Paradise
Warnings: Slight AU, slight OOC'ness, language, (possible) adult situations
Pairings: Urahara/OC, various others
Enjoy.
She didn't know why the odd little shop attracted her gaze, but it did. It was hidden in not-so-hidden way, surrounded by buildings that looked to be mostly empty. It seemed to be well maintained, if not eye-catching, save for the fact it was the only building of its type in the immediate area.
Come to think of it, she wasn't sure how she even got to this part of town. One moment she was on a busy street and the next she was standing in front of the Urahara Shoten, quite obviously alone and not belonging. Oh well. She was a little thirsty, after all; maybe they had drinks for sale.
Shiratori Aika slid open the rice-paper door - 'You don't see many of these doors on shops anymore, especially in such an incorporated area' - and stepped inside. It was smaller in here than it looked from the outside; she suspected the shop itself was small and that whomever ran it lived in the back. There was no one in sight at the moment, however, but there were three steaming cups of tea on a table in the raised back of the room.
'They'll be back soon,' Aika surmised, and began to look around. There didn't seem to be any drinks of any sort. All they seemed to carry was candy, in fact, something Aika found strangely amusing. Sighing to herself softly, she had all but made to leave when the sound of someone returning to the room made her stop.
It was a man, and a strange looking one at that. He was very large, but not in a fat way- more muscular and broad. He wore an apron and rectangular glasses, was tanned with a handlebar mustache, and his hair was pulled back into cornrows. Raising a brow, Aika shifted the strap on her shoulder and bowed shortly. "Hello."
The man jumped slightly- apparently he hadn't noticed her. He bowed lowly, and gestured around the room. "Welcome to the Urahara Shoten. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Aika shook her head. "No, I was just looking around. I was walking past and saw the sign- I came in to see if you had anything to drink, but it's obvious that you only sell candy." The man nodded, and opened his mouth to respond when the sound of the door opening behind him made him turn. Aika's brow rose in confusion as an even stranger looking man appeared.
This one was tall and thin, but a muscular frame could be discerned from underneath the green shirt and pants he wore. A green and white coat hung on his shoulders, but the strangest things by far were the odd green-and-white striped hat and wooden geta he wore.
"Ah, a customer!" He said in a cheerful voice, and Aika bowed once again. "How may we, the Urahara Shoten, serve you?"
Aika shrugged. "You can't. I only came in to look for a drink-" She paused as the man bent towards the table and procured an empty cup from seemingly out of nowhere. Picking up the steaming kettle, he poured the liquid and offered it to her.
"Fresh jasmine. Only 280 yen," he said, voice still cheerful. Aika hummed to herself, pleasantly amused, and took out her wallet, trading the money for the cup of tea. 'What a strange place.'
Setting down the cello case on her shoulder, she sat on the raised floor when the two men moved to allow her access. She sipped the tea slowly, savoring the flavor – she had nowhere important to be.
"I'm sorry if this sounds intrusive, but do you live around here?" Hat-and-clogs asked pleasantly, sitting next to her and pulling out a fan. He held it against his face, effectively hiding his features with the help of the shadows cast by his hat.
"I do now," Aika replied holding the cup in her lap. "I'm studying at the music conservatory a town over." She gestured to the cello case. "Karakura was the cheapest in apartments, so I opted for the longer commute." She took another sip of her tea, draining it to the halfway point. "I'm originally from Kyoto."
Urahara nodded in response, fan tapping against his upper lip. "I see. Well, welcome to Karakura, miss...?"
"Shiratori. My name is Shiratori Aika," Aika responded. "And you are...?"
The man's grin was impossible to hide, even behind his fan. "Urahara Kisuke, at your service. Lucky me, to have young girls find their way to my shop~!"
Aika stifled a grin. "It is pretty hidden. You must not get a lot of customers."
"You'd be surprised." Urahara's grin grew even wider. "I know it's hard to believe that a poor, handsome, perverted shopkeeper like myself to be popular, but I often have to fight the hordes of pretty young women clawing at my doors."
This time Aika laughed out loud. "I find that hard to believe. If you're so open about being perverted, I'd think the girls would stay away. If they were smart, that is."
Another grin. "Then why aren't you running for the hills if I'm so openly perverted?" Urahara's fan closed with a snap, and a kind of steely glint flashed in his eyes.
Thinking for a moment, Aika shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm not very smart, huh." She grinned, and finished off her tea. Setting the cup down, she stood, picking up her cello case. "Thank you for the tea and your hospitality, Urahara-san." She smiled, and left through the sliding doors, back out into the sun, feeling the steely gaze into her back.
She stopped out on the street, and looked back to the shop. She didn't know how she got there, or why she went in, but she liked it. It was weird, and mysterious, and it smelled like an adventure, ready to be explored. 'For now, I'll wait,' she told herself, going down the rest of the road.
But she'd be back.
She could feel it in her bones.
Urahara stayed seated long after Aika had left, fan tapping against his chin, eyes locked on the closed door. It wasn't until Tessai opened the door behind him that he gave any sign of consciousness.
"Boss?"
"Hmm." Urahara stood with a small groan. "You noticed it too, then."
Tessai gave a slight nod. "I didn't even feel a glimmer of any sort of signature, spiritual or human. It's not like she's repressing it on purpose; there's nothing there to begin with."
Urahara was silent. It was very unusual- no, unheard of- for a being to have no signature at all. It was possible, for those with high enough ability, to mask your signature to the point of it being unnoticeable, and many humans had signatures so low they were at a near zero. But they still had them. That girl hadn't one at all, and that was very interesting.
"Keep an eye on her," Urahara said finally. "I have a feeling we've stumbled upon something important.
"More like she stumbled upon us," Tessai said quietly, and Urahara merely left.
...
...
The rain fell hard, harder than he'd ever seen it. It wasn't even the rainy season.
Coupled with the dark nights and recent events, the rain complimented his mood...and his mission.
The streets were silent, neon signs from shady shops adding to the inhospitable feel that hung in the air. He wasn't welcome here. But he had a job to do. A job only he could do.
Soon enough he came to a stop in front of the hospital where he knew she would be. Or, be shortly. She might not be here yet; but she'd be here soon, that much was sure. That gave him comfort, knowing that this one part of the plan was cooperating.
Even if nothing else in the world was.
...
..
It seems pretty ambiguous right now, but things will speed up soon.
Thanks for reading.
