Above the crowd of people, near the back, a figure floated in the sky. A tightly wrapped spear with red ribbons of cloth hanging off the end, supported a man sitting on top of it. He sat with one leg dangling off its side, and his arm rested up on his bent knee. Leaning his head into his hand with a bored expression, the other hand held a straw-thin pipe up to his lips. He had never smoked in life, but now the smoke wouldn't effect his cardio considering he was dead. Small puffs trailed away from him, dissipating into nothing against the night sky. Kobe wasn't exactly anti-social, but had shown up [i]way[/i] too early. So when a bunch of other Shinagami he didn't know began filtering into the courtyard, he released his Shikai and retreated into the air. He had been quietly smoking and waiting for some familiar faces to pop up since.

     Before he knew it, the crowd was too dense with black robes for him to even pick out one of his friends. Hell, he'd do with an acquaintance at this point just to feel less singled out. So, he just sat where he was atop his Zanpakuto and listened to the Captain-Commander's speech. 

     The words "Promise to get stronger," rang out like funeral bells in Kobe's head. He had made that promise to himself unprompted when he'd entered the academy. Since his death, he had the feeling that he hadn't lived up to his full potential in life. He refused to make that mistake again. So his academy days had been filled with extra training and studying. He had gone out of his way to find the top students and ask them for tips, or sparring matches. Asami and Nakejima had obliged him more than once, which he was grateful for. Their Illusion-type Zanpakuto had awakened him to the fact that strength was not the only thing he should strive for. Without a proper strategy, someone with more versatile abilities could easily run circles around them. This had been a valuable lesson.

     His grades still weren't perfect, he had NO Kido ability to speak of, but he had graduated as one of the better power-type Shinagami and been rather proud of that fact. Still, the Captain's question left him wondering, [i]have I gotten stronger? Really?[/i] this self doubt would not leave him, so he scanned the crowd and took another puff to distract himself from it. Then he spotted Jin, and it was as if a chain around his chest made from anxiety had loosened a bit. By this time the Captain's speech was over, and there was enough room between the groups of friends for him to lower himself down next to his friend.

     "Damn, who knew the Captain-commander was a brazen alcoholic. Makes me feel not so bad about this little habit I've picked up post-mortem," he commented to the other man, tapping out the ash from his pipe against the hilt of his spear. He deposited the item into the folds of his robes, and looked at Jin with a mischievous grin. Past the other man, he spotted Nakejima standing amongst the crowd. Catching her eye, he gave her a polite waive and turned his attention back to Jin to hear his reply.

Characters mentioned: [@Psyker Landshark] [@RevekaRed] [@Brink]