"Okay, next is the one with mint. Remember that one?"

"Uh...is that a...Mai Tai?"

"No, that's a Mojito. Mai Tai has the pineapple slice."

"Right...so which one has the olive in it?"

"Come on, you should at least know a Martini."

"Well, sorry for not knowing my fancy drinks. The only thing I cared about was if it got me drunk or not..."

Growling in frustration, Sui-Feng leaned her head back and rubbed at her head, wondering why her memory wasn't working properly. It was late Saturday night, after the bar had closed its doors. Rangiku had already left, mentioning that someone was waiting for her, which just left the Chinese girl and her boss. Presently, they were sitting at the bar, reviewing all the drinks that she probably should have figured out by now. Given the number of times Shuuhei had to correct her, she wasn't getting any closer to to learning them.

"You'll get it eventually," he said sensibly, "I've been making these things for years, and Rangiku probably drank them each a few hundred times over. You haven't even worked here a month yet, no need to rush."

"Yeah, I guess," she said wearily, but it was still annoying to get confused over something as simple as a drink order. "Goodnight, then."

"You too. I'll see you Wednesday."

Sui-Feng grabbed her coat off the bar counter, slipping it on as she headed out of the building. As she stepped out through the door, though, she immediately felt the brisk chill of the mid-November night, even with the extra layer. Rubbing at her arms a little, she started walking at a brisk pace to get her blood flowing. She was already used to the trek back to the apartment by now, and her feet basically knew the way on their own, which gave her plenty of time to let her mind wander.

Her first thoughts were about dressing warmer, now that winter was starting to set in, and about how those stupid drinks were being such a pain to remember. When she realized what she was doing, though, she almost had to laugh out loud. After all, worrying about the weather and a bar menu seemed practically mundane, all things considered.

It was amazing how much had happened in just over a month. Her life hadn't really been stable before, but for awhile there it seemed like a hurricane had just swept in and whipped everything out from under her. She'd been thrown around with no clear landing in sight, but when she'd finally gotten her feet planted again, things had turned out surprisingly well.

A faint smile ran across her lips, as she played everything back in her head. Some of her recent good fortunes could be attributed to luck, but she was smart enough to realize that she'd received a lot of help over the last few weeks – even from the most unlikely sources. She was going to have to find a way to pay them all back, somehow.

Turning the last street corner, she barely noticed as a passing car slowed to a crawl, but didn't pay it much heed...at first.

"Hey there, beautiful! What's a pretty lady like you doing walking all alone at night?"

Sui-Feng didn't need to bother looking to know who was calling to her, which was a good thing, because her immediate reaction was to roll her eyes.

"I thought you'd have better places to pick up dates than a street corner," she said, glancing to the side where her roommate was grinning cheekily at her. There was a bite to her words, much like usual, but it was notably dulled by the lazy smirk playing on her face.

"Hop in," Yoruichi said, apparently taking no offence to the quip, and pulled her car up to the curb.

"It's only a few blocks," the younger girl replied.

"Yeah, but I'd feel stupid just driving past you."

A few snarky responses immediately came to mind, but they were brushed aside quickly. Sui-Feng really didn't have a reason to turn down the offer, and was just protesting for the sake of it. Shrugging, she walked over to the car and opened the passenger-side door, sliding into the leather seating.

"Isn't it a little cold to still be driving a convertible?" she commented as the car pulled away from the sidewalk.

"Gotta take advantage of the clear skies while they're still here," the older girl answered, "Why, too cold for you?"

"Hardly," Sui-Feng said stolidly, just as a unwelcome shiver ran through her. Her eyes quickly glared to the side, daring the other woman to say something. Yoruichi just grinned, probably having a quiet laugh to herself. As expected, the ride was short, taking less than a minute to reach the apartment.

"So how was work?" the dark-skinned girl asked, making small talk as she slowed the car, pulling into the apartment's parking garage.

"Normal," the she answered. For other people, that might have been a generic answer. When the older girl chuckled at the words, though, the Chinese girl noted that she wasn't the only one in on the joke.

"So you're free tomorrow, then?" the older girl continued, as she pulled into her parking stall.

That was a rather odd conclusion to draw. Then again, most of her 'non-normal' days tended to have some rather problematic ripple effects, so maybe it wasn't such a bad assumption. More importantly, though, was why it mattered if she had the day off or not? Not really liking where the question was leading, Sui-Feng decided to give a noncommittal answer.

"That depends..."

"..on how terrible my suggestion sounds?" Yoruichi finished, knowingly. "Well, I doubt you're going to be thrilled about it."

"So why bother asking?"

"Aww, don't be like that," the older girl pouted, giving a mock attempt at puppy-dog eyes. The Chinese girl just rolled her eyes, getting out of the car.

"Well, you might as well tell me what this is about."

"...really?"

"Didn't say I'd agree."

"Right..." the other girl said, as she finished locking up her vehicle. "Well, my friend gave me some dumb call about a 'grand opening' that I 'have to come to'."

"And why do I care?"

"Like I said, you won't...but your name got mentioned at some point, and he started insisting that you come along too. I probably should've said no on the spot, but once he gets an idea in his head, he can be obnoxiously persistent."

"Why does that sound familiar?"

"Hmm?" Yoruichi asked, not quite hearing the words that were muttered under breath.

"Nothing. Have I seen him before?"

"Err...you might've seen him scampering off. Then again, I doubt you were paying attention at the time..."

During the elevator ride up to the top floor of the building, Sui-Feng didn't say anything. Her initial thought was to just say no, like usual. Truth be told, though, she really was free the next day, having Sunday off from school and work. She could've made some excuse about homework or studying, but that something like that would be quickly scoffed at. Hell, she didn't even have to make an excuse. It wasn't like she was obligated to accept every request that was made to her, and the older girl almost said outright that the whole thing was going to be one big pain in the ass.

Still, there was one little voice in the back of her head asking 'why not?' It wasn't too often that she got to do things just for the hell of it. And besides, she was probably going to meet the guy eventually; better to do it when she wasn't going to be surprised.

"Fine. I'll go," she said finally, just as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.

"Really?" Yoruichi asked, taken aback.

"No promises to get along with anyone," the Chinese girl stated, walking down the hallway, "But if he wants to get introduced, now's as good a time as any."

"Alright then!" the older girl said enthusiastically, like she'd secretly been hoping for that answer. "I'll try to keep Kisuke from driving you insane."

"Wonderful," Sui-Feng muttered, wondering if she was going to regret the decision.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you about speed limits?"

"I like to think of them more like guidelines."

The Chinese girl made a weird yell as they pulled around another corner, which sounded suspiciously like two swears mashed into a single word. Yoruichi didn't pay much heed though, as she swung her car past a slower vehicle. They were actually running a bit late, which might've been because she hadn't dragged herself out of bed on time – but really, there wasn't much point in playing the blame game. What mattered was being punctual, which required a slightly heavier foot than usual.

"Are we almost there?" Sui-Feng managed to say, in a rather subdued voice.

"Another few miles to go."

The younger girl didn't respond, but she seemed to hunker down lower in her seat, and was repeatedly mumbling the words 'never again'.

When they finally reached the destination, the older woman had to double-check the address she'd been given. The area didn't look like much, just a bunch of generic looking office building, and she seriously doubted that Kisuke was starting up a company. They were definitely at the right street, though, so she eased down the block, counting the building numbers as they went by.

"Are you kidding me..." her companion muttered, still hunched as low as she could sit in the car. Yoruichi didn't say anything, but was thinking along the same lines. The building they were looking for was conspicuously missing. There was an office to the left, and another to the right, but right in between was what appeared to be a an open alleyway. It was just like the slacker to ignore all semblance of conformity.

"Well, I suppose we're here..." she said, as she parked the car against the curb. "Might as well see what -"

For someone who was complaining about speed so much, the Chinese girl bailed out of the vehicle ridiculously fast, and propped herself up against a concrete wall, taking breaths so deep it seemed like she was nearly ready to throw up.

"Um, are you okay?" the older girl asked.

"Just...fine," Sui-Feng answered after recovering, looking over her shoulder to give an icy death-glare. A week ago, that would have warranted hiding behind the nearest solid object. Now, though, the hostility was oddly familiar – not that it was any less of a warning.

"Well, uh...shall we?"

Nodding her head solemnly, the younger girl started down the alley, looking like she was regretting the decision to come along. Yoruichi couldn't blame her; she'd been shocked that the girl had even agreed to the offer. It was true that they were getting along better, but considering where they'd started from, that wasn't saying very much. Aside from a number of sarcastic jokes, and a few even-tempered conversations, it was hard to definitively say they were even friendly with one another.

Then again, maybe this was her idea of friendly, which would be somewhat unfortunate, to say the least.

"What the hell," Sui-Feng said suddenly, her voice completely deadpan as she looked around a corner. The older girl was still a few steps behind, but when she had caught up, her thoughts were almost exactly the same.

Nestled in between two concrete buildings was a tiny, wooden building, looking completely out of place with its surroundings. It was shabby and slightly dilapidated, which had to mean that the strange structure had been around for several years. The only acceptable explanation was that it had been randomly plucked up by a tornado and dropped down onto its current location, because there was no way that the place actually belonged there.

While the two women were busy being dumbfounded, four loud popping noises sounded off, drawing their attention away from the architectural eyesore.

"Welcome!" a set of four voices cried out in unison, as small bits of confetti flew into the air. Predictably, one belonged to a scruffy blond, who was bearing an incredibly goofy grin. The other three were much more surprising.

"Kisuke, don't tell me you roped Tessai into this?" Yoruichi asked. The tall, broad man was standing in a ridiculous pose, with his arms stretched out as if he was trying to be a gigantic, male cheerleader. Of course, he'd always had a knack for absurd behaviour.

"Nonsense. Master Urahara was providing me with his expert assistance," the large man stated in a booming voice. With his eyes covered by thick glasses, and his mouth hidden behind a massive moustache, it was impossible to read his expression. Of course, knowing him as long as she had, she was certain that he was completely serious.

"Of course he was..." she said in resignation. "Well, it's always nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Miss Shihoin."

"...okay, screw this," Sui-Feng announced abruptly, making her presence known, "I'm outta here."

The younger girl turned around, her brow furled like she was fighting a massive headache, and seemed ready to storm off. Yoruichi almost moved to stop her, but paused when she realized that she really didn't have a good reason to do so.

"Hey, is that the scary lady?" a young boy's voice called out. The Chinese girl immediately halted her stride, and turned her head back with an eyebrow raised.

"Jinta, that's not a very nice thing to say..." came a timid comment from a young girl, the fourth member of the welcoming party.

"Hey, who asked you!" the boy shouted out, taking hold of the girl's black pigtails and pulling on them violently. "That's what Mr. Urahara called he-"

His childish antics, and near fatal accusation, were quickly stopped as Kisuke picked the boy up into the air, covering his mouth.

"Now, now, no need to be spreading silly rumours about our guests," the young man said airily as he kept hold of the struggling child. Yoruichi glanced over to the girl beside her, whose eyes were narrowed. In terms of first impressions, this one could definitely have gone better.

"We've been waiting for your arrival. Would you like to come inside for tea?" Tessai asked out of the blue, seemingly ignoring any of the shenanigans occurring around him.

"That would be perfect!" Kisuke declared with a cheeky grin, dropping his hostage to the ground. The dark-skinned girl couldn't help but crack a smile; something about their strange antics always managed to amuse her. She looked over at her companion once again, who didn't seem nearly as entertained. She had a very nasty frown on her face, but was still rooted in her-half turned position, which at least meant that she wasn't planning on running off for the moment.

As if feeling the look, Sui-Feng glanced over, with a clearly sceptical expression. Not knowing how to give a decent answer, Yoruichi just shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine...let's get this over with," the Chinese girl decided, rolling her eyes and walking back toward the building.

"Is the tea to your liking?" the large man asked as he lifted his own cups to his lips.

"It's fine, thank you," Sui-Feng replied, taking a sip. The man was a bit odd, for lack of a better description, but seemed well-mannered and pleasant enough. So much so, that she found herself constantly forgetting that he was a larger man than Kenpachi. It was worth wondering if he would always be so mild mannered.

"I apologize for the children's behaviour. Jinta is often too excitable."

"It's...okay," she answered, wondering where the brat had run off to. Both he and the girl had vanished the moment they'd entered the store. Yoruichi and 'Master Urahara' had wandered off as well, mentioning a tour of the tiny building. If it wasn't for their supposed sexual incompatibility, she would have suspected that the two had sneaked off to start making out. The more likely explanation, in this case, was that her roommate was trying to avoid some conflict, and left her alone with the most sensible person to talk with. It wasn't very comfortable, knowing that people thought of her like a fuse waiting to be lit, but she really did bring it upon herself.

"So, your name is Tessai?" she asked, trying her best to make small talk.

"Yes, it's is Tessai Tsukabishi," he said proudly, though she wasn't sure why.

"And how do you know..."

"The young miss?" he asked, and she nodded. "I served her parents for many years. When they passed away, I acted as her guardian for several more, until her relatives chose to take her under their own care."

Being a butler definitely explained the serious and proper attitude. It also explained why Yoruichi had such an amicable relationship with the older man; he had probably been her favourite caretaker, by far.

"So, I guess you've known her for awhile," she commented idly, taking another sip of her tea.

"Since she was born, it has been my honour to watch her grow into a fine lady," he said with a measure of pride. Sui-Feng was doubtful that his evaluation was very accurate, but didn't voice her thoughts. "Though, I must say that it gives me great pleasure to see her finally choosing to settle down with a capable young woman like yourself-"

The Chinese girl choked on her drink, coughing violently.

"My apologies," he said, shifting his thick glasses, "It's seems I have come to the wrong conclusion."

"Completely wrong," she sputtered out.

"So you are not in a relationship with the young miss?"

"No!" she stated vehemently.

"How unfortunate. When Master Urahara suggested that the young miss would be bringing a female guest to introduce, I must have received the wrong impression."

"I might have to speak with 'Master Urahara' about this, then," she said, grating her teeth a little. She hadn't even met the guy properly yet, and she already had a distinct dislike of him.

"Nevertheless, it always a pleasure to meet friends of Miss Shihoin."

She almost corrected him again, but bit her tongue this time. It seemed almost absurd to consider it, but 'friend' was probably an apt description of their relationship right now. They actually got along, at least in the sense that they weren't rushing to avoid one another. And, all things considered, here she was, meeting the woman's old butler and caretaker. That probably qualified them as something slightly higher than acquaintances, as hard as it was to admit.

"So why is it Master Urahara, but only Miss Shihoin?" she asked, trying to shift the conversation away from her social standing with the rich girl. "I thought you worked for her family?"

"The young miss refused to be addressed by anything more formal. She was quite adamant about it," he said, with a nostalgic tinge to her voice. "As for the young master, he has provided me much assistance over the years. In fact, this establishment was aided greatly by his efforts."

Sui-Feng wasn't entirely sure what the place had gained from a guy barely in his twenties. It definitely wasn't the most polished workmanship she'd ever seen. Glancing around, there wasn't a whole lot to see in the small sitting room, but a few shelves and cabinets held some odd trinkets and objects.

"What exactly is this store?" she asked with curiosity.

"A novelty store, with handcrafted goods," Tessai stated proudly.

"You made these yourself?" she inquired, eyeing a toy that was close to her.

"Each and every one."

"That's fairly impressive," she said earnestly. It must have taken a lot of work to stock an entire store, even if it was one this small.

"Your words are much too kind!" the large man suddenly cried out ecstatically. Looking over at him, she saw that tears had suddenly started streaming down his face, looking like he'd just received the highest praise imaginable. Feeling a little unnerved, Sui-Feng edged backwards, hoping the awkward moment would pass quickly.

"Scary lady, huh?"

"Well, I thought it was appropriate at the time," Kisuke said with an attempted innocent look on his face.

"Is that so?" Yoruichi asked with a smirk, "Sounds more like you putting a foot in the grave."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. She'll forgive me for a little comment like that...won't she?"

She highly doubted it. In fact, she was half-expecting the girl to plant a foot in the goofballs face at any moment. Hopefully her mood hadn't soured too much, and Tessai had managed to keep her sitting for a good long while.

The guided tour of the tiny building really was just a flimsy excuse, but Yoruichi really was curious about the place. Tessai had always mentioned wanting a place of his own, especially with the kids in his care, but she hadn't really expected him to set up shop. As she wandered around the store front, her eyes were wandering along everything packed onto the racks and shelves. There were some normal stuff, like snack foods and everyday accessories. However, the vast majority of goods looked like custom made stuff.

"So, I suppose you two really are hitting it off now," the young man commented. He was sitting at the front counter, flipping through a magazine that he probably wasn't even reading.

"Meaning what?"

"For her to follow you all the way over here, that has to mean something special," he said. As always, there seemed to be an underlying message hidden in his tone.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one giving her the invitation."

"Didn't actually expect her to show up though."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure why it was such a big deal. Well, no, she did see why. She just didn't know why it was a big deal for anyone that hadn't been living in a hazard zone for several weeks.

"Well, it surprised me too," she murmured. "So, you really helped Tessai set this place up?"

"Of course," he stated matter-of-factly.

"And how did he actually manage to rope you into all of this?"

"Hmm? What an odd accusation to make!" he exclaimed, with a funny gleam in his eyes, "Are you suggesting that I wouldn't help a dear old friend in need?"

"I can't see you getting off your butt unless you got something juicy out of it."

"Now, now, Yoruichi," he said, waggling his fingers, "It sounds like you have no faith in your most valued buddy. I assure you that it was purely out of the kindness of my own heart, and that free use of the wide, spacious basement for my personal tinkering is completely gratuitous."

She laughed at that, knowing full-well the mayhem that Kisuke could cause. Still, it was nice of him to lend a hand, even if his motives were completely abnormal.

"How are the kids doing?" she asked. They had always been a pair of troublemakers, Jinta more so than Ururu, but Tessai was fond of them. She could hear them playing outside, with the boy's barely audible yells reaching her ears.

"As energetic as always. Tried to get them to help paint the shop, but most of it ended up in Ururu's hair."

"Sounds like the usual, then."

Taking another look at the store's stock, she started to notice how many oddities were lining the shelves. The bunny-headed Pez dispensers seemed average enough, though they were clearly made with Tessai's tastes in mind. The candies next to them, though, were much more peculiar.

"Seaweed and tapioca?" she asked sceptically, picking up one of the packages.

"The next big thing, I'm sure of it!" the young man answered confidently.

"I hope you're not doing Tessai's market planning," she commented, beginning to realize how much of his quirks were showing in the products.

"Now, now Yoruichi. I hope you're not insulting my brilliant business mind."

She rolled her eyes, but still smiled in spite of her misgivings. No matter how off-the-wall Kisuke's ideas were, they usually managed to turn out well...eventually. Hopefully there wouldn't be too much grief before then.

A light knocking on the front door made them both look over, as little Ururu peeked inside timidly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting...but...is Raku in here?" the little girl asked in a quiet voice.

"Raku?" Yoruichi asked, looking over at her friend.

"Some stray they took in," Kisuke answered, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen the little pest in awhile."

"He ran off...and we can't find him..." Ururu said with a pout.

"Maybe he was just hungry, and ran off to the kitchen," the older girl suggested, and she headed off toward the back rooms. The animal hunt was also a convenient excuse to check on her two other associates. Hopefully it was unnecessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry. When she reached the sitting room, she briefly considered knocking politely, but impulsively decided to take the occupants by surprise. Whipping the door open, she was inexplicably shocked to find...two people politely sipping tea.

"Welcome back Yoruichi," Tessai greeted her, "Has your tour concluded already?"

"Uh, yeah," she answered, unsure if the peaceful atmosphere was a good thing, or just strange. Sui-Feng was staring at her with a questioning expression, probably wondering why she'd burst into the room so suddenly.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" the older man asked.

"Um...no, I was looking for Raku," she said, remembering why she'd stopped by. The Chinese girl gave her another confused look, which was completely understandable.

"The pet the children have been caring for," Tessai supplied helpfully, "I have not seen him around. Perhaps we should look for him?"

Yoruichi just shrugged her shoulders, but Sui-Feng got to her feet almost immediately, as if she was anxious to move.

"Sounds like a good idea, let's go," the younger girl said, hurriedly leaving the room.

"You got out of there fast."

"It was getting...awkward," Sui-Feng murmured. The man was polite enough, but he was overly emotional about the strangest things. She wasn't very good at handling crying people, let alone a grown man sobbing over his handcrafts.

"Oh. Well, I guess Tessai can be a little too forward, sometimes," Yoruichi replied nonchalantly.

The two girls were wandering around outside the small shop, halfheartedly looking for the runaway animal. The dumb pet would probably come running back home anyway, even without a search party. With the Chinese girl's luck, they probably would find it, and it would turn out to be a big, slobbering bulldog. At the very least, it gave the her an opportunity to get some fresh air, and get away from uncomfortable talk with people she hardly knew. However, why she had company was another question entirely.

"You know, I don't need you to babysit me," she said to the older girl.

"Oh? Maybe I just like your cheerful disposition," Yoruichi answered cheekily, which got her an annoyed glare in return, "Yeah, yeah. I wasn't sure if we'd get two runaways today. Plus I'm not sure how you are with pets."

"Gee, thanks for the concern," Sui-Feng said wryly, "Your buddies haven't scared me off yet. And I'm not planning on kicking any puppies any time soon."

"Well, guess that's good to know. So, what do you think?"

"Of the store?"

"Pft, please. Even I think it's a bit of a loony bin. I meant the goofs running it."

"...Well, I guess I didn't expect anything different," she answered, opening up a trashcan and peering inside; it was probably a better place to find vermin than a pet, though.

The older girl laughed at the vague answer. "Meaning what?"

"The kids are kids. Your old butler seems nice enough," Sui-Feng said, then gave her companion a cockeyed look, "Just tell your buddy that the 'scary lady' holds grudges."

That earned another bout of laughter,

"You know, you sure laugh at me a lot."

"I'm just getting used to your dry sense of humour," the older girl said with a wink. Rolling her eyes, the Chinese girl just continued with her lazy searching.

"What the hell is Raku, anyway?" she asked, realizing she didn't know a thing about the animal they were looking for.

"I'unno, never seen the fur ball before."

"Great...we're probably looking for a ten foot python."

"At least you'd make a good snack for him."

"Har har."

Sui-Feng approached a couple of beaten up cardboard boxes, attempting to flip them with her feet, when one of them shook, giving her a start.

"Well, there's your hungry snake."

"Or a nest of rats..."

Tentatively, the Chinese girl bent over and slowly opened the top flaps of the box, peering inside. Fortunately, rabid rodents were nowhere to be found, as a small, orange cat peered out at her with bright green eyes. Happily surprised, Sui-Feng reached inside and picked the feline up with her hands.

"Hello there," she said smilingly, peeking closely at the animals collar, where the word 'Raku' was engraved. The cat, most likely curious about the strange person picking him up, mewed softly, and tried to bat at her nose, making her giggle uncharacteristically.

"Well, well," Yoruichi suddenly said, with a gleam in her eyes like she'd just discovered some fascinating secret, "I didn't take you for a cat person."

Sui-Feng suddenly squeaked, and started to blush deeply, realizing that she'd been caught acting like a child.

"Not. One. Word," she stated, but the threat wasn't nearly as effective when Raku found a braid to start swinging at.