School Days [Kaimu]

So they were gone... Lakshmi squeezed Kai's hand more and stuffed the bun in her mouth, tearing off a bite and chewing it slowly as he spoke. She nodded a bit, taking another bite. That sounded like a good idea! Take them somewhere they want to go! That sounded perfect!

But places she wanted to go?

....

Lakshmi's eyes fell as she stared at the ground. She wasn't sure how to answer that... "...I do not...have any... I-I guess...just home. I-India I mean. It is pretty, and warm."

She gave a weak smile but let go of his hand to tug at her loosening hair.

"Aah, they had interest in India as well, though it'd be difficult to go...I definitely would if I could take them there without complications. I don't want to make trouble for them though, hmm..."

India would be a problem when all things were considered. He knew Lakshmi would love to see home again, but..

He could...could try to get food from there! Or at least attempt to replicate it!

He...might have to...break down and...actually ask....Sh...Shirakawa...if he were...to do that, but...but it was for Lakshmi! If it was for Lakshmi then he could definitely do that, even if it was really hard to!

"I see... Um... Well I like... I like islands I guess, from the pictures I've seen. They seem warm and nice, w-with a lot of sun! Well warm islands... in...in tropical zones... I-I guess I like going places I've never been too? D-Does any of this help?" Lakshmi was quick to try and reassure the man, Kaimu seemed down about it and she waved her hands with a bun in it worriedly.

She rather liked new places or experiencing new things...Others might not, but this man would know if his special person did or not! Especially if he was going to all this trouble.

Just she wished there was more she could do for him... She was useless at this sort of thing. What did people want to do for birthdays? Lakshmi liked quiet things really.

"Islands..." Kaimu thought for a few moments; there was that island Lakshmi had taken him to...she could go there whenever she wanted though really, but if he could make it special somehow...

If he could make it special somehow then it could be a perfect spot!

It was near the ocean, and the area she had that house was a great location!

The only...obstacle he had...was himself, food wise...if he wanted Lakshmi to have all of her absolute favorites, which he did, he'd need...Shirakawa's help. It had to be perfect, and Lakshmi had often spoke of how he was able to make it as close as possible to what she loved....

He...He would ask for help, he had to!

Kaimu nodded a couple of times; "That could work, that could definitely work! This is a big help! Thank you~!"

Kai seemed to be deep in thought so when he nodded a few times and seemed enthusiastic, Lakshmi flushed and looked away as she too nodded. Only once, she was not that enthusiastic about things.

A warm smile she aimed at the ground was present though and she laughed very softly. "I-I am glad I could help... I-I hope they enjoy it lots. Y-You are welcome Kai."

An awkward silence descended after that, Lakshmi unable to look up at him and instead glancing out and over at the people who walked by. It was easier to watch them from a distance...it was easier to watch everything from a distance, even if it was lonelier.

She gave a soft sigh and pulled her legs up so she could wrap her arms around them in a familiar way. When Lakshmi was upset or worried over something she sat like this on her bed or against things...

"Mhmm! I hope they enjoy it too!" He was getting information from the very person he'd be giving this day to~ So he definitely hoped she would in fact enjoy it!

Hm?

Kaimu blinked as Lakshmi...curled up. His eyes followed towards the direction she was looking to see others walking about. She was watching them? Lakshmi...she was really shy at this point in time, so...she probably didn't spend time with others much...

He would be here...for probably a bit longer! There was no telling how long he'd be here, but he was here so he would definitely be here for her!

"Ne~ Lak-tan~!" He called; it was perfectly logical for him to know her name! He could say he'd seen it on her notes when he'd picked them all up! "What's something you enjoy doing? We can do that! Since you're taking off classes today, you should have fun!" He doubted they'd find any answers on why he was in the predicament he was in...and Lakshmi seemed sad, she was all curled up and he knew what that meant.... So he wanted to help cheer her up!

Lakshmi turned to Kaimu with a look of disbelief and then shook her head firmly with a flushed face before burying it against her legs. "No! N-No that would be so wrong! I-I am skipping class to help you not have fun! I do not think I could do such a thing..."

It didn't matter how lonely she was...or starved for affection from others... At that thought she shook her head more firmly against her leg. "It would be so wrong to skip a class such as this to...to goof off!"

Her voice was much louder than usual, though still muffled by her legs. She was a good student! She was a really good student, she did not play hooky for silly reasons like having fun!

"Eeeh~?" So she wasn't willing to skip for fun... He had to give a good enough reason to do so then? He doubted cheering her up would convince her, if anything it'd make her extremely flustered...

What could be a good way to convince her then...?

"This whole ordeal has been really stressful, and a distraction would be really, really appreciated! We can find something fun to do! To distract me from worrying!" That maybe? It...wasn't entirely a lie, but...but he was managing. He wanted to cheer Lakshmi up though! That wasn't a silly reason!

"I-I am model student... I...do all my homework and I do not skip...for...silly reasons..." Lakshmi muttered at the playful tone, shaking her head more. She wasn't! She was a good student and she did her best! She enjoyed classes!

Her head turned slowly and a bit of the woman she would become shined through in the most... She gave him a sardonic look that was...a bit just utterly mystified as well.

"...I'm not that young. I'm two hundred years old Kai! You want me to skip class and goof off and am trying to get me to do it by using guilt! I-I am shy and lonely but I am not stupid!" Her cheek puffed up and she buried her face against her leg. "H-How come I got... a handsome...bad influence ghost...I-Isn't...it all miserable...enough..."

"Uuu..." So she'd seen right through him! A whine escaped him at that... He just wanted her to have some fun, and she was already planning on skipping class because of him! She might as well try to enjoy her time out!

Some of his own typical self shined through as she saw through his attempts. "Lak-taaaaan...."

She was lonely, and he was trying to do good by giving her a fun time! "I just want you to have some funn... I really don't think we'll find anything on why I'm like this! I wanna have fun with Lak-tan and make her happyyyy!"

Handsome...? Even in another time she found him to be as such~ She had no idea that in her future she'd be seeing him at a constant~ She'd have "handsome" Kai-tan all to herself~

"I don't mean to be a bad influence, but you're already set on skipping because of me..." Even though he'd said she definitely didn't have to. "And I don't think we'll find anything... so I want you to have fun rather than...most likely wasting your time on me..."

His whine had left him, and he was speaking seriously now. Really... Other than just wait around for another portal hopefully he doubted they could do much else...

His eyes went to the bag she'd gotten her curry buns in, "Here, eat another curry bun, they'll help!" She loved food like this, so it should help cheer her up!

How could a grown man whine like that and why was it endearing!? Lakshmi was glad her face was hiding because she was flushing more... and more and more. How could he call her that nickname with such a tone!? Nevermind that she didn't know how he knew it, it must have been earlier... when he got her notes...

Words though, words she wasn't expecting caused her to pop up and stare over at Kaimu with a dark face full of blushing. H-Happy... He wanted her happy and he wanted her to skip class to be happy and enjoy herself with him... and he wanted... this... he barely knew her! How could he want... want to do this!

Even if he had a serious tone, even if he was trying...

No!

As his eyes went to the curry bun bag, she fled in the only direction she thought could help. Up. Despite being in school, she already knew Shunpo thanks to her heritage and other than a lack of zanpakuto and kido she was rather well trained.

So with a flicker and a rather loud little scream of no, the high level technique was imployed to get her into the tree branches about ten feet up as she clung to them, staring down at Kai in disbelief. "I-It won't help!"

"Eh?"

He'd...expected her to become flustered... He had, but... This!? She'd bolted right up the tree! She had gotten...that flustered!?

Kaimu stood, though really he was floating still, as he tried to peer up the tree to see her.

He followed her up soon after, floating his way up to a branch of equal height as he attempted to seat himself on it. "Aaa...I didn't mean to make you react like that!" He said quickly, though... He had meant every word! He wanted her to have a nice time since she was set on skipping already!

As Kaimu chased her up the tree, Lakshmi panicked and bolted up higher, climbing quickly and ignoring his words. She could not listen to him! He was flustering! He was too old for her! He was too handsome and too nice! He was going to disappear and leave her alone!

"Nononononono!" Her voice got louder in panic as she tried to get away from the weird ghost man with pretty eyes!

Eeeeh!?

Lakshmi had just gone up higher!? If she went too high though that could be dangerous when she was flustered like this! She needed to get back on ground level!

"Lak-taaan! If you climb too high like that it could be bad!" He didn't float any higher, not wanting her to attempt to go up even higher if he did so.

All that came from the tree that she was scrambling up was another soft whine, before a loud and short shriek followed as she slipped from the branch that she was scrambling up. With arms waving, her panic not allowing her to flashstep or get in a safe way to land, she went tumbling from the tree, out into open air. She hit a few branches first, with soft oomphs before dropping.

"Aaaa! Lak-tan!" Kaimu's immediate first response was to attempt to grab her, but when he was like this...it wasn't like he could pick her up or anything! Why did he have to be so limited in a form like this! Damn ghost appearance thing!

The least he could do was break her fall so she wouldn't risk getting extremely hurt; when he was unable to hold her completely he attempted to quickly move under her before she hit the ground. She could fall on him, and not hit the ground!

The man's grab for her left Lakshmi squeaking and reaching for the offered arms instinctively, but barely grabbed hold before he slipped out of her reach. It slowed her fall just enough that she was about to flash step to the ground and land properly, however she was stopped from that action by the soft feeling of being caught. She had landed in someone's arms... Her eyes wide, she stared up at Kaimu in shock and fluster, her face as dark as was possible for it to go with a blush.

At least she froze, her fleeing attempts stopped by this as her breath caught in her throat. "H-Handsome..."

It hadn't caught enough to not stop her mouth from muttering that.

Kaimu let out a sigh of relief when catching Lakshmi had turned out to work, he'd been really worried she'd fall through him or something! "Are you alright?" He'd caught her, but she had to have hit some branches on the way down...

Eh...?

If the fox man had a tail...this would be time that it wagged.

"Ehhh~? Lak-tan finds me handsome~ Hehe~" He couldn't help it, he couldn't help himself from letting that out at all. He was trying hard not to tease, but damn it! Even he could not let all opportunities slip...

Lakshmi stared up, entranced and unable to look away now that she was in fact staring at someone else. He was right there... She was going to die. Die and melt and just die... Someone else so close and touching her...

Was he..was there an invisible tail wagging? Lakshmi squeaked as she sensed the happiness the man was exuding. She squeaked more and covered her face with her hands. "S-So what! I-It's not...not bad... I-I am allowed...to...to find anyone... I-I want...h-handsome...o-or pretty or..."

Flustered messes were hard to think in, very hard to think in.

Kaimu gave a light, happy laugh at Lakshmi's words; she was flustered, he couldn't help but want to tease a bit. "Riiight~!"

She was right, she was allowed to find anyone she wanted handsome or pretty~!

Ah, if only this Lakshmi knew what she was like in the present~ It was a shame he could say nothing on the matter. Her reaction would have been something, definitely...

Kai was laughing at her! Aaaaaah! This man was so odd and weird and he was just a ghost! Why was he a ghost... Why was he speaking like that and smiling like that!?

"P-Put me down...please..." Her hands lowered from her face as she glanced away, not at the handsome smiling face that made her say stupid things. He was too old by far for her! There was something familiar about him though, like she'd seen him before... He kind of stood out looks wise so she couldn't be sure but... something was poking at her mind.

Maybe if she was out of his arms she could think...

With another happy chuckle, Kaimu set Lakshmi down properly on her feet, backing away a step once he was sure she had her bearings. She wanted to be put down, he would put her down; no problem!

It seemed she was alright, even after that fall...

He was glad he'd been able to catch her or there might have been actual damage... She was alright though!

Kai was such a laughing happy man... it was throwing her off. Lakshmi was set down and scooted over a few feet, roses blooming on her cheeks as best they could from both the laughter and smile plus his actions in the first place.

Adjusting her uniform a bit, she patted off the leaves that had accumulated from her fall and dusted her butt off from earlier... Where had she seen those looks before? They weren't common that was for sure, so she should NOT be having such an issue. If she'd never seen someone like him...then she would have never seen it!

Those eyes and hair though... Wait...wait in a few of her classes there was... a quiet man... Her blush disappeared and she peered up at Kaimu now with undisguised curiosity. "...Are you the father of one of my classmates? Should you not feel... a bit bothered to be teasing and flirting with someone your child's age?"

Two people with the same exact looks? Could only be father and son!

......

...

...Father!?

Hah!?

Kaimu, unable to stop himself, looked completely shocked by the accusation. W...Was she talking about past him and him!? Why would two generations right after the other both have his eyes! That was simply too rare, almost impossible!

He was not his father!

"I...I'm no....a..." Damn it Lak-tan!

He looked so shocked! Kai did not know then? Lakshmi's blush returned with full force. "Ah! My apologies! There is just... a man with similar features as yours in class and I assumed you are related since well they are very very rare!"

How could she not assume they had some connection! She hadn't ever been introduced to the man, but his looks were startling so she had seen him from a distance in the classes... It just seemed rather strange to her was all. "Are you sure you aren't related then? Maybe cousins?"