didn’t matter how much the stranger towered over Grimmjow; where the former Arrancar was from, it was those who possessed a smaller, more humanoid form that ought to be feared. The best monstrous height could give was for show- for their powers drastically paled in comparison to their more diminutive counterparts.

That, and Grimmjow had devoured thousands upon thousands of Hollows, often scoring more than three times the catch of what his Fraccions-to-be could have managed. The punks had consumed about three thousand by the time they had stopped, whilst Grimmjow continued.

His eyes gleamed- a mere glimpse at his feral nature.

Still, it was true that he was practically human now. The same rules didn’t quite apply.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’d definitely hate that. You must come from a pretty nice place, huh?” Puny human. He roughly shoved his shoulder out from under the man’s grasp, apparently unruffled. In the end, Grimmjow had racked up decades of battle experience this loser could only dream to get. Unless… “Bet ya feel a bit lost ‘round here, don’t ya? White picket fence life not for you?”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame had seen that look before, but not for a very long time, and least of all not in any creature he’d classify as human. In the Shinobi world, different villages went about training their elite in different ways. The Yondaime Mizukage had devised an elegant method of weeding out the weak and nurturing the strong. It was in those earliest moments that Kisame had seen the look of a monster.

Much later in life he saw it again, in the shells of creatures pretending to be human. The Jinchuuriki, hosts to the tailed beasts and their monstrous chakra. No matter their sort, their reason to fight or personality when they did so, in those moments between man and Bijuu, you could see how devoid of humanity they were.

It was thrilling to see that at Pendulum, if only for a heartbeat.

He made no move to grab the shorter man again, but regarded him with a fierce intensity, all plans for a relaxing afternoon thoroughly shredded.

“On the contrary, I’ve become quite accustomed to quiet living.” He had lived with partner whose favorite pastime was akin to watching a cactus grow. “Though it does unsettle me, going long periods of time without.. an outlet.” 

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Domesticate (Kisame and Grimmjow)

[hellpanther]

It was rare for Grimmjow to venture down here, but after all this time of gathering intel, trying to find his place in the city and just filling up his schedule with as much training as possible- he found that there was only so much he could do before needing to wind down. That was the deal with having this mangy human-grade body; it had its damned limits. 

Ironically enough, he found that he had so much more to do as a mortal than he did as Aizen’s soldier. 

Disgruntled, Grimmjow glanced about the cinema, icy blue eyes roaming over the digital posters of the films that were currently showing. Lots of action movies, some horror, humour, and a dash of that usual bucket of chick flick garbage…

“You there. Perhaps you could offer me a hand in understanding premise of these films?”

“Ha? You can read, can’t ya?” Grimmjow frowned. He would have thought the title Love, Actually alone was enough to explain what it was: stupid. Nonetheless, the former Arrancar came closer to examine the digital display the stranger had gestured at, apparently unaffected by Kisame’s appearance. “You must be new here… Well, you can watch that, if you’re interested in sappy shit about people falling in love. Romance, those movies chicks usually like.

“And these… These here, this one’s about humans exploring outer space and getting pulled into an alien war while they’re at it, this one’s about humans catching and fighting ghosts, and this one… I think it’s about villains banding together to save the world because they’re the only ones who can do it.”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame listened intently to each movie’s description, a clear sense of wonderment the obvious theme the creators had sought to convey. Fantastical ideas of men going to the stars, those of evil heart righting their wrongs, and even the supernatural. The people of this world were alike very few he had met. Clearly they hadn’t encountered adversity for some time, nothing else explained the carelessness they seemed to craft with.

Making a note to see how space was shown in this art (obviously it was impossible to actually traverse the stars) he took a moment to place a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.

“It is wise to treat strangers with respect,” he cautioned, smiling all the same as he spoke. His appearance was usually a deterrent to anything other than whispered remarks. There were few with the gall to treat a man of his appearance with anything other than a timid tolerance.

He continued the warning. “There are some who are known to respond to ill manners with excessive violence. You’d hate to stumble across that sort.”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Domesticate (Kisame and Grimmjow)

Kirigakure was full of unsavory individuals. Even allies were better regarded as another lurking threat. The tension that bubbled beneath the surface bred a society of killers and lethal Shinobi. At least it had during Kisame’s time there, training to be one more monster to crawl out from the mist. It was thrust upon him, but after it had been his choice to associate with even more like-minded creatures. It put him on edge, sharpened his senses and had him primed for conflict at any moment. He thrived on it.

Ironically, Pendulum’s peace was numbing. Without the apprehension and certainty of conflict it felt like he was walking about with a stuffed nose, or clogged ears. Bile rose in his throat when children smiled at him. Peacetime blues.

The city’s culture was foreign to him, but even it seemed wholesome. After Pandora’s branding it appeared as though she was making no move to follow up. Perhaps she’d placed a curse seal on him and was waiting for it to mature? Nothing he could do about that. Following up on his observation, he considered what the folk did for fun, standing before their cinemas. Konoha had one, even if Kirigakure didn’t. He was familiar with the practice, although they seemed like a much bigger deal here.

“You there.” Spying an individual loitering nearby, he beckoned with a crooked finger. “Perhaps you could offer me a hand in understanding premise of these films?” The titles were sorely lacking. ‘Love, Actually’ explained very little.

[shintenshin-archive]

Partners in crime;

[prodigyitachi]

A sigh of relief. Although Itachi suspected that the sheer meaning of his words did not quite sink into his former partner’s mind, but for the time being, he decided not to press the matter. There was no need to delve too much into it. Especially not when they had other issues to discuss.

But where to begin?

Settling into the armchair beside him, Itachi pondered on the request thoughtfully, contemplating. There had simply been too much that had transpired over the past few years.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said truthfully. “But if there is one thing you should bear in mind it’s that the last time I’ve seen you was five years ago, back at the hotel after we escaped from Jiraiya, Naruto-kun and Sasuke.” It really had been that long. “Time works differently here, Kisame. It’s distorted, as I’m sure Pandora has made you aware.

“There’ll be times when you’ll meet others who aren’t quite as you remember them- I’m an example of this. Thus far there isn’t much that we know about Pandora, save for the fact she does plan on returning our powers under certain conditions.

“We don’t know how or if it’s possible at all to return home either. It wasn’t before, but in this new world, we’re inclined to believe circumstances are the same as the last. I’ve been trying to leave since the day I was captured.”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

For Itachi to be at a loss, strange things must have transpired. Kisame waited, as was usually the case when his partner had anything important to do or say. There was no rushing an Uchiha, not if you wanted the right results. He waited, and Itachi delivered. It all sounded like nonsense, but Kisame listened intently as though it were gospel. Itachi had barely a funny bone in his body, so he didn’t often lie, at least not in the extreme like this.

“Five years ago?” he echoed, scratching his cheek as he thought. “And you say that was back when we were paying young Sasuke a visit?” A curious stepping off point, Pandora’s own explanation sounding quietly in his head. “My, my, my.. You’ve aged terribly in that case.”

It looked as though the two of them had a great deal to discuss. For Itachi’s part, he had lived five years in this city. A strange idea to wrap his head around. The information his partner had collected would be pivotal in his own survival here, as well as who he was now performing missions for. This lifestyle had to be a guise for something.

“On my end, I’d say something near to four years has passed since we visited Konoha together. Probably the busiest years of our life with the Akatsuki, too.” So much had happened compared to when they had first joined. “Is it safe to talk here, or will the blonde be back soon?”

[mynameisnotbambi]

Droit Moral

[mynameisnotbambi]

He regarded the person beside him. Akatsuki–former or otherwise–weren’t hard to pick out in a crowd and definitely not hard to forget, especially this one. But there was rarely a situation anymore that warranted being actively on guard, so he approached the comment as he would with anyone else.

Shikamaru shrugged. “I guess if you want to get into psychology or something you can find a way to link it to emotion, the human state, whatever. But that’s too troublesome. Clearly the guy was just in a rush and didn’t watch where he was going. I bet if you could walk straight up and look at it, you’d see his footprint,” he said.

“I wouldn’t take you for the art viewing type, though,” he admitted, not unkindly. “Then again, I’ve seen weirder characters come through here already…” He wasn’t sure if they were part of the exhibits themselves, or just questionably dressed.

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame tried to apply the same logic to his former comrades. If art were linked to psychology, perhaps a few things could be explained. Deidara was an erratic, impulse-serving braggart, where Sasori was calm, methodical and goal-orientated. The evaluation twisted to humor though and Kisame snorted a laugh. They were of a similar mindset here.

“You’d be correct in your assumption,” he confirmed. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many things for my type to do in this city for fun. Nothing legal, at least.” He’d accepted that people would know him from their previous life, even if he didn’t necessarily know them. His appearance would at least be spoken of-- he wasn’t the most inconspicuous of men.

Looking around at the other colorful freaks, he peered down at the young man. “What about you? Clearly this isn’t your scene, or you’d be fawning over the-- what was it again? Psychology of the art?” 

[mynameisnotbambi]

Droit Moral

Art. Quiet, immovable… and quiet. Mostly. Save for the echo of footsteps off linoleum tiled floors or the occasional whisper carried through open space, the gallery proved to be a perfect escape. Shikamaru strolled through the labyrinthine halls at his own pace, stopping here and there to view this painting or that sculpture.

He’d come here for their newest exhibit that was available to peruse throughout the rest of the month. It promised, on top of some new talent, a number of historical facts that he figured would come in handy with unraveling the enigma that was Pendulum City. Additionally, it was entertainment and Shikamaru was in the market for some of that. With Ino and the baby, along with the absence of other friends, current life was pretty damn boring.

He stopped in front of one particular painting, best described as a literal splash of colour across the canvas, as if the artist had been in a hurry and accidentally knocked over his paints in his rush. It was devoid of any sort of structure, which he supposed made it so interesting in the first place.

“I guess you can put anything on a wall and they’ll pay you for it,” he muttered to the person beside him.

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame never understood art. He hadn’t made any exceptional attempt to decipher its lure, but honestly it seemed like a waste of time. Some Shinobi had been able to hide information within pictures, or code in poems, and in that regard he could see the use for the medium. But for entertainment? What a lovely day to look at colored paper.

There was no denying that some of these works required skill, but with that amount of comments he had received throughout the tour his charitable bone was grinding down. Evidently many had assumed that he was part of the exhibit. A change from the usual cries, although just as infuriating when they tried to deconstruct his character. He’d walked off on more than one fan.

When he approached the chaos of paint hanging on the wall, he scowled at it. This one wasn’t even trying, a fact pointed out by another patron. “It’s rubbish. I knew a couple of guys who’d argue endlessly about art, and even they would agree with me on this.”

[dattebaasa]

dangerous men. 

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Stalker (Kisame and Shisui)

Kisame was slow in his preparation for life in Pendulum. There was no great rush, no terrible foe to overcome or summit to reach. With everything taken from him, it would be some time before he was able to reclaim it. That time was supposedly decided by the woman who ran the city, which meant he was at the mercy of her whim. So, he needed to preoccupy himself. There were sights he had seen and living arrangements he had organised, even a few past acquaintances that he’d managed to catch up with. Even with his meandering pace, there was further opportunity to sate curiosity. 

Luckily for him, there was no better way to spend time than to follow around an Uchiha, and Pendulum had an excess amount.

Itachi had done a number on the clan back in their world, leaving only his troublesome brother to carry on the name. That boy was a nuisance though, and Kisame knew all he’d ever need to about him. All these new Uchiha though, it was like Pandora had released special editions of his favourite toys. Similar models, but with cool new features. So, once Kisame had located one, he set about following him around. It was as good a way as any to kill time.

[shintenshin-archive]

Partners in crime;

[prodigyitachi]

This reunion was, without a doubt, less than ideal.

Itachi stared down at his former Akatsuki partner, not at all proud with what he had done, but knew very well that it was a road that led to less damage overall. Kisame was a large man who possessed brute strength, while for all of her achievements, Ino had just given birth- now was the time for her to recuperate.

Upon releasing a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding back, Itachi set to work. He began by half carrying his former partner to the couch, where the older man would be able to rest more comfortably. The elder’s head was placed on a soft pillow; Itachi took care not to aggravate the area that Kisame had been hit.

By the time Kisame awakened, Itachi had tidied and cleared the room (and of course, the kitchen) of anything that could be made into a makeshift weapon. Even if he had trusted the other in the past, he wasn’t entirely certain of how Kisame would receive him now. He had never been.

But he did possess enough of the sentiment to have this conversation here instead of out in the open, where it was undoubtedly safer.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you harm that woman. She’s important, and she’s already weak,” came Itachi’s calm response, even while he eyed Kisame with concern. “Are you feeling alright?”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame had reached the conclusion on his own, but perhaps the depths of the meaning were lost on him even still. To maintain a facade even to this degree, she had to have been pivotal to Itachi’s goal. Kisame would need to prod and find out what that was, assuming the Uchiha would give hint to his mission.

“I can’t use my chakra Itachi-san, my eyes still work.” The girl hadn’t looked terribly powerful, even if she hadn’t been so drained. Her use physically would be limited, and if all Shinobi were here without their jutsu then her only use would be information. Without the sharingan, Itachi must have resorted to espionage to weed out the details he needed. A clever plan, before his old partner came to town.

Weighing the question for a moment, he bared teeth in a grin. “If you could take me out that easily we wouldn’t have been paired together.”

“Go on then, fill me in on it all. Pendulum, Pandora, the target; time to hit the ground running.”

[stoicharbinger]

On the contrary, the more intimidating individuals rather enjoyed deliberately flaring it just to unnerve the more easily frightened ones. Tobi had done just that what seemed like decades ago, announcing his presence on her doorstep just to see if she would scurry away like a scared little church mouse. All the same, Kisame wasn’t wrong. Being placed in unfamiliar terrain, completely defenseless at that, Konan would be wise to find other means of distinguishing possible threats. 

As far as her offer, that kindness was extended simply because of the fact that as far as Konan was concerned they were still team mates. To whatever extent, and even if she had never personally worked with him out on the field, she would still have his back in a fight. The Akatsuki had once been the only family she had of her own, seeing more of it’s former members now rekindled the hope that all of them would be brought back one day. It was a far stretch, but it didn’t hurt to dream. 

No comment was made in response to his jibe. Angel, God’s messenger, blue haired bitch..hand of god was new to her but it was just a meaningless title when she was currently none of those things. A sideways glance was spared his way as Konan softly questioned.  “Where would you like to begin?”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame was at ease with one with little to say, having adopted the mantle himself before joining the Akatsuki. There was never much point in getting to know your teammates when you might suddenly need to cut them down. The terrorist organization changed all that when he was dumped in a two-man cell. Itachi had quickly become the one of few words, and Kisame seemed like a chatterbox in comparison. With little hope of cutting the Uchiha down any faster than a spoon could cut steel, there was merit in developing a rapport.

So, Konan was easy to keep pace with.

“Lets see where you’re staying,” he suggested. “Then you can show me how to get from there back to my place.” Never hurt to have somewhere to fall back to. 

[make-a-guess]

今年もよろしくお願いします～！ | 兔仔 [pixiv]

Posted with permission. All the credit goes to wonderful artist/author, not me. Thus, please do not edit/repost this article without permission.

[shintenshin-archive]

Partners in crime;

[prodigyitachi]

Itachi had always known that one day, his new life would create great confusion between himself and his former comrades.

Between himself and everyone from the Shinobi world, really, and here was a fine example of it. This was the panic that he had predicted would come to be should outsiders be exposed to their relationship without any prior explanation. Of course none of the members of the Akatsuki would believe this.

They’d swiftly peg this as a mission, and nothing else.

That, or loss of sanity.

There was no time to lose.

With one swing, he let the bat fall to knock Kisame out in a single blow.

“Ino, get away from here! Now.”

If there was one thing he could recall about his former partner, it was that Kisame was an exceedingly sturdy opponent. Even if he’d been knocked unconscious, that did not mean he wouldn’t wake up any time soon. It was best for Ino to stay completely out of reach.

[shintenshin-archive]

Fortunately, she had been one of the people who had been spared from Kisame’s rampaging days. But it did not mean Ino would blindly trust anyone in the Akatsuki. Itachi and Konan were trustworthy and unwilling to battle unless provoked, but the likes of Hidan and Kakuzu… he was cut from their clothe. Her insides quaked with fear- but none of it for herself. It was for her child.

Ino didn’t even pay the T-shirt Itachi came down with any attention. She always bought slogan shirts like that and didn’t think much of it - her pressing issue right now was the over 6 foot tall shark-man in her living room.

Ino blinked, stunned, when the man crumpled underneath. She was speechless, but always quite a good partner when it came to working with others. She nodded mutely and dashed into the room to take Haku from the basket he was asleep in and mentioned his mother.

Before heading out, she paused just briefly by the doorframe- Itachi would be okay alone with him, right?

“Be careful!”

And she padded across the street, still barefoot, right to Mikoto’s residence. Should she call Shisui?

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Kisame hit the ground hard, confusion and determination snuffed out and enveloped in darkness. By the time consciousness returned to him, it came with another wave of questions. Memory trickled back to him, a hand moving to test the back of his head. Surprise arouse as he felt a pillow nestled beneath him. This was certainly a strange pace since his last abduction.

Sitting up silently, mildly perturbed by how easily he fell now that he had lost the better part of his strength, he reminded himself that he was taken by surprise. A bitter fact to contend with. He also had to remember that the one doing the attacking was well-trained in such matters. Kisame was lucky to be alive, all things considered.

“Itachi-san had better have a good reason for that,” he grumbled, sizing up the room and the nearest weapon he could fashion if he needed it. It was doubtful, given that other than the bump he was in perfect condition, but a Shinobi’s life was never simple. Especially when an Uchiha was involved.

“You lose your memories as well as your powers, or were you just that happy to see me?”

[stoicharbinger]

“Perhaps, I’d like to think it’s because we’ve been stripped of our abilities and thus I couldn’t sense your chakra.” 

Best that little tidbit be left unmentioned. Should Konan discover he worked for the man that had ended her life, it would make for a sticky turn of events. No need to ruin this happy little reunion, right? 

Behind the safety of her double Decker ice cream cone, Konan secretly smiled at his words before enjoying the sweet minty flavor invading her palate. Should he get in the water then they would really need to start worrying. “Far too long, Kisame-san. If you need a tour guide or any help just let me know.” 

[mist-kaijin-blog]

“You’ve been relying on it too much, then,” he countered with a wry grin. So many sorts of Shinobi could disguise their chakra, it was unwise to use it as the sole method of tracking prey.

Her offer was kind, a trait uncommon in their line of work. Hunting, kidnapping, overthrowing governments. Destabilizing nations. Shinobi were a cruel breed of man, the Akatsuki an even worse extension. He smiled.

“Who am I to deny the hand of god when it’s extended?” he teased. “I could use a more educated guide.”

[ladyoflilies-blog]

as sweet as sugar.

[ladyoflilies-blog]

The question almost, almost made Hancock curl her lips, but she refrained. Boa Hancock had grasped her plan well enough in mind that she knew this was a facade she’d have to maintain nearly at all times possible.

“Oh, yes… That is true for everyone in this city, Kisame-san. Thanks to Pandora, everyone has lost everything that makes them special. Their powers, their weapons, all of their equipment… Gone. The only way you can reclaim them is through tournaments.

“At least, that is the only method I know of now. Pandora has not made mention of anything else. Many have just returned from an event of the sort, in fact.

”I guess you can say that this is your new home now.”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Lips curled for a moment to reveal sharp teeth, quickly hidden away with a disguising cough. So he’d not lost his jutsu for good, nor would Samehada be away from him for long. All he had to do was compete in a few tournaments are he’d earn them back. Easy enough for one with his specific skill set.

“This Pandora is awfully ambitious,” he pondered. “Taking away everyone’s powers and then dishing them back as morsels for rewards.”

“She might be playing with fire.” If even one Shinobi of Kisame’s skill were here with him and the two of them could obtain their full strength, Pandora would find her pond a lot less roomy.

“Did you participate in such an event, Hebihime-sama, or was someone performing on your behalf?”

[shintenshin-archive]

Partners in crime;

Thread order: @shintenshin > @mist-kaijin > @prodigyitachi continued from here 

She could only confirm that he was dangerous as soon as that toned body tensed to attack her. His pointy teeth looked like he could eat her in three pieces or less- and Haku - the baby would be swallowed whole!

She shouted for Itachi to come running and was glad when she could smell his familiar scent become closer. He was also holding a weapon, carrying a bat much like a staff and for that, Ino was glad.

Ino didn’t want to strike Kisame and lose the only weapon she had- she’d wait for her moment.

“Itachi! Quick!” Ino told him, miming a smashing motion aimed for Kisame’s head. “He’s going to eat-”

…

Wait. Had Itachi mentioned the name Kisame? Ino had heard of him, through both Itachi and Asuma on separate occasions. He was meant to be a renegade Mist shinobi that had been partnered with Itachi. All Akatsuki members worked in pairs. Ino knew that.

Her eyes narrowed but she didn’t drop her crude weapon. “Wasn’t that your partner’s name?”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

So much happening at once, the information inbound had to be segregated and compartmentalized. He chose to start with the blonde.

She was familiar, he couldn’t place where or why, but she seemed to know Itachi. Quick to defend herself, no doubt she was a Shinobi. Had he killed someone she knew? Possible.

And then there was Itachi, or at least someone who looked remarkably like him, charging in with weapon ready and the single most ridiculous top Kisame had even seen. Body turned, ready to defend on two fronts if need be. However, by now some sort of recollection seemed to be dawning on them all.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Careful to keep an eye on the blonde, he knew where he’d find the calculating logic he needed. “World's Sexiest Dad?” There was a lot that needed to be explained, when the truth dawned on him. This house, the Shinobi woman and that shirt.. Itachi was undercover. If that was the case, he had to act fast before he blew his old partner’s cover. Giving the Uchiha the smallest of nods, he whirled back and prepared to knock out the woman. Maybe the concussion would distort her memories of this event.

[ladyoflilies-blog]

as sweet as sugar.

[ladyoflilies-blog]

Hesitant, was he?

Well, she supposed that was no surprise. The racial tension that existed between Fishmen and men was no secret. Even if his race was an improvement over men, that didn’t mean she ought to throw away all caution. There were those that were notorious for unleashing their resentment in the form of violence on humans.

It would be best for her to keep an eye out for any suspicious signs from this one.

“Hancock. Boa Hancock,” she said graciously. “Most address me as Hebihime-sama.”

Ought she continue to use that name here? If she were to create the illusion of warmth among the citizens of Pendulum, it might be best to discard that title. Hmm…

“Settling in has been a bit of a task, but I’m managing… And yourself? What is your name?”

[mist-kaijin-blog]

Quite the dramatic title, but Kisame had known many who had called themselves a whole manner of things. He personally had a whole armada of different titles thrust upon him, perhaps she had just chosen the least ostentatious one.

“Alright, Hebihime-sama.” She couldn’t have been much worse than the last snake fella he knew. “Hoshigaki Kisame.” He almost tacked on ‘and don’t forget it!’ but so far only one person had struggled with his name..

“Life’s not without its obstacles.” If this truly was life. He hadn’t decided whether or not this was the after life, an edo tensei or a different dimension entirely. “Coming here.. did you happen to have something taken from you?”