Beautiful Blind Eyes
Chapter 3: See No Evil
Ikkaku stripped off the black over-robe of his Shinigami uniform, leaving only the white under robe covering his torso. He slowly walked to Rose and gently lay the black robe over her. She looked up, hair wildly falling in strands down her face, and in her eyes, blind as they were, the look of a terrified animal. The tear tracks on her face were outlined in dust from her fall and she shook from emotional overload.
"Who did this to you?" his voice dark and brooding.
"I...I can't tell you." She whispered.
"Yes you can. We will protect you..."
"In return for my powers." there was acid in her tone.
"I was going to ask you to help us. We do not see you as a tool. If you decide to join us, you will be a teammate, a partner, an ally, not a tool. We can't force you to join us but we seem a helluva lot better than wherever you are now. It's your choice. You can stay with us where you are safe, or you can go back to wherever they beat you black and blue."
"I-if I go, will you kill me?"
"No, even if you tell them who we are, we could take them on and win." Ikkaku's long lips curled slightly, in a half grin.
"Then, I'm staying with you." Rose raised her head to him.
"Good." Ikkaku reached his hand down to her hunched figure. Slowly, very hesitantly she reached up and met his hand with her's. He slowly raised her up from the ground. Rose stood in front of the man who just changed her life. She took a few steps closer to him and quickly wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you." she whispered into his chest.
Ikkaku, with all his combat training, reflexes, and experience dealing with surprise attacks, had no idea what to do. He leaned back slightly, eyes bulging, arms sticking out a bit, as the girl hugged him. He turned to the other soul reapers to see them trying to stifle stomach-cramping laughter at Ikkaku's utter confusion and helplessness, and Yumichika wiping at his eyes with pride.
Rose withdrew blushing. She walked to the other Shinigami who quickly controlled their guffaws.
"I want to thank you. You don't know me at all and yet you have helped me so much. If there is anything I can do to help you with your mission, all you have to do is ask." She bowed to them, "And if I may be so impertinent, Rangiku, Yumichika, I would like very much to go shopping with you. If the offer still stands, that is..."
"Of course Hon! Although by now it's to late to go, you'll come home with me to Orihime's house and get cleaned up. Then tomorrow we'll go first thing. Right Yumichika?" Rangiku turned to Yumichika.
"Yes Rangiku, that sounds perfect."
Rose simply nodded.
The water made a slow dripping sound. It was a lovely sound, so delicate and calm. Rose sat in the bath, loving the sensation of the warm water on her dirty skin. So much had changed over the last two days. Rangiku had explained that the spiritual pressure she had been sensing all over the house was Orihime's, the owner of the home.
"She has a very unique aura-er, spiritual pressure." she had commented.
"Yes," Rangiku had replied, "We're really not sure where her power originates. It's not soul reaper or bount or hollow or really anything that we know of."
"I see."
Rose heard noise in the living room outside the bathroom, she distinguished that this Orihime person had come home and now Rangiku was explaining everything to her. Orihime seemed to take the news that there was a stranger at her house rather well considering all she said was,
"I'll have to make more food." Rangiku made some remark pertaining to how this was the only place to go because they couldn't have left her with the guys and there was a soft tinkling of giggles from both Rangiku and Orihime. Rose turned the drain to let the water out of the tub, stood, and grabbed a soft towel from the rack nearby. She carefully dried herself, especially her sore back. It felt wonderful to leave all of that dirt and grim in the tub, she had never had such a soothing bath. Rose put on her own old undergarments and the borrowed clothing that Rangiku had taken from Orihime. It was just a simple night dress, the thin straps had had to be tightened quite a bit to keep the low neckline above Rose's chest. She had seen Rangiku's voluminous figure in her aura outline and figured from her clothes that Orihime was similarly blessed. The smooth material of the dress fell slightly past her knees in a cool wave of silky fabric. With a towel still wrapped around her shoulders to keep her hair from soaking the back of the dress, she went out to meet her hostess.
When Rose appeared at the door of the bathroom the light chatter stopped. There was an awkward silence.
"Oh! You must be Rose!" Orihime's voice seemed over rushed.
"Yes." Rose said, "Thank you so much for your hospitality. I'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I'm sorry about having to borrow some clothes, mine got... ripped."
"Oh don't apologies. It's fine really." Orihime put her hands up in an un-offended manner, "Let me go get dinner." she rushed into the kitchen and Rose could hear the sounds of pans being knocked about.
"She'll be a while, come'ere." Rangiku motioned her over and pulled out a hair brush. Sitting behind her, Rangiku started to gently untangle Rose's hair.
"So how are you feeling?" Rose's spine stiffened at the question.
"Well, my back is feeling better..."
"You know that's not what I'm asking."
"...I know. I guess I'm still shaken from everything. I just..."
"Common, let it out. You'll never feel better if you keep it bottled up inside." Rangiku's voice was patient and Rose knew she would have to spill everything.
"Well... I'm worried about The Society."
"Why? You're away from them now. They'll never hurt you again."
"I'm not so sure. Ow," Rangiku called out a soft 'sorry' when the brush caught Rose's hair accidentally, "They wont give up easily, they wanted something of me, I don't know what but it involved my power."
"Who are these Society people anyway?"
"I'm not sure. They are a group of men with strong spiritual auras, nowhere near your caliber, but for humans they're very great. The thing is, they know it. I'm certain they don't have The Sight but they know. About the auras and my blindness, everything. They work in a hall, the coolness of the stone walls and the damp in the air suggests it's underground. It's round and the seats of the men circle around like the Roman Colosseum. They call their top generals the Pantheon Council. The Council of Gods. My closest guess was that they wanted me to manipulate the spiritual pressures of anyone who goes against them, but I don't know if I can do it. They never explained anything, I have no idea what their aim is. And...and I'm," her voice kept getting quieter, "scared. I'm so scared." Rangiku set the brush down and hugged Rose around her shoulders.
"Hon, you got nothing to worry about. We will protect you, heck Ikkaku would be itching to put these guys out of commission."
"What kind of man is Ikkaku?" Rose asked quietly, almost hesitantly. Rangiku smiled to herself.
"Ikkaku is a... mystery to most of us. He is powerful, and fearless in the truest sense of the word. He loves fighting. It's like his drug. When he fights, it's like he... it's impossible to describe. Ikkaku guards himself always, only Yumichika, who's been with him longer than anyone remembers, knows his secrets."
"But what does he fight for?"
"You'll have to ask him that. No one knows, at least to my knowledge." Rangiku finished brushing Rose's hair and swiftly squeezed her damp hair into the towel, however Rose's mane was by no means dry. Orihime called from the kitchen that dinner was ready and they all sat at the small table. When Rose tasted Orihime's cooking she had to fight to keep it down.
"Excuse me, what is in this?" she said in a small voice. Orihime listed several ingredients that should never go together.
"I see. Orihime I'm really sorry but I'm not very hungry, I think I'll just go to bed."
"Oh it's no worry. I already set up a pallet over there near the door to the patio."
Hours later, Rose lay awake. The constant glare of orange spiritual pressure was everywhere. At the house The Society had provided, her mistress had an extremely low aura and almost never came near her room. But in this house everything had been touched with either Orihime's or Rangiku's pressures. Even when she closed her eyes the colors still seemed to glow behind Rose's lids. During the day this was fine, it helped her see the furniture and items in the house but right now all she wanted was sleep. Rose stood, drawing the thin blanket around her, and opened the sliding glass door to the small patio outside. She stepped out into the warm summer evening, feeling that the patio stones had been heated by the sun. Things were more tame out here, Rose guessed Orihime didn't come here much. There was a small wrought iron table and two chairs, she sat in one. The wind blew gently lifting her hair. The smell of lilac was in the air. Rose put her head down, resting her cheek on her arms. Her breath came slowly and peacefully. Her eyes began to close, slowly she fell asleep.
Ikkaku was flash-stepping around the city. He enjoyed the night patrols, they were much more comfortable than the hot daytime ones. Officially he wasn't patrolling tonight but he was always ready to look for a fight. Besides Yumichika always groused about having night patrol, claiming he didn't get enough 'beauty sleep', so Ikkaku did them for him. He was mid-flight when he looked down. Below was Orihime's house. The lights were out and it seemed like everyone was asleep, but then he saw the small backyard patio. A small figure was sitting in a wrought iron chair with its head down. Ikkaku landed on the far side of the patio and he saw Rose. Moonlight fell on her delicate features. She looked so peaceful, but he wondered, why was she sitting out here? He was sure that Orihime and Rangiku wouldn't lock her out here. Ikkaku turned and saw the glass door was open, he peered inside and saw an abandoned sleeping pallet. He didn't quite know what to do. Ideally he would just wake her up and tell her to go inside, but in reality it somehow didn't feel right to disturb her. Ikkaku knew, as they all did, that Rose had had a trying day to say the least. It seemed unfair to wake her from this solace she had found. So Ikkaku did the only other thing he could think of... he slowly picked her up and carried her inside. Rose's skin was chilled from the night breeze despite the blanket she had around her. She shivered slightly in her sleep and huddled slightly closer to Ikkaku. She was light in his arms and so skinny. She needed to put on some weight, although with Orihime's cooking that was doubtful. Ikkaku lay Rose down on her pallet and pulled the blanket around her. Quietly he retreated out the door and closed it, looking back one last time, and lept into the night.
