Before you read:
Some minor edits have been made to the previous chapter. They aren't that crucial though so you don't have to backtrack if you don't wish to.
That said, enjoy this one!
"Hinamori."
Following the sudden call from her squad mate, the diminutive female shinigami stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. "Hm?"
The redhead appeared uncharacteristically nervous, scratching at his cheek with a finger. "Could you help me...note down a date?"
At the female's puzzled gaze, he continued to clarify. "Like, remind me when it draws near!"
"Um, okay!" Hinamori Momo was still slightly confused but agreed congenially. "When?"
"May 15th," Abarai Renji replied immediately, almost anxiously. "I should be able to remember it myself but, well, just in case I don't...You know how I am."
"Thanks," he added, as an afterthought.
Hinamori peered up curiously at him. "What's the important occasion, Abarai-kun?"
"I, uh." He hadn't prepared himself for responding to questions. "Need to return to, Rukongai...my district." He winced inwardly when the girl's brown eyes grew wide, dreading more questions that were sure to follow.
"Return? Why?"
"I..." he turned away from her, crossing his arms defensively, as his mind scrambled for a cover. "Need to pay a...home visit?"
The smaller shinigami seemed to consider this for a while. "But Abarai-kun...didn't you say you came from the streets?" Renji mentally slapped himself.
"Didn't you know, Hinamori-kun?" Kira Izuru, who suddenly appeared in the corridor next to them, interjected, laughing. "He goes back to his district each time to get a new tattoo."
"Though," a hint of slyness crept into the blonde's voice. "This date was set beforehand, so I doubt it's to get a tattoo this time." Renji did not appreciate the smirk on his friend's face. "I heard your tattoo artist was female, Abarai-kun?"
"Yeah, so what? It is just for a tattoo, alright?" he growled. "And what's wrong with fixing the date in advance?"
His two companions smiled back at him, choosing not to comment on the fact that technically, he only had reason to get a tattoo whenever he achieved something of significance.
"Is it a special tattoo?" Hinamori inquired, her brown orbs exceptionally bright.
Renji recoiled, feeling heat rushing to his face. "Wh-What? No!" When he saw both of them continuing to grin at him, obviously unconvinced, he sighed in annoyance.
"You guys don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled as he pushed past them. Kira and Hinamori watched the redhead stalk down the corridor.
Silently, they exchanged a knowing smile.
Entry #6 – Of Hollyhocks
Name: Abarai Renji
Occupation: Gotei Thirteen Fifth Squad member
"Ah," the tattoo artist greeted pleasantly. "You're here."
The redhead shinigami jogged up to the front of the tattoo parlour. Hatano Aoi had been seated on the doorstep, and now stood up to receive him. Her brother, Hatano Fuyuki was leaned against the wall next to her, watching him carefully.
Not that he paid any attention to him. His eye was caught by the turquoise-eyed female, who was, for the first time, not in her usual getup of plain robes. To say that she dressed up would be an exaggeration – her attire was not extravagant, consisting only of a faded yūkata and her charcoal tresses tied up in an elegant knot. And yet, the difference was significant enough. She looked younger, more alive.
In contrast, Renji felt severely underdressed.
'Dress well', she had instructed. But those simple words had been unexpectedly hard to follow. To start off, the former street urchin had literally no decent piece of clothing – save his Academy uniform and shihakushō but he doubted he should turn up in either of those. After deliberating for a while, he had decided to borrow a set of robes from Kira, but there was only so much of his burly frame that could fit into the clothes made for the blonde's skinnier built. He felt awkward and uncomfortable in them, to say the very least. Well, not like he had a choice.
"Are we going?" The brother, grouchy as ever, spoke. "Or is Abarai gonna stare at my sister all day?" The redhead gave a start, scarlet flushing his cheeks. "I-I wasn't!"
"Save your breath, shinigami," was the snarl in reply. Renji chose to shut up immediately, though he still felt a strong urge to snap something back.
"Calm down, Yuki," Aoi forced an uneasy laugh. "Let's get going, shall we?" To Renji's further confusion, the two of them started heading away from the parlour. It took him a moment to realise that he should probably follow after them.
"Uh," he began unsurely, after catching up. He made sure he was on the other side of Aoi, such that she separated him from Fuyuki. "Where exactly are we going, Hatano?" The ebony-haired female shot a sideways grin at him.
"Aoi Matsuri," she replied. "The Hollyhocks Festival."
"Hollyhocks Festival..." Renji repeated. "Aoi..?"
"Mm! When my parents were still around, they used to bring us there every year."
"Your parents..." he blinked, trailing off.
"You can't catch it in Inuzuri, but they'll be passing by the edge of the seventy-sixth district, a manageable distance from here."
"They?" Needless to say, Renji was completely clueless as to what this festival entailed. Of what any festival entailed, for that matter. Growing up in one of the most depraved districts had meant that he had never been exposed to such thrills.
The tattoo artist beside him smiled. "You'll see when we get there."
They, turned out to be a procession with the strength of around a hundred. The contingent of people entered their visage after an hour's walk. Already, a crowd was flanking the two sides of the road.
Curious, Renji tried to take a closer look. The head of the procession was a man dressed in grey garbs. He was on horseback, as with many other men. Following immediately behind him were people dressed elaborately in aristocratic clothes and upon even closer inspection, the shinigami realised that their costumes were decorated with hollyhock leaves.
"That's the Imperial Messenger at the front," Renji was grateful for Aoi's whispered explanations. "Long ago, there was a period of natural disasters and epidemics that destroyed harvests and ruined grain crops. Diviners placed the cause on the divine punishment of the Gods and so, the Emperor sent his messenger with a retinue to the shrine to appease the deities, in prayer of a bountiful harvest. Hence began an annual ritual that became the Hollyhocks Festival as known today."
The redhead shinigami tried to digest all he was hearing as the procession passed by. Besides people on horseback, there were also marching musicians, dancers, and floats carrying large bouquets of flowers, mainly hollyhocks. Something else caught his eye then – an approaching concentration of white-painted women dressed in formal kimonos.
"Those are the attendants of the Saiō, the other important figure of the festival. Traditionally, the Saiō is chosen from the sisters and daughters of the Emperor to dedicate herself to the shrines and maintain ritual purity. This one is just a normal civilian, though."
Renji could see, now, the woman in the centre of the group. Unlike the others, she donned a jūnihitoe, a twelve-layered kimono. Her red, ruby lips and ebony hair contrasted her ivory skin. She was a doll of exquisite beauty, he noted, but more matter-of-factly than anything.
He looked to Aoi. Her electric blue eyes were wide, taking the sight in eagerly. How many times have she watched the same procession, and yet could still view it with awe?
"Hey, um," he excused himself. "I need to use the washroom for a bit." He made to leave but without warning, the tattoo artist grabbed his arm and dragged him back to his spot.
"You'll miss the exciting part!"
She didn't even look at him – her attention was obviously still on the parade– but that didn't stop Renji from staring at her hands on his arm.
Although he quickly forgot about it once he looked up and saw what came up next in the procession.
More horses, but now mounted by more professional-looking riders, galloped by. They quickly attracted the gaze of everyone present and the crowd let out a collective sound of appreciation when the riders whipped out arrows from the quivers on their backs and commenced an archery showcase. Wooden arrows flew in fluid arcs above people's heads and hit bull's-eye on the targets set up all around prior to the procession.
"Yabusame," the tattoo artist announced. Mounted archery.
"Amazing," Renji breathed out in awe. It was the first time he had seen someone on horseback, or doing archery on it, at that.
"Right, right?" Aoi laughed next to him. Like the horses and their riders, she seemed so free, so unrestricted. So unlike her usual self behind the counter of the tattoo parlour. Even the brat of a brother had his eyes glued to the equestrian performance, his gaze intent.
Pretty soon, the procession reached its end and the crowd slowly dispersed. The tattoo artist let out a contented sigh. "This is just a mock procession, something that the people came up with to replicate the actual one held in the better districts." Her electric eyes were bright but, at the same time, wistful. "I heard that the procession there is made up of six hundred people, including ox-drawn carts, and ends at a shrine, where the Saiō undergoes several purification ceremonies."
Softly, "I've always wanted to see that."
Renji wasn't sure how to respond. But he didn't have to, when the female's voice perked up again as she said. "Well, at least the people here actually set up stalls on this occasion!" He had noticed, with curiosity, the festival stalls that majority of the crowd had been gravitating towards. "Let's go!"
Her brother, beside her, groaned. "I don't see how you can say that with enthusiasm every time, nē-chan."
They took a slow stroll down the streets packed with people. Worried that the crowd would separate them, Renji had to look to the other two ever so often just to check that they were still there. They didn't purchase much, mainly looking around and focusing on weaving through the throng.
Halfway through, they lost Fuyuki. One moment he was behind them, the other moment there was no sign of him to be seen. Aoi explained that he felt uncomfortable in crowds and that it was normal for him to wander off on his own. They continued their saunter down the street, as if nothing had happened.
Renji took the chance to take in the sights and smells around him. It wouldn't be wrong to say that it was his very first time at a festival and it was actually rather exciting, if he was to be honest.
After the crowd had thinned relatively, he asked, "So, why did you bring me out this time?" He half-expected her to answer that it was on a whim, as well. Though he wished there was more to it than that.
The girl chuckled. "You did ask me about my story."
"Huh? I...don't see how this...?" his question trailed off halfway, inked burrows furrowed in confusion. The tattoo artist didn't respond, continuing forward.
Then suddenly, she spun around such that she now faced the redhead and was walking backwards. She started. "Many people think 'Aoi' refers to the character 'blue'. And, well, I guess, with my eye color, they would naturally assume so. But," the ends of her lips curled up. "My parents actually named me after something else."
Renji suddenly understood what she was driving at. "They named you after the flower. Hollyhock. Aoi." The girl nodded, beaming, and then turned back so that she was once again facing forward.
Other things started falling in place then. "Then, your tattoo..." Hatano Aoi responded by lifting her arm up to inspect the inked flower on her wrist. "Hey, you noticed!" Renji could see now that the flower was actually that of a hollyhock, its petals soft and pleasing.
"My parents used to grow them in the backyard," she continued wistfully. She was looking straight-ahead now, and Renji couldn't catch the expression on her face. "They were of the loveliest colours and you used to be able to smell their fragrance even from within the house. I..I've been trying to grow them myself after they left-"
The weed patch in the backyard, Renji realised with a jolt of guilt.
"-But unfortunately, I don't quite have their green fingers." The tattoo artist chuckled, and then looked back partially at the shinigami, starting Renji with the pained grin on her lips.
"It's ironic, isn't it? Me not being compatible with the very things I was named after."
The shinigami took his time to stretch his arms, before interlacing his hands behind his neck. "Duh it is," he drawled out loudly, making sure to play out the sarcasm in his tone. "I mean, how incompetent can you get?"
Hatano Aoi jabbed him in the ribs, laughing. "Bastard." Goddamn it, her elbow was sharp. But for some reason, Renji couldn't help grinning at her provocation.
"Your parents really enjoyed playing with words," he observed aloud. A smile slowly blossomed across the girl's face.
"They were damn good at it," she confessed, her turquoise eyes twinkling softly with pride.
Renji smiled. He could tell this yearly festival held some special importance to the tattoo artist and, for some reason, he felt at peace as well.
They reached the end of the street lined with booths and for a moment, wasn't sure where to go next. Then, Aoi pointed out a grassy slope nearby. "Shall we?"
"Sure," was the shinigami's quick reply. He followed her up the incline and sat down on the grass beside her. From up here, they had a good view of the festival stalls sprawled out beneath them, suddenly so small.
"What about Fuyuki?" he asked, recalling the tattoo artist's brother. Aoi, however, seemed unbothered by his absence. She leaned backwards, propping her hands behind her.
"He can take care of himself." She said with a smile. Renji thought he could detect a hint of sibling affection in her voice. He was familiar with it, of course, having felt that towards Rukia for many years.
Still. He recalled the Hatano male's open hostility towards him, the fire in his eyes, his scathing remarks.
"He...doesn't really like me, does he?"
Aoi's attention snapped to him, her eyes alert. "Yuki's like that. Not just to you."
Renji let out a sigh. Why was he caring so much about getting along with the brother anyway? It shouldn't have to matter to him. But...
As he shot another glance at the tattoo artist, he suddenly remembered what she had once mentioned.
"What you said, about him not liking shinigamis..." he questioned, cautiously. "What does that mean?"
From his peripheral vision, he watched, with alarm, as Aoi slowly curled up into herself, hugging her legs to her chest. He wasn't so sure but her turquoise eyes appeared downcast. When she next spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"He...was betrayed by a shinigami once."
Renji waited, for more elaboration, but the female remained silent, eyes staring into the distance. After a while, she turned to meet his gaze and smiled, painfully. "Sorry, but I would rather not talk about this, Renji."
"...Okay then." It was not okay.
The next few moments were spent in silence, with Renji feeling bothered by the fact that she couldn't confide in him. Beyond them, the setting sun casted the sky in scarlet hues.
The sun had just disappeared below the horizon when Hatano Fuyuki appeared at the bottom of the slope, looking up at them. Aoi got up. "Let's go."
Renji followed suit and stood up. "Yeah." But before she could leave, the redhead, anxious that he might not have the chance to again, blurted out.
"Thanks for today." He took another breath, before finally voicing it out loud. "Aoi."
The female looked back at him, slight surprise in her blue eyes. The shinigami quickly defended, "Since you shared its meaning, I have the right to call it now!" Hatano Aoi continued to stare wordlessly at him.
And then, she smiled. "You're most welcome."
She accepted it. The relief and inexplicable triumph for calling her by name for the first time both exhilarated and surprised Renji. Aoi. Not 'blue', but 'hollyhocks'.
He found that he liked the name very much.
As he and Aoi made their way down the hill and the Hollyhocks Festival slowly draw to a close, Renji mused over the meaning of names, over parents who had an affinity for word play, and over the artist whom he's only beginning to know.
The Aoi Matsuri is actually a legitimate thing. Though I might not have gotten the details down completely.
Sorry that this chapter was more OC-centric. Will be back to Renji's tattoos in the next chapter.
Also, a shoutout to anonymous for the review(s)! Thank you for bothering to leave them they have inspired me ;_; Although criticism would be nice too, so I would know how to improve this story (: I am glad that people have enjoyed this though, so thank you too to others who have followed and favourited this.
As always,
Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!