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tampered2007-08-14 09:52 pm
floating-bamboo.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-08-14 09:52 pm
Log; Incomplete
When; August 10, 2007, afternoon (backdated, sorry)
Rating; PG
Characters; Ukitake {![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
floating_bamboo}, Yoruichi {goddes_of_flash} & Rukia {juicebox_woes}
Summary; Jyuushirou meets up with Yoruichi at the temple for some tea. Then Rukia shows up and demonstrates her new moves.
Log;
Heaving a slight sigh, more out of boredom and the simple fact that it was hot and humid and mildly uncomfortable that anything else, Yoruichi brushed an errant strand of dark violet hair out of her eyes, golden eyes glancing through her fringe and watching the afternoon sun filter through the leaves. Jyuushirou would be along soon, and then they could start the business of getting the man settled in.
It had proven nice, so far, to see some familiar faces in this place. Isshin, Jyuushirou. Kisuke, but that was a given. Even Byakuya, to a degree. While the dark-skinned shinigami never regretted her choice to follow the exiled twelfth division captain into the Living World, that by no means negated the fact that she had had -- still had, apparently -- friends in Seireitei. Comrades. Old acquaintances and other faces of her past. And now... she had her freedom, and yet she could still see them, still interact with them. In a way, it was almost like having her old life combined with her current one.
But right now wasn't the time for musing. No, right now was the time for waiting -- and sweating, apparently. Damn clothes, she never could get used to the feel of them. And they kept her from cooling off, too.
---
Jyuushirou wrote the last words in the communicator as he saw Yoruichi by the gate. He gave her a bright smile, rising a hand in a wave. He knew he must look rather haggard by now - his hair was tousled and he was rather tired. The fever he'd had this morning hadn't exactly eased after showing up in the City, and all the news he had heard had taken it's toll on the silver-haired shinigami. He was looking solemn, but the smile was genuine.
"Yoruichi. How lovely to see you."
He said, fortunately not out of breath even though he had been zipping back and forth from the city to the hot springs and all over again.
"It's been a very long time."
---
"Lovely to see you too, Jyuushiro. And yes, it has been an indeterminably long time. I think the last time we had the chance to meet up again, there wasn't much time to exchange pleasantries. What with the execution looming and all."
Pushing herself off of the red-lacquered wood to take the few steps forward, she clapped a hand to his shoulder in a gesture of comeraderie before nodding back to the sprawling complex behind her. "So, this is home. Or at least, what qualifies as home."
Studying him as she always did, with catlike gaze and grace as she circled him slightly. It really had been so very long since she'd really gotten the chance to speak with the man who she'd known in her childhood -- he'd tried to give her candy then, if she recalled -- that she felt like taking a moment to look him over. He looked worn. Haggard. Frowning slightly, she mentally recalculated her plans. Tea would definitely need to be bumped up the list.
---
She had grown so much. Last time he saw her, it was really only for a fleeting moment in the chaos on the bridge. She had left with Kisuke, and that was almost a hundred years ago, so seeing her now made him happy. Jyuushirou really had missed her. At the hand on his shoulder, he reached up and closed his own pale hand over hers.
"What kind of greeting is that? Give this old man a hug."
He said with a mock-hurt tone in his voice, still smiling at her, tired brown eyes warm. Looking at what he could see, he found the temple to appear rustic but beautiful in it' ways. He could like it here, he was sure.
---
Chuckling, she pulled him into an embrace with a laugh, one hand patting his back. He hadn't changed, not since the first time she'd seen him, as a child sneaking into meetings to watch her parents' words and actions. Not so much out of desire to understand that which she would one day inherit, but merely a curiosity as to whether there would be anything worth caring about. The same warm brown eyes, same shock-white hair, the same open and kind disposition.
Pulling back slightly, she nodded towards the pathway that led into the temple proper. "So, I think tea is in order?"
---
"Tea sounds lovely. I've been dreaming of it since this morning."
Jyuushirou said, looking at the pathway. Some tea and sitting down to rest for a while would be heaven. He swore his feet felt like they were stuck in the waraji. Looking at the deep purple shade of Yoruichi's hair, which complimented her dark skin, he still couldn't quite picture her without pigtails. The years went by so fast that he kind of felt he was standing in the middle of a stream, all the others running past him, while he was stuck where he stood.
"How is Kisuke doing?"
---
Turning and nodding for him to follow, she made her way down the pathways of the temple, mentally ticking off doors as she went. After all, it wasn't only she and Kisuke who inhabited the complex -- though they had a nice and fairly cozy building all to themselves -- and it wouldn't do to walk into someone else's house uninvited.
"Oh, you know Kisuke. He's around here somewhere. Probably hiding out in his favourite spot, researching something."
Turning corners, leisurely pace kept slow enough to give him a chance to take in the scenery and learn the way. For now, she'd give their old friend a room in what was, to her and Kisuke, a fairly spacious home. If he decided he wanted more space, there were always plenty of other rooms and buildings in the temple complex.
---
He followed her in silence, listening as she spoke about Kisuke. Her words made him smile slightly to himself again. Yes, that sounded like Kisuke. Absently counting doors and studying the temple as the passed things - so that he would actually find his way back again - he told himself this was just a temporary lodging. While he liked both Kisuke and Yoruichi a lot and would love company - he was a social person, after all - he also was the kind who did not want to impose on other people's privacy.
Adding to that, he held no vain fantasies that he wouldn't get sick in this place, and hearing someone sound like they'd cough up a lung was not that pleasant. He didn't want to bring that upon them.
Then there was the need he felt inside to protect those he cared about; his subordinates.
But for now. Tea. And hopefully, a bed or a sofa. Hell, even a pillow would do.
---
Finally reaching the door she'd sought, she slid it aside, stepping through and into the familiar surroundings of her and Kisuke's home. "Here, have a seat. I'll get you some tea."
Gesturing to the squat table and cushions sitting off to the side of what seemed to double as foyer and living room, she stepped around a partitian and over to the small stove, setting a kettle of water on to boil before taking her place across from him on the cushions, lounging with catlike grace and manner. It would only take a moment for the water to boil, and in the meantime...
"Here. Thought you might like this." She set a bowl of sugared candies on the table, fingers pushing it across towards him.
---
He took a seat, with little less grace then usual due to his fatigue, and smoothed the captain's haori down over his hakama. Looking at Yoruichi as she moved back and forth, she brought yet another smile on his lips. Always so refined in her movements. The sound of the water boil made the last of the tension back in his neck loosen and he leaned back slightly.
When she then presented the candies, he chuckled, brushing some strands of fine silver-white hair from his face, taking one piece of candy eagerly. Just what he needed. Good friends, tea and candy. Now all the worries and shock of this unknown place where people died and didn't die and all kinds of creatures lived, lifted. For now.
---
Shifting to her feet to snag the kettle off of the stove, she carried it over, pouring them each a cup of the steaming liquid. Sliding cup across the table to him with a smile, she sat back against the cushion, tentatively sipping her own. The tea was hot, hot enough to burn -- she liked it that way -- but that didn't mean she wanted a burnt mouth.
"A lot like old times, isn't it Jyuushirou?"
---
Jyuushirou took his cup thankfully, warming his thin hands around it and taking in the scent. It was just what he needed. Finishing the candy he had put in his mouth, he then lifted the cup and took a sip. The much-needed warmth spread through his body and he gave a content sigh.
"Great tea, Yoruichi. Very good."
He said, giving her a little wink and slouching slightly where he sat, , his loose hair falling forward over his shoulders. It had really been a long day.
"Thank you for everything."
Jyuushirou then added, smiling once more at the woman. No matter how old one was, some safety to fall back on when all the world seemed to have gone insane was worth a lot.
---
"I'm glad. You and Kisuke have similar tastes where tea is concerned." Glancing around, she nodded to the room. "So, this is it. Well, at least part of it. It's a pretty substantial place, there's more than enough room for you to stay here, Jyuushirou."
His presence was a calming thing, not the same as Kisuke's but still comforting in a way. Settling back into her chair, she let her golden eyes start to fall closed before the cozy silence was broken by the sound of running feet. Glancing up, she sighed and sipped her tea, irises finding the clock on the wall. Yup. Just on time.
---
"I'd love to stay."
Jyuushirou started, a soundless 'but' hanging in the air after those words. He really didn't know, considering his earlier doubts. He didn't want them the be forced to take care of him on bad days.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet, and he turned his head a little to the direction of said sound, wondering if it was Kisuke.
---
"Close the door when you come in."
Her words fell at precisely the same moment as the door practically flew open, dark polished wood rattling on it's runners as a slight, black-garbed form stumbled it's way in, black hair half-obscuring a reddened face. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei, I won't be late again, I'll do an extra hour of kata for it if you like..."
With a light chuckle, she couldn't help but marvel at how very young her protege suddenly seemed, all flustered and embarrassed that, all her training and carefully-constructed decorum aside, she'd somehow managed to end up late. "It's fine, Rukia."
---
Jyuushirou's face brightened up again and he stirred slightly, standing up as he heard Rukia's name and saw her blushing form.
"Kuchiki-san."
The white-haired captain said warmly, looking at his subordinate. At least she looked well and seemed to be doing good - even if she was late. He was very grateful to Yoruichi for taking care of the girl like this. She deserved a chance to use her abilities, and while Jyuushirou always had wanted to allow her to do so, the agreement that had been made with her brother held him back.
"How nice to see you."
---
Her head snapped up, violet eyes widening at the familiar warm tones of a voice she recognized. "T..T..Taichou!"
And suddenly the embarrassment of her tardiness seemed even harder to swallow. She hadn't been late in .. well, longer than she could remember, and it was mortifying to suddenly find herself running and falling over herself in her attempts to be on time. It was practically like being in Academy again. Except this time, it was her taichou, not her professor, who she was making a fool of herself in front of.
Swallowing, mentally recomposing herself, she bowed to him, hoping her cheeks would stop burning in embarrassment by the time she had to meet his gaze again.
---
Yoruichi poured another cup of tea, sliding it across the table towards her student with a smirked chuckle. "Sit down, Rukia. Have some tea. You know I don't care if you're late, so there's no reason to worry about it."
---
He just smiled at her again, nodding his head softly in response to her bow. Tired as he was, Jyuushirou then sat down carefully again, some loose strands falling over his face. It seemed like Rukia was still Rukia, even in this place.
"How are you doing?"
Jyuushirou asked her as he picked up his tea cup again, taking a sip of the hot tea. He was very interested in what the young woman had learned from Yoruichi. He had great faith in them both, and seeing them both work together gave him a sense of hope. However, there had been a lot of bad news and confusion today and he really didn't know how much attention he could pay without suddenly falling asleep over Yoruichi's table.
---
Taking the offered seat, the petite shinigami reached out and pulled the ceramic cup towards her, lifting it to take a sip of the steaming liquid. Feeling the tea slide down her throat, she mentally concentrated on calming her breathing, feeling the tension melt away at her bidding. If there was one thing that the kata she drilled herself in were good for, it was control over her own body. Setting it down with a nod and a smile, she turned her attention back to her taichou.
"I'm doing well, taichou. I have to say I'm surprised to see you, I wasn't aware you'd returned here."
---
"Yoruichi was very kind to offer me lodging here."
Jyuushirou explained with another nod, now towards the dark-skinned shinigami. Studying Rukia, he took note of her new uniform - and something that seemed to be a very fain scar. That made his brows furrow in a worried frown. Was that from the training accident she had mentioned? Even so, his subordinate had a new glow to her, a new kind of confidence that made him feel proud of her... and thankful to Yoruichi.
"Are you here to train?"
---
"I see. So you'll be here as well, then. You'll like it, Taichou. It's a lot like your home in Seireitei here."
Nodding in response to his question, she set down her teacup before dodging and blocking a sudden sidelong kick from a grinning Yoruichi. "Yoruichi-sensei, you know you can't catch me offguard with that anymore." With a twist of her arm, she shoved the foot back at her mentor with a smile.
And it was true. While she certainly had a long way to go before she was any sort of match for her teacher, she'd most certainly improved in many ways. When she'd first began the training, Yoruichi had been able to catch her off-guard with an almost ridiculous ease. And her mentor had found great amusement in doing just that. Rukia found it ironic, in a way, how similar the way her friend -- yes, she could call the older shinigami a friend now -- forced her to up her reaction time, increase her speed and her thought processes in was to the way that Isshin had trained Ichigo over all those years. All the random attacks, never knowing when a fist or a foot was going to be flying her way over the table.
---
Jyuushirou didn't flinch as Yoruichi kicked towards Rukia, but he smiled as he saw the shorter woman block. She had really learned some new moves, then. Rukia seemed more alert and ready and that took a block of the worry he carried for her from his shoulders. She was really growing. Her brother should see her now.
She had mentioned Ugendou, and he found the resemblance between the small house at the pond and this temple not very significantly similar, but he nodded a little to Rukia. It was nice her and he could most likely come to enjoy staying at a place like this. But once again, he didn't want to put that burden on his friends - having to take care of a sick man on bad days, or hearing him cough.
"It seems you've learned a lot, Kuchiki-san. I always felt you had talent, and it's wonderful to see that you are making use of it."
---
She nodded, feeling proud that he had not only noticed, but that he actually thought she had a good deal of potential. It wasn't really that she'd thought her taichou overlooked her, but the fact that she'd never been given a seated position in the division had always led her to believe that her skills weren't that much to look at. And whether that was true or not, she'd always put so much into trying to advance them, to move beyond her limits.
Yoruichi had given her the chance to do that, to push herself and intertwine her skills with themselves in so many different ways she'd never thought of doing before. In a way, it was reminiscent of the time she'd spent with Kaien, before his death. Perfecting skills, practicing, learning so much more than merely fighting moves.
"Thank you, taichou. Yoruichi-sensei is a good teacher. I'd hoped to get to spar some more with Kaien-dono, but he's left already."
---
The white-haired captain looked at Rukia, glad to see how proud she seemed. Everything about her seemed so much more alive.
"Well, I've always thought you deserved a..."
Jyuushirou interrupted himself, starting wildly at the petite woman as the words she'd said sunk in. Kaien. Kaien had been here? But how? Why? Closing his eyes, he quickly forced control over himself and his slightly fluctuating reiatsu.
"Kaien...?"
---
She glanced up, eyes taking in his startled expression. Had no one....he didnt know. Didn't know the way the City worked, the way it could draw even the deceased into it's clutches. Glancing down at her tea, Rukia mentally chastised herself, knowing all too well the shock she must have just given her taichou. Biting her lip she once again mentally composed herself, raising her head again though she didn't meet his gaze.
"I...I'm sorry Taichou, I didn't realize no one had told you. Here, the City can bring even people who are dead in their world here. For a time... Kaien-dono was here."
---
"No... they didn't tell me that."
He said, obviously shaken by these news. Jyuushirou had heard that people couldn't really die here, but instead somewhat stopped functioning normally. But that the dead could come here? He had not heard that - and that Kaien had been here made his heart ache. He had missed him - he missed the chance to tell him how very sorry he was for failing him. For failing them both.
Closing his eyes again, he did his best to shake away the thoughts, old wounds and old memories being relived again.
"How... how was he?"
---
"Happy. He...I tried to apologize to him. For....you know. And he wouldn't let me. He said that I hadn't done anything wrong. That...I'd done what he wanted me to do and I shouldn't feel guilty for it."
Which, while true, didn't necessarily make her feel any less guilty for it. Or rather, it did, but not as much as she'd expected it to. But the guilt wasn't really the strange part in it. When her fukutaichou had shaken his head and told her not to apologize, that he'd never blamed her, never would blame her, it wasn't a cessation of guilt that she'd felt, but rather a spreading sense of peace. As though the weight had been taken off of her shoulders.
"He...he helped me a lot. With...Ichigo. And... other things. It was nice...like before."
---
Like before. Yes, Jyuushirou missed those days. He gave her a soft smile, still upset but relieved to hear that Kaien had told Rukia that she had not done anything wrong. While he, himself, had always thought so, he realized that it had troubled her for a long time. Another reason why he felt responsible, since his own weakness had been the cause of her having to kill the man she looked up to. If anyone, it should have been him who took Kaien's life after he merged with that hollow. But his body had not allowed it.
It all sounded like something Kaien would have done, and he was happy to know that his fukutaichou had not changed. Not even in death.
"I'm glad to hear that, Rukia."
He said, finally frusting his own hands enough to take another sip of the tea. He had heard her comment about Ichigo, but he didn't mention anything about it.
---
"I'm sure he would have told you the same thing, Taichou..."
She was glad to see he wasn't angry, was calming down a bit. She didn't like thinking that she'd upset the man who had given her so much, given her a place to belong to, someone to look up to. It hadn't only been Kaien who had treated her normally, the entire 13th division had taken his example to heart and for the most part had given her at least some degree of casual ease. No one else was quite as informal as her fukutaichou, but it still didn't change the fact that her taichou was someone she looked up to, someone she admired.
---
The tension in the situation was a bit much for her tastes. Stretching, brushing long ponytail over her shoulder, Yoruichi shoved the dish of candy towards the shorter shinigami. "Rukia. Still having trouble with that one thing?"
It was an old, tried tactic. Distraction. And though she was fairly certain her protege would see it for what it was, that didn't mean it wouldn't have the desired effect.
---
It would have taken a whole lot for Jyuushirou to be angry with Rukia. This was not such a thing. In fact, he would not have blamed her for being angry with him. Then again, the 13th division captain was rarely angry about anything. The news about the arrancar had made his hands clasp around his zanpakutou, though, and he had heard the spirits of Sougyo no Kotowari scream to be released and make the arrancar pay for what they had done to the people he had seen growing up - the people he had kept an eye on ever since they became shinigami.
In a way, they all felt like children to him, and he wished he could protect everyone. Wish aside, he had learned already at young age that it was impossible. One had to put faith in other's strength as well.
Grateful to Yoruichi for her tactical distraction, he made himself more comfortable in his seat, sipping on his tea and listening to the two women.
---
"Yeah...since Di Roy took my arm." She flexed the appendage, studying it slightly. "I know it shouldn't make a difference, I mean it's back now and everything, as though nothing ever happened, but...."
It was frustrating, how the one striking motion still seemed to elude her, to be so difficult. Sure, she'd lost the arm, but with Inoue's power it shouldnt have mattered.
---
Listening, Jyuushirou gave the mentioned arm a concerned look. He had heard that this Di Roy arrancar had hurt her, but that she had lost a limb? It was amazing to see that she had it back. Was that also because of this city's strange ways? During all the centuries he had lived, he had managed to avoid loosing any body parts. He was rather frequently convinced he'd cough up his lungs, though.
Was it some form of muscle damage in the arm? Reattaching a limb seemed rather extensive, after all. The white-haired captain gave Yoruichi a look. Was there something wrong with it?
---
With a slight chuckle, Yoruichi shook her head, getting to her feet. "That's not what it is. You're still missing that one mark I showed you. Come on."
Motioning to Rukia, she rested hands on her hips , weight balanced on the balls of her feet. "Come on. Show me."
It wasn't the girl's arm, she knew that perfectly well. At least, not in the sense that Rukia seemed to think it was. The arm itself was perfectly sound, Inoue's power had seen to that. Rather, it was Rukia's own distrust of the regenerated appendage that was causing the problem. Not that it was anything to be ashamed of. Having lost a limb once, it was only natural to be a bit guarded with it's use when it was returned to you. But that wouldn't do her protege any good. "Go ahead. You know the kata."
---
Slightly startled, Rukia got to her feet with a nod, stepping easily away from the table a few feet. Swallowing, she took a deep breath and dropped easily into the beginning stance. Hakudo wasn't her forte, she was much better with kidou, regardless of how much she'd trained in the hand-to-hand techniques with Yoruichi, and she was feeling a tad on the spot with her taichou there.
"Alright, it's when I get to that one point..."
Letting her eyes drift slightly close, she felt her arms and legs move easily through the complex series of motions, the strikes and kicks falling easily, with very little evidence of anything abnormal.
---
Jyuushirou watched with the eyes of someone who was used to supervising his subordinates. He had been watching Orihime and Rukia when they trained together, and he could see that her movements had improved a lot. He was very impressed - Yoruichi was a good teacher. Then again, he should know that, seeing she was the one who had trained Ichigo.
Had he not been so tired, he would have asked her to show him some moves personally, but the white-haired captain knew better then to push his body unless there was an emergency. He always had to pay for it later.
Silently, he continued to watch her kata. It seemed to flow easily for her, and he couldn't see any obvious hindrances. Finishing the last of his tea, he then gave Rukia a nod when she finished the motions.
---
"You're thinking too much. Holding back. Your arm is fine, you know how Inoue's power works. You're scared." Circling her student, taunting slightly as she walked, she sized her up the way a fighter sizes up her opponent. "Come on, you're better than that. Stop wasting my time."
It may have seemed a bit cruel, a bit harsh, to push her that way, to scold the girl. But she knew better, she knew that not only was Rukia tough enough to take it, but that she'd be able to push the girl to prove to herself that she could do it. Without giving her charge much chance, she smirked and attacked, pushing her back, pausing as the same motions from before were repeated, this time with a bit more crispness, a bit more fluidity. Stepping back, she nodded. "See? I told you you could do it."
---
A very good teacher indeed. While Jyuushirou himself had never been a brusque person, a little push now and then in the right direction did help. The movement Rukia did now were beautiful to see. He smiled to himself, feeling very proud of both Yoruichi and Rukia. It seemed Rukia had really found a place where she belonged. Smiling, he stood up walking over to them.
"It's lovely to see that you have grown, Rukia. I'm very proud of you and I'm glad to see that you've found a way to use your talents."
Turning his face to Yoruichi, he brushed the hair out of his face again and then looked a bit sheepish.
"As lovely as this have been, I'm afraid I must say I'm rather tired. Is there a place I could sleep for tonight? I'd love to speak more to you both later, but there's been a lot to take in and I've learned from experience to not push my body."
Rating; PG
Characters; Ukitake {
floating_bamboo}, Yoruichi {goddes_of_flash} & Rukia {juicebox_woes}Summary; Jyuushirou meets up with Yoruichi at the temple for some tea. Then Rukia shows up and demonstrates her new moves.
Log;
Heaving a slight sigh, more out of boredom and the simple fact that it was hot and humid and mildly uncomfortable that anything else, Yoruichi brushed an errant strand of dark violet hair out of her eyes, golden eyes glancing through her fringe and watching the afternoon sun filter through the leaves. Jyuushirou would be along soon, and then they could start the business of getting the man settled in.
It had proven nice, so far, to see some familiar faces in this place. Isshin, Jyuushirou. Kisuke, but that was a given. Even Byakuya, to a degree. While the dark-skinned shinigami never regretted her choice to follow the exiled twelfth division captain into the Living World, that by no means negated the fact that she had had -- still had, apparently -- friends in Seireitei. Comrades. Old acquaintances and other faces of her past. And now... she had her freedom, and yet she could still see them, still interact with them. In a way, it was almost like having her old life combined with her current one.
But right now wasn't the time for musing. No, right now was the time for waiting -- and sweating, apparently. Damn clothes, she never could get used to the feel of them. And they kept her from cooling off, too.
---
Jyuushirou wrote the last words in the communicator as he saw Yoruichi by the gate. He gave her a bright smile, rising a hand in a wave. He knew he must look rather haggard by now - his hair was tousled and he was rather tired. The fever he'd had this morning hadn't exactly eased after showing up in the City, and all the news he had heard had taken it's toll on the silver-haired shinigami. He was looking solemn, but the smile was genuine.
"Yoruichi. How lovely to see you."
He said, fortunately not out of breath even though he had been zipping back and forth from the city to the hot springs and all over again.
"It's been a very long time."
---
"Lovely to see you too, Jyuushiro. And yes, it has been an indeterminably long time. I think the last time we had the chance to meet up again, there wasn't much time to exchange pleasantries. What with the execution looming and all."
Pushing herself off of the red-lacquered wood to take the few steps forward, she clapped a hand to his shoulder in a gesture of comeraderie before nodding back to the sprawling complex behind her. "So, this is home. Or at least, what qualifies as home."
Studying him as she always did, with catlike gaze and grace as she circled him slightly. It really had been so very long since she'd really gotten the chance to speak with the man who she'd known in her childhood -- he'd tried to give her candy then, if she recalled -- that she felt like taking a moment to look him over. He looked worn. Haggard. Frowning slightly, she mentally recalculated her plans. Tea would definitely need to be bumped up the list.
---
She had grown so much. Last time he saw her, it was really only for a fleeting moment in the chaos on the bridge. She had left with Kisuke, and that was almost a hundred years ago, so seeing her now made him happy. Jyuushirou really had missed her. At the hand on his shoulder, he reached up and closed his own pale hand over hers.
"What kind of greeting is that? Give this old man a hug."
He said with a mock-hurt tone in his voice, still smiling at her, tired brown eyes warm. Looking at what he could see, he found the temple to appear rustic but beautiful in it' ways. He could like it here, he was sure.
---
Chuckling, she pulled him into an embrace with a laugh, one hand patting his back. He hadn't changed, not since the first time she'd seen him, as a child sneaking into meetings to watch her parents' words and actions. Not so much out of desire to understand that which she would one day inherit, but merely a curiosity as to whether there would be anything worth caring about. The same warm brown eyes, same shock-white hair, the same open and kind disposition.
Pulling back slightly, she nodded towards the pathway that led into the temple proper. "So, I think tea is in order?"
---
"Tea sounds lovely. I've been dreaming of it since this morning."
Jyuushirou said, looking at the pathway. Some tea and sitting down to rest for a while would be heaven. He swore his feet felt like they were stuck in the waraji. Looking at the deep purple shade of Yoruichi's hair, which complimented her dark skin, he still couldn't quite picture her without pigtails. The years went by so fast that he kind of felt he was standing in the middle of a stream, all the others running past him, while he was stuck where he stood.
"How is Kisuke doing?"
---
Turning and nodding for him to follow, she made her way down the pathways of the temple, mentally ticking off doors as she went. After all, it wasn't only she and Kisuke who inhabited the complex -- though they had a nice and fairly cozy building all to themselves -- and it wouldn't do to walk into someone else's house uninvited.
"Oh, you know Kisuke. He's around here somewhere. Probably hiding out in his favourite spot, researching something."
Turning corners, leisurely pace kept slow enough to give him a chance to take in the scenery and learn the way. For now, she'd give their old friend a room in what was, to her and Kisuke, a fairly spacious home. If he decided he wanted more space, there were always plenty of other rooms and buildings in the temple complex.
---
He followed her in silence, listening as she spoke about Kisuke. Her words made him smile slightly to himself again. Yes, that sounded like Kisuke. Absently counting doors and studying the temple as the passed things - so that he would actually find his way back again - he told himself this was just a temporary lodging. While he liked both Kisuke and Yoruichi a lot and would love company - he was a social person, after all - he also was the kind who did not want to impose on other people's privacy.
Adding to that, he held no vain fantasies that he wouldn't get sick in this place, and hearing someone sound like they'd cough up a lung was not that pleasant. He didn't want to bring that upon them.
Then there was the need he felt inside to protect those he cared about; his subordinates.
But for now. Tea. And hopefully, a bed or a sofa. Hell, even a pillow would do.
---
Finally reaching the door she'd sought, she slid it aside, stepping through and into the familiar surroundings of her and Kisuke's home. "Here, have a seat. I'll get you some tea."
Gesturing to the squat table and cushions sitting off to the side of what seemed to double as foyer and living room, she stepped around a partitian and over to the small stove, setting a kettle of water on to boil before taking her place across from him on the cushions, lounging with catlike grace and manner. It would only take a moment for the water to boil, and in the meantime...
"Here. Thought you might like this." She set a bowl of sugared candies on the table, fingers pushing it across towards him.
---
He took a seat, with little less grace then usual due to his fatigue, and smoothed the captain's haori down over his hakama. Looking at Yoruichi as she moved back and forth, she brought yet another smile on his lips. Always so refined in her movements. The sound of the water boil made the last of the tension back in his neck loosen and he leaned back slightly.
When she then presented the candies, he chuckled, brushing some strands of fine silver-white hair from his face, taking one piece of candy eagerly. Just what he needed. Good friends, tea and candy. Now all the worries and shock of this unknown place where people died and didn't die and all kinds of creatures lived, lifted. For now.
---
Shifting to her feet to snag the kettle off of the stove, she carried it over, pouring them each a cup of the steaming liquid. Sliding cup across the table to him with a smile, she sat back against the cushion, tentatively sipping her own. The tea was hot, hot enough to burn -- she liked it that way -- but that didn't mean she wanted a burnt mouth.
"A lot like old times, isn't it Jyuushirou?"
---
Jyuushirou took his cup thankfully, warming his thin hands around it and taking in the scent. It was just what he needed. Finishing the candy he had put in his mouth, he then lifted the cup and took a sip. The much-needed warmth spread through his body and he gave a content sigh.
"Great tea, Yoruichi. Very good."
He said, giving her a little wink and slouching slightly where he sat, , his loose hair falling forward over his shoulders. It had really been a long day.
"Thank you for everything."
Jyuushirou then added, smiling once more at the woman. No matter how old one was, some safety to fall back on when all the world seemed to have gone insane was worth a lot.
---
"I'm glad. You and Kisuke have similar tastes where tea is concerned." Glancing around, she nodded to the room. "So, this is it. Well, at least part of it. It's a pretty substantial place, there's more than enough room for you to stay here, Jyuushirou."
His presence was a calming thing, not the same as Kisuke's but still comforting in a way. Settling back into her chair, she let her golden eyes start to fall closed before the cozy silence was broken by the sound of running feet. Glancing up, she sighed and sipped her tea, irises finding the clock on the wall. Yup. Just on time.
---
"I'd love to stay."
Jyuushirou started, a soundless 'but' hanging in the air after those words. He really didn't know, considering his earlier doubts. He didn't want them the be forced to take care of him on bad days.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet, and he turned his head a little to the direction of said sound, wondering if it was Kisuke.
---
"Close the door when you come in."
Her words fell at precisely the same moment as the door practically flew open, dark polished wood rattling on it's runners as a slight, black-garbed form stumbled it's way in, black hair half-obscuring a reddened face. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei, I won't be late again, I'll do an extra hour of kata for it if you like..."
With a light chuckle, she couldn't help but marvel at how very young her protege suddenly seemed, all flustered and embarrassed that, all her training and carefully-constructed decorum aside, she'd somehow managed to end up late. "It's fine, Rukia."
---
Jyuushirou's face brightened up again and he stirred slightly, standing up as he heard Rukia's name and saw her blushing form.
"Kuchiki-san."
The white-haired captain said warmly, looking at his subordinate. At least she looked well and seemed to be doing good - even if she was late. He was very grateful to Yoruichi for taking care of the girl like this. She deserved a chance to use her abilities, and while Jyuushirou always had wanted to allow her to do so, the agreement that had been made with her brother held him back.
"How nice to see you."
---
Her head snapped up, violet eyes widening at the familiar warm tones of a voice she recognized. "T..T..Taichou!"
And suddenly the embarrassment of her tardiness seemed even harder to swallow. She hadn't been late in .. well, longer than she could remember, and it was mortifying to suddenly find herself running and falling over herself in her attempts to be on time. It was practically like being in Academy again. Except this time, it was her taichou, not her professor, who she was making a fool of herself in front of.
Swallowing, mentally recomposing herself, she bowed to him, hoping her cheeks would stop burning in embarrassment by the time she had to meet his gaze again.
---
Yoruichi poured another cup of tea, sliding it across the table towards her student with a smirked chuckle. "Sit down, Rukia. Have some tea. You know I don't care if you're late, so there's no reason to worry about it."
---
He just smiled at her again, nodding his head softly in response to her bow. Tired as he was, Jyuushirou then sat down carefully again, some loose strands falling over his face. It seemed like Rukia was still Rukia, even in this place.
"How are you doing?"
Jyuushirou asked her as he picked up his tea cup again, taking a sip of the hot tea. He was very interested in what the young woman had learned from Yoruichi. He had great faith in them both, and seeing them both work together gave him a sense of hope. However, there had been a lot of bad news and confusion today and he really didn't know how much attention he could pay without suddenly falling asleep over Yoruichi's table.
---
Taking the offered seat, the petite shinigami reached out and pulled the ceramic cup towards her, lifting it to take a sip of the steaming liquid. Feeling the tea slide down her throat, she mentally concentrated on calming her breathing, feeling the tension melt away at her bidding. If there was one thing that the kata she drilled herself in were good for, it was control over her own body. Setting it down with a nod and a smile, she turned her attention back to her taichou.
"I'm doing well, taichou. I have to say I'm surprised to see you, I wasn't aware you'd returned here."
---
"Yoruichi was very kind to offer me lodging here."
Jyuushirou explained with another nod, now towards the dark-skinned shinigami. Studying Rukia, he took note of her new uniform - and something that seemed to be a very fain scar. That made his brows furrow in a worried frown. Was that from the training accident she had mentioned? Even so, his subordinate had a new glow to her, a new kind of confidence that made him feel proud of her... and thankful to Yoruichi.
"Are you here to train?"
---
"I see. So you'll be here as well, then. You'll like it, Taichou. It's a lot like your home in Seireitei here."
Nodding in response to his question, she set down her teacup before dodging and blocking a sudden sidelong kick from a grinning Yoruichi. "Yoruichi-sensei, you know you can't catch me offguard with that anymore." With a twist of her arm, she shoved the foot back at her mentor with a smile.
And it was true. While she certainly had a long way to go before she was any sort of match for her teacher, she'd most certainly improved in many ways. When she'd first began the training, Yoruichi had been able to catch her off-guard with an almost ridiculous ease. And her mentor had found great amusement in doing just that. Rukia found it ironic, in a way, how similar the way her friend -- yes, she could call the older shinigami a friend now -- forced her to up her reaction time, increase her speed and her thought processes in was to the way that Isshin had trained Ichigo over all those years. All the random attacks, never knowing when a fist or a foot was going to be flying her way over the table.
---
Jyuushirou didn't flinch as Yoruichi kicked towards Rukia, but he smiled as he saw the shorter woman block. She had really learned some new moves, then. Rukia seemed more alert and ready and that took a block of the worry he carried for her from his shoulders. She was really growing. Her brother should see her now.
She had mentioned Ugendou, and he found the resemblance between the small house at the pond and this temple not very significantly similar, but he nodded a little to Rukia. It was nice her and he could most likely come to enjoy staying at a place like this. But once again, he didn't want to put that burden on his friends - having to take care of a sick man on bad days, or hearing him cough.
"It seems you've learned a lot, Kuchiki-san. I always felt you had talent, and it's wonderful to see that you are making use of it."
---
She nodded, feeling proud that he had not only noticed, but that he actually thought she had a good deal of potential. It wasn't really that she'd thought her taichou overlooked her, but the fact that she'd never been given a seated position in the division had always led her to believe that her skills weren't that much to look at. And whether that was true or not, she'd always put so much into trying to advance them, to move beyond her limits.
Yoruichi had given her the chance to do that, to push herself and intertwine her skills with themselves in so many different ways she'd never thought of doing before. In a way, it was reminiscent of the time she'd spent with Kaien, before his death. Perfecting skills, practicing, learning so much more than merely fighting moves.
"Thank you, taichou. Yoruichi-sensei is a good teacher. I'd hoped to get to spar some more with Kaien-dono, but he's left already."
---
The white-haired captain looked at Rukia, glad to see how proud she seemed. Everything about her seemed so much more alive.
"Well, I've always thought you deserved a..."
Jyuushirou interrupted himself, starting wildly at the petite woman as the words she'd said sunk in. Kaien. Kaien had been here? But how? Why? Closing his eyes, he quickly forced control over himself and his slightly fluctuating reiatsu.
"Kaien...?"
---
She glanced up, eyes taking in his startled expression. Had no one....he didnt know. Didn't know the way the City worked, the way it could draw even the deceased into it's clutches. Glancing down at her tea, Rukia mentally chastised herself, knowing all too well the shock she must have just given her taichou. Biting her lip she once again mentally composed herself, raising her head again though she didn't meet his gaze.
"I...I'm sorry Taichou, I didn't realize no one had told you. Here, the City can bring even people who are dead in their world here. For a time... Kaien-dono was here."
---
"No... they didn't tell me that."
He said, obviously shaken by these news. Jyuushirou had heard that people couldn't really die here, but instead somewhat stopped functioning normally. But that the dead could come here? He had not heard that - and that Kaien had been here made his heart ache. He had missed him - he missed the chance to tell him how very sorry he was for failing him. For failing them both.
Closing his eyes again, he did his best to shake away the thoughts, old wounds and old memories being relived again.
"How... how was he?"
---
"Happy. He...I tried to apologize to him. For....you know. And he wouldn't let me. He said that I hadn't done anything wrong. That...I'd done what he wanted me to do and I shouldn't feel guilty for it."
Which, while true, didn't necessarily make her feel any less guilty for it. Or rather, it did, but not as much as she'd expected it to. But the guilt wasn't really the strange part in it. When her fukutaichou had shaken his head and told her not to apologize, that he'd never blamed her, never would blame her, it wasn't a cessation of guilt that she'd felt, but rather a spreading sense of peace. As though the weight had been taken off of her shoulders.
"He...he helped me a lot. With...Ichigo. And... other things. It was nice...like before."
---
Like before. Yes, Jyuushirou missed those days. He gave her a soft smile, still upset but relieved to hear that Kaien had told Rukia that she had not done anything wrong. While he, himself, had always thought so, he realized that it had troubled her for a long time. Another reason why he felt responsible, since his own weakness had been the cause of her having to kill the man she looked up to. If anyone, it should have been him who took Kaien's life after he merged with that hollow. But his body had not allowed it.
It all sounded like something Kaien would have done, and he was happy to know that his fukutaichou had not changed. Not even in death.
"I'm glad to hear that, Rukia."
He said, finally frusting his own hands enough to take another sip of the tea. He had heard her comment about Ichigo, but he didn't mention anything about it.
---
"I'm sure he would have told you the same thing, Taichou..."
She was glad to see he wasn't angry, was calming down a bit. She didn't like thinking that she'd upset the man who had given her so much, given her a place to belong to, someone to look up to. It hadn't only been Kaien who had treated her normally, the entire 13th division had taken his example to heart and for the most part had given her at least some degree of casual ease. No one else was quite as informal as her fukutaichou, but it still didn't change the fact that her taichou was someone she looked up to, someone she admired.
---
The tension in the situation was a bit much for her tastes. Stretching, brushing long ponytail over her shoulder, Yoruichi shoved the dish of candy towards the shorter shinigami. "Rukia. Still having trouble with that one thing?"
It was an old, tried tactic. Distraction. And though she was fairly certain her protege would see it for what it was, that didn't mean it wouldn't have the desired effect.
---
It would have taken a whole lot for Jyuushirou to be angry with Rukia. This was not such a thing. In fact, he would not have blamed her for being angry with him. Then again, the 13th division captain was rarely angry about anything. The news about the arrancar had made his hands clasp around his zanpakutou, though, and he had heard the spirits of Sougyo no Kotowari scream to be released and make the arrancar pay for what they had done to the people he had seen growing up - the people he had kept an eye on ever since they became shinigami.
In a way, they all felt like children to him, and he wished he could protect everyone. Wish aside, he had learned already at young age that it was impossible. One had to put faith in other's strength as well.
Grateful to Yoruichi for her tactical distraction, he made himself more comfortable in his seat, sipping on his tea and listening to the two women.
---
"Yeah...since Di Roy took my arm." She flexed the appendage, studying it slightly. "I know it shouldn't make a difference, I mean it's back now and everything, as though nothing ever happened, but...."
It was frustrating, how the one striking motion still seemed to elude her, to be so difficult. Sure, she'd lost the arm, but with Inoue's power it shouldnt have mattered.
---
Listening, Jyuushirou gave the mentioned arm a concerned look. He had heard that this Di Roy arrancar had hurt her, but that she had lost a limb? It was amazing to see that she had it back. Was that also because of this city's strange ways? During all the centuries he had lived, he had managed to avoid loosing any body parts. He was rather frequently convinced he'd cough up his lungs, though.
Was it some form of muscle damage in the arm? Reattaching a limb seemed rather extensive, after all. The white-haired captain gave Yoruichi a look. Was there something wrong with it?
---
With a slight chuckle, Yoruichi shook her head, getting to her feet. "That's not what it is. You're still missing that one mark I showed you. Come on."
Motioning to Rukia, she rested hands on her hips , weight balanced on the balls of her feet. "Come on. Show me."
It wasn't the girl's arm, she knew that perfectly well. At least, not in the sense that Rukia seemed to think it was. The arm itself was perfectly sound, Inoue's power had seen to that. Rather, it was Rukia's own distrust of the regenerated appendage that was causing the problem. Not that it was anything to be ashamed of. Having lost a limb once, it was only natural to be a bit guarded with it's use when it was returned to you. But that wouldn't do her protege any good. "Go ahead. You know the kata."
---
Slightly startled, Rukia got to her feet with a nod, stepping easily away from the table a few feet. Swallowing, she took a deep breath and dropped easily into the beginning stance. Hakudo wasn't her forte, she was much better with kidou, regardless of how much she'd trained in the hand-to-hand techniques with Yoruichi, and she was feeling a tad on the spot with her taichou there.
"Alright, it's when I get to that one point..."
Letting her eyes drift slightly close, she felt her arms and legs move easily through the complex series of motions, the strikes and kicks falling easily, with very little evidence of anything abnormal.
---
Jyuushirou watched with the eyes of someone who was used to supervising his subordinates. He had been watching Orihime and Rukia when they trained together, and he could see that her movements had improved a lot. He was very impressed - Yoruichi was a good teacher. Then again, he should know that, seeing she was the one who had trained Ichigo.
Had he not been so tired, he would have asked her to show him some moves personally, but the white-haired captain knew better then to push his body unless there was an emergency. He always had to pay for it later.
Silently, he continued to watch her kata. It seemed to flow easily for her, and he couldn't see any obvious hindrances. Finishing the last of his tea, he then gave Rukia a nod when she finished the motions.
---
"You're thinking too much. Holding back. Your arm is fine, you know how Inoue's power works. You're scared." Circling her student, taunting slightly as she walked, she sized her up the way a fighter sizes up her opponent. "Come on, you're better than that. Stop wasting my time."
It may have seemed a bit cruel, a bit harsh, to push her that way, to scold the girl. But she knew better, she knew that not only was Rukia tough enough to take it, but that she'd be able to push the girl to prove to herself that she could do it. Without giving her charge much chance, she smirked and attacked, pushing her back, pausing as the same motions from before were repeated, this time with a bit more crispness, a bit more fluidity. Stepping back, she nodded. "See? I told you you could do it."
---
A very good teacher indeed. While Jyuushirou himself had never been a brusque person, a little push now and then in the right direction did help. The movement Rukia did now were beautiful to see. He smiled to himself, feeling very proud of both Yoruichi and Rukia. It seemed Rukia had really found a place where she belonged. Smiling, he stood up walking over to them.
"It's lovely to see that you have grown, Rukia. I'm very proud of you and I'm glad to see that you've found a way to use your talents."
Turning his face to Yoruichi, he brushed the hair out of his face again and then looked a bit sheepish.
"As lovely as this have been, I'm afraid I must say I'm rather tired. Is there a place I could sleep for tonight? I'd love to speak more to you both later, but there's been a lot to take in and I've learned from experience to not push my body."