Hello, my friends!!! Well this is my first fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it. Actually it is my first fiction writing in the last 10 years? I know the characters are a little OOC, help if you can. I have the next chapter finished and it is quite a bit longer. But I thought this would give a good intro.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
February 12, 1776,
Chester, Great Britain
"When are we gonna get there? Come on!! Come on!" The auburn haired woman tugged a deceivingly petite arm hard as she pushed her way through the crowd on the cobblestone road. Said arm was attached to her sister who was the one who actually knew where they were going, but had nothing to do with Orihime leading the way. Orihime had waited so long for this day she had begun to think little blue men had frozen time outside of her town.
"Slow down!! You are going to slip on the snow and then we will be going to the doctor." Orihime glared at her sister and stuck her tongue out. Rukia rolled her eyes and briefly contemplated whether she would ever act her station. She felt her fur trimmed jacket tugged again and continued to guide them to their destination. Rukia, the elder sister, heard the horns of the infantry as they come into their village, causing them both to go a little faster. She hoped her corset wouldn't cause her to faint from all of this running. In all honesty, she could do with a little peace before the inevitable chaos that was about to take over their home.
As their destination came into view Orihime was as close to running as the purple and gray striped floor length dress would allow. She understood that propriety would not allow her to experience life as she wished, but at least happiness could not be taken from her today. She had often day dreamed, while the teacher would ramble on, of all the things she would do in another life. It was not that she did not appreciate having food on the table while so many must wait for bland soup at the church. Orihime wanted to do more for the people around her, but she knew that if she wanted to become a distinguished writer she would have to stay focused-not her strongest suit. She could not help but wish she was not born into a world where a female mind was something so easily dismissed. Someday she hoped to hold a place of importance next to her literary idols. She had been writing since she was a girl, much to her mother's dismay.
"Orihime, Rukia!!! Over here dears, over here!!!" Speak of the devil. Her mother could be seen waving a pink sash over her strawberry blond hair signaling the two over. They made it to the front of the growing crowd to find Rangiku already fully engaged on her favorite hobby-suitor scouting.
"-and Shuhei said he would certainly stop by after church to have a proper supper, he's a lieutenant now. Look!! There's Yumichika, he may be a slight feminine but he is next in line to be Duke of Tyne, well after his brother Ikkaku of course. But the way he gets himself involved in fights not only on the battlefield, but between his own men there is a good choice one of my girls could be the next Duchess. Oh! And we must find out what the relationship status Izuru is, you know we should stop by the boutique on the way home and pick up some new ribbons for church." Both Rukia and Orihime grimaced as Rangiku began with the latest gossip on which men were single and handsome. Make no mistake this was NOT why the girls were so excited for this day.
"Mother have you seen Sora, yet?" Orihime finally getting a word in edgewise. This, this was the reason the girls had stayed up for nights reading and rereading their brother's letter from France. Their brother had been inducted into Britain's Navy last year while a war had been started with the bothersome new settlements. They were now engaged in a war with not only the territories, but France had just signed an agreement with the united colonies, which meant another war for Britain. No surprise there, the rift between France and Britain had always been imminent, according to Father. Sora's last letter had sounded so different, he seemed more reserved and Orihime had a bad feeling he was keeping something from them.
"Oh yes, yes your brother has already gone through and is unbridling his horse at the stables, but girls there is more at stake here than just your brother…girls?" Rangiku turned around just in time to see her daughters run back through the crowd and presumably towards their house. Oh well, there must be a way for her to get her gorgeous daughters out to society…yes, of course. We absolutely must have a ball. And with that Rangiku waved her sash with new purpose for one of these lucky men would soon surely be her son-in-law.
"Come on, Come on!! Weren't you the one that had to run all the way into town to see Sora? Now we have to climb all the way back up this snowy hill. He'll be done brushing the horse and go into the library to have a cigar if we don't hurry. You know Father will have him in there for hours speaking on news of the war." Rukia had loosened the frustrating corset with one hand and had the hem of her light blue dress bunched up in the other running up the path leading to their estate. The two girls were so different and yet knew each other through and through. It was like two sides of a shilling. Rukia was petite and had an elegant femininity when her mother had her way. When she was younger, Rukia and Sora would work together around the lands (when mother was out with her club) taking breaks in the afternoon. She would fence with him pulling a limb off a sapling stating that he must be ready to defend the honor of Britain. Rukia took pride in their family's estate and truly wanted a place where she would be able to start her own family, her own adventure. But lately she was unsure if that dream would ever come true. She did not have her younger sister's looks, and she was getting older-as her mother reminded her daily. Orihime on the other hand, was sure that Rukia would find true love. Orihime was awed by the quiet dignity of her older sister. Orihime had always known that she would never be as elegant. Always blurting out the first thing that came into her mind, once in the middle of church service Orihime had asked why Noah did not find room for the dragons and the unicorns. That had her father grinning from ear to ear, but her mother was horrified. There were of course callers that diligently came to their house. But it always seemed they were more interested in her body than in her mind. She could not imagine a lifetime spent with someone who did not care about her imaginative and helpful nature.
"There are the two most beautiful girls this side of Paris. But don't let the general know I said that, we are at war after all."
"I just don't see why everyone can't just get along, hmm? It seems that we could maybe play a game of chess, winner can have the country of choice."
"If only the king could have your attitude Father. I have missed this place." Sora smiled as his father's hand squeezed his shoulder.
"Well, let's go inside and not speak about such inappropriate things in front of the ladies of the house." And with that Gin made an extravagant bow to his daughters and headed to his library. Sora winked at his sisters.
"You know a few of my friends have wanted to meet you two. I am sure that they will be heading up here after they get settled. But maybe it would be more fun to not tell Mother until they are nigh?"
So they were left to go into the parlor where the fire dried their wet gloves and warmed their feet while they mused at how life had finally smiled upon their family again. Rukia sat down to the piano to practice the newest Mozart 'Requiem Mass in D Minor.' She was able to let her mind clear and meditate on the chords as her fingers easily slipped through the stances. Orihime sat sewing some ridiculous little stuffed animal out of extra fabric. She too was content, knowing her brother was in the library and soon would be having dinner like they always had.
"There you two are. I have never seen so many attractive, available men. I must say that I had quite a few remarks about how they did not believe I had daughters of marrying age. It's all so delightful, ne? Well, let's go ahead and set the table for dinner before those two men decide the fate of the world." At dinner Rangiku was scrutinizing every friend mentioned by her son.
"Let's give this a rest my dearest Rangiku. Just enjoy that all of our children are home. We should celebrate this night, not worry about such things as marriage."
"That's easy for you to say, Gin my sweet. You my darling do not know what it feels like to have a chance of your prosperity taken due to your gender. I just think that perhaps if we held a ball, all of the men would surely see the rare gems among coarse rock." There were daggers in Rangiku's eyes as she smiled at her husband. Gin knew better than to instigate her anymore from previous experience.
"Yes, yes. Alright." And so Rangiku's thoughts turned to lace and hairstyles.
After dinner Orihime cleared her throat, gaining courage as she took a breath, "tell me brother, did anything else happen while you were away. Perhaps there is something that you may not have wanted to share in a letter?" Sora's eyebrows rose at this. He was always surprised at how his seemingly ditzy sister could be so astute when it came to her family.
"Nothing to concern yourself with. Oh, I had almost forgotten." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box handing it to Orihime and went to his trunk to pull out another for Rukia. "I was away during Christmas and wanted to be here to see your faces when you opened them."
Orihime could not believe the beautiful blue hairpins. They were in the shape of hibiscus, which were always her favorite flowers. Rukia pulled out a slender sword with a red handle. She had not seen craftsman like this and was sure it was of high quality. "It's from the East. It is called a Zanpakutō, but be sure not to use it against your wonderful brother, eh! Well it is surely time for sleep, yes?" He went up to his room without a response from his happy sisters, all worries long forgotten.
As Sora closed the door to his old room he slumped against it. He knew that he would be leaving again sooner than he had told his family. This time he would be going to fight in America, which had been much more fatal for his comrades. He just did not want to be the reason for his family worrying. He knew that if he died his sisters would be even more pressured to marry so the estate would stay in the family. He pulled off his jacket and put it on his bed, a letter slipping out. He scanned it a genuine smile coming to his face while he did. His friends were planning on spending the entire summer in Chester. He could not imagine what that news would do to his esteemed mother. There were not many eligible men of nobility that they had close ties with, and Renji had quickly become great friends. He mused while he lay in bed how great it would be to see Renji taken down a peg by his sister's new sword. While Captain Ichigo was a bit stubborn, he was sure that it would do him good to take in the calming air of the country. As he fell asleep he prayed that tonight, in his longtime bed, he would not dream of the men he had killed.
Orihime stayed up that night and wrote since she was feeling more inspired that she had throughout the cold months of winter from everything that had happened today…
There are some comforts about the cold, gray days of the season. I often do not see, or fail to appreciate their presence because I have such anticipation anxiety that I set myself, and the season, unfortunately, up for failure rather than success. But that is my nature. Much like the apocryphal scorpion, I always fear the worst because that is what I am. Thus, my abuse of winter and my failure to see its allure.
But there are moments, times, stolen instances where the season that requires cold, dampness, and darkness, reveals its beauty and phenomenal nature. For those of us who do not possess the nature to see them all the time, the revelation is often epiphanical in nature. And, because my passion is so negative these bright, surprising visions are so much more dramatic. They do not overwhelm me and change my lifelong abhorrence of winter, but they are stunning, none-the-less, and I stand amazed when I have to recognize them.
In the spring, summer, fall season, regardless of how early you go to rural places, noise is everywhere. Leaves rattle, birds sing, cow's moo, buggies rattling down the hill. But in winter, when you sift yourself into the woods and prairies the only noise is the roar of Silence itself. Once you stop moving, and if you do not take a dog of uncontrollable nature with you, the quiet is overwhelming. Stand. Absorb. Close your eyes. Stop breathing. Wait. It is the absence of sound that you hear. The noise of quiet.
Cold weighs heavily on all things. Air, wind, other living beings and animals are silenced by the weight. It is a magic moment and is meant to be feasted on and tasted to be appreciated. I often forget, much to my dismay, the absolute resurrection of all of your senses that silence brings. It comes in like a wave and completely dominates all the ways of feeling and appreciating. To some, those who are so accustomed to the daily noise the Sounds of Silence bring fear. Perhaps the silence is too noisy.
The season is crisp. Not Cold. Not Brisk. Not Crisp like ice, but Crisp, like the feeling of crisp. Artists talk often and in many diverse ways about the Range of Light. Light, you learn from artists, is more than bright or dim, or colored or blank. It does not merely illuminate. Light is the transmission of feeling of being. Light is perception. And at no time does light speak as brilliantly as it does in winter. And now, finally, back to crisp. It is so difficult to use the concreteness of words to express a feeling. Crisp is clean. Crisp is a degree of brilliance, Crisp has to do with the fine edge of something. And that is the best I can do. And it is in winter that this vague, un-definable, serendipitous, incredible feeling of crisp is at its best.
And that is the gist of this and all my writing. Observation. Observation of self. As Socrates said "An unexamined life is not worth living." Knowing what I dislike about winter is most often a matter of separating out what I like and thus leaving the disliked. And, at least in this case, what I dislike, well…it is also what I like. Funny how that works out.
I know Ichigo did not make an appearance, but don't worry he is on his way!!! If you have and questions or comments please feel free to review or stop by my page. I am an online published author. Looks like this New Year might be a good one after all. One resolution down 48 to go. LOL. Happy New Year!!!!