Tempted by the Tempo (Imakuran)

Karakura teemed with life in the settling rays of an afternoon sun. A closer observation would allow a sight of smiling faces, stern ones fading into the shade to escape the arrival of night. Children were hushed as their tear-streaked faces are carried off by the strong arms of their fathers, mothers anxiously trailing behind. Once the more tame of the population found solace in cramped apartments, the nocturnes slithered from the depths of nests well-hidden.

Not evil people, per say, but one's that didn't seem to fit quite well into Karakura's societal norms. Tall, lanky, short, filled out. Dressed as pirates or escorts you couldn't quite decide. Millions of people shifting closer to each other to whisper secrets, to trade memories in the dark. It tested the will of those with little control and singled out the meek. Too many people felt confused in this city; a fact that was taken advantage of by the women sitting on the edge of a building. She couldn't remember who's store this happened to be... Was it indeed Eiji's? Maybe one of her contacts... Did it matter?

Her legs swung back and forth over the ledge viewing a young man tumbling about with sensitive merchandise. Unpainted lips curled into a sinister grin as the man's face twisted from nonchalant to clear distress. Beads of sweat gathered at dark locks descending downwards to curve along his jaw. Every detail of his face glowed under the light of the post lamp. The light flickered for a moment as the man stumbled across a piece of trash, the object in his hands flying forward. His eyes widened considerably.

Immediately the situation before her was assessed. Too many people in one area. If this thing activated, there would be a disruption within Central, a spiritual pressure contamination, and a temporary ass kicking to be dealt. Snorting, her feet paused in their swinging to let her torso fall forward and off of the building. Relaxing, she felt her coat whip in the wind. Black fabric flowed about like rivulets dancing. Lunging. Feeling she'd had enough of this free fall, she kicked in some of her shunpo. The man narrowly evaded a kiss with concrete as his face watched on in horror.

Civilians turned their gazes to the new arrival. A short stature of a woman. Short, rustic brown hair streaked white from a darkness that laid within her. Storm grey eyes narrowed silver as she easily swung the man out of her path into the trash that happened to be behind her. Brown skin contrasted to the blue scout's uniform hidden beneath the black coat trailing over her shoulders. A loud shriek slit through the night. Why?

Silver metal illuminated under the light as it balanced an egg shaped triangular prism. Said prism glowed at its contact of her sword. Kaida's lips twitched, bringing a clear prominence to the scar above them. Sighing at her save, she glowered at the man on the street. "Do you have any idea how much of an idiot you are?"

The man shivered, shaking his head as his calloused hands helpless grasped at the item high above his head. "Y-you don't understand, I need that to give to the Corps! It was my task to build this and bring it to them...If they don't have it by 10, I'll be seen as a fugitive."

"Will you?" Her uncaring tone slapped some self-awareness into him, striking him like pain. Kaida clearly remembered telling someone what to say to this man. Yoshi was the nickname she'd given him. And if you weren't threatening with Yoshi, he'd just bend to the will of someone who was and you'd lose your merchandise quicker than you could say 'wuss'. Plucking the prism from her sword, she carefully placed it into a pocket buckled to her hip. Yoshi began whining again. Then he became increasingly dramatic as tears bundled at the corners of his eyes.

Kai growled under her breath, spinning on her heel to catch something fluttering in the darkness. You could barely make it out, but she knew that figure anywhere. Too well depending on one's viewpoint. To the rest of the shocked bystanders frozen in the street the sudden swinging of her sword made it appear as if she were going to kill Yoshi. Screams and gasps bombarded her eardrums, one of the many belonging to Yoshi. His eyes squeezed shut, arms immediately going upwards to cover the entirety of his head.

All she could do was roll her eyes as she aimed at what was trapping the figure in the darkness-- until something stopped the blade.