"Hey, kid," she says, catching her attention with a rap on the shoulder and a jerk of her head to the porch. And, although the younger girl protests, she follows the demanding older woman with little more than a few flustered questions.
The others in the room know better than to follow. Whether they've lived with the woman a good portion of their life or just met her a few days ago, they all know that her word is law. And law that better damn well be followed if they know what's good for them.
She doesn't say anything on the walk, bare pads of her feet scarcely making a sound as they travel. She doesn't even look at the younger girl until she hops off the porch, the slightly dampened grass curling under her, the long planks of the platforms where she sets off fireworks not too far off.
"Ya remember this place?" she grins. And although it's only been a short time from the time Orihime left this place in a cannonball to save her dear friend and to help protect another one. She nods.
Kuukaku settles on the ground and gestures Orihime a bit closer. "See, I've been doin' fireworks ever since I was a kid. Sorta came in the family, y'know." She digs in the box beneath the platform digging out a firework. It's a homemade one. She grins a bit to herself as she thumbs the symbol that marks it as one of her own.
"See, everybody figures," she begins, voice almost nostalgic, "That the important part about the firework is the big bang, all the colors an' shit." Kuukaku thumbs a match and holds it up for the girl to look at the glow, "But see, that ain't the half of it."
"The firework don't go off if this ain't here. The fire's what makes it a firework. That little spark that gets everything goin'. You could have all the fireworks in the world, but without that one little spark, they ain't worth a thing."
"So, really," she lowers the match to the fuse, scrambling back and covering her ears. The firework goes off with a bang, bright colors flickering through the dim night sky. Kuukaku turns, bathed in the red glow of it, offering Orihime a brief grin, "It don't matter how much bang you got if you don't got that spark. So, keep it. It'll be worth a lot more'n any explosion yer boys can get."
Orihime blinks, hesitating before a smile flickers across her lips.
"That's my girl," Kuukaku snorts, nudging her, "Now how about we set a few more of these off and see if we can stir up any more of your friends before Ganjyu gets them drunk."