Lieutenant...he hadn't thought was in the cards for him. Especially not coming straight out of the academy like he had. He'd been a proficient enough swordsman but everything else was severely lacking. Daisuke also hadn't pursued the position in the slightest, hadn't wanted to...but Tia's words made sense to him. He would be better able to assist not only Jushiro but Shunsui if he were to assume the position of Lieutenant.
Of course, he had found that with the promotion had come a huge amount of paperwork to be completed, something that he isn't good at but that has to be done regardless. A sharp gust of wind whips his wool cloak to his immediate right. Snowflakes swirl this way and that in a beautiful dance while at the mercy of the powerful wind. "Are you sure you don't need something to keep you warm?" asks Daisuke for what had to be the hundredth time.
"For the final time, I'm fine," replies Tia, irritation tinting her voice. "I've weathered worse so stop asking me, Daisuke. I'll be fine." Another strong wind blows and he surpresses a small shiver as a result. Winters in the Soul Society were fairly mild when compared to the World of the Living. In fact, only once every few years does it actually snow...but this seems to be one of those years.
Three days is all it took for the temperature to drop off sharply and snow to start falling. "Fine. Have it your way, Tia." Snow crunches under their feet as they march forward through the streets of the Rukon. Rather then continue the search for 'wounded' Shinigami, they were sent out for nothing more then security now. Their mission is simply to patrol through the remains of the First, Second and Third Rukon districts and eliminate any Hollows they might encounter.
Of course, with the entire Eleventh Division devoted to that task, it was doubtful that they should run into any remaining pockets of Hollows. "How are you finding the Soul Society?" attempts Daisuke.
"Fine." He waits for her to elaborate and when she doesn't he sighs in exasperation. Trying to start a conversation with her seemed like an impossible task until she had questions for him. When she asked a question, he was simply swept up in the pace and spoke freely to her. Another sharp wind blows across the now silent buildings of the Second Rukon district and a small shiver travels through Tia's frame as a result.
"Ok. That's it." He reaches for the tie at the neck of his wool cloak. "Put this on, Tia. We're going to be out here for several hours and I'm not gonna let you get sick just because you're too foolish to know what's good for you." She glares angrily at him in response.
"I don't need you to look after me."
"Apparently you do because you're too damn stubborn to admit when you're cold."
"And you're not?" Daisuke removes the garment and holds it out to her.
"I've weathered some rough winters in my life. I'll be fine."
The Shark Queen gives the item a quick once over. 'Hollow blood, Hollow blood...Shinigami blood,' Tia thinks to herself. 'Just how long has he had this thing?' Another strong wind blows and the snow begins to fall even heavier then it already was. There's a slight shiver to his frame that he surpresses as she eventually takes the cloak from his hands. "How long have you had this?"
"That...was given to me by a friend when I was a member of the Twelfth Division." Tia briefly glances down at the strange broach hanging from one of the ties at the neck reading the name 'Shihoin' briefly before she secures it around her as he had done. "There. Now, come on." The already ragged ends of the cloak drag through the snow and mud with every step.
Their treck through the Second Rukon and into the Third is slow going and the weather is beginning to take a turn for the worse as the snow comes down heavier and heavier. It's soon turned into a damn blizzard surrounding them. "Figures," complains Daisuke, looking around for any kind of shelter. Their salvation comes in the form of a small home left standing among the destruction. He grasps Tia by the hand and pulls her in that direction.
They quickly cover the distance to the home and Daisuke throws open the door before slamming it closed behind the two of them. Inside is rather nice compared to the blizzard that rages around the small home. He turns to face Tia and snow piled on her shoulders and head, combined with the rather foul mood she appears to be in...he can't help but laugh. "You know, you make a pretty cute snow-woman, Tia." His face turns bright red a moment later. "Erm...I-I mean, uh..."
The Espada turns her back to the man, brushing the freezing snow off of herself as she does so. For the first time in her life she felt...embarassment? 'Strange,' Tia tells herself, feeling a slight heat in her cheeks. 'Working so closely with him must be causing this.' Daisuke clears his throat and steps around her, snow falling off of his kosode and from his ebony hair.
He approaches the center of the sitting room, looking down at the small fire pit. "Wait here." He disappears out into the blizzard and Tia steps more fully into the room, still feeling a little...strange around him because of his words. He enters several long moments later, carrying two very large bundles of fire-wood with him. She shouldn't feel so...aware of his presence, but she can't seem to help it. Again, she chalks that up to working so closely with him for so long over the past days.
"What are you doing?"
"Building a fire so we don't freeze."
"How do you plan to do that?" He reaches into his kosode and produces a small silvery lighter.
"With this magical invention from the World of the Living called a 'lighter', Tia." She glares at him, a glare he feels in his back and causes a single bead of cold sweat to run down his neck as a result. Ignoring it for the moment he quickly gets a fire going. The dancing flames cast a flicking orange glow across the small room and it became obvious that only a single person lived in the house by evidence of the single futon in the corner. Tia and Daisuke sit across from each other, the fire in the middle.
"Now what?" finally asks Tia, removing the wool cloak as the temperature rises.
"We wait out the storm. Only thing we can do..." After a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two, with only the storm now howling loudly outside of their shelter he sighs. "...I should go get more fire-wood. Sounds like we'll be here for the night."
"The night?"
"Well, yeah. Sounds like things are only going to get worse at this point. We don't need to go wandering around in the storm." Tia glances over at the single futon and then back at Daisuke.
"How are we supposed to get any sleep? There's only a single bed."
"Oh. That's simple enough." She narrows her sea-green eyes, as if daring him to say 'We'll share' or something to that effect. "You get some sleep and I'll stay up to keep the fire burning." He pauses for a moment and that little smirk appears on his face. "You don't snore, do you?"
"No. You get some sleep and I'll keep the fire burning, Daisuke."
"Then I guess both of us are going to be watching the fire all night."
"What you need to be doing is sleeping so that you can recover from your injuries quicker. Isn't that what boy told you to do?"
"Hanataro always tells me to take a break and relax. He knows by now that I'm not going to do it. Besides that, a few hours without sleep never hurt anyone, Tia. Now get some rest. I'll wake you when we can leave."
"You get some sleep. I'll wake you."
"Then, I guess no one is going to get any sleep tonight." Daisuke opens the door and closes it behind him. A loud curse and a loud splash follows moments later and Tia stares at the door in surprise...
The wind howls loudly outside of the building that the two are occupying, but neither pays it any mind as they sit across from each other. Daisuke shivers a bit and looks towards across the room at his uniform, still sodden wet. "Who the hell puts a pond that close to the house?" mutters Daisuke in irritation. He should have stripped completely but with Tia sitting across from him he isn't going to lose his underwear.
He had no doubt she'd throw him through the wall if he tried something like that even if he used his cloak to cover his lower body. But with no other option he simply sits closer to the fire to keep himself warm. Truthfully, Tia is again feeling rather aware of his presence, even without him speaking. Though she reasons it's hard NOT to be aware of someone nearly naked.
She can't help but note the many scars on his body from fights both recent and past. "You should get some sleep," Tia tells him. "Or lie down and get warm."
"I'm fi...fi..." Daisuke sneezes rather violently and then shakes his head. "...As I was saying. I'll be fine." Both of them are silent for a moment before Daisuke speaks. "Tell me about your Fracción, Tia." The Shark Queen remains absolutely silent for several long moments.
"...What do you want to know?"
"Were you close to them?"
"I was."
"What were they like?"
"Why does it matter?" asks Tia irritably. "They're gone, now."
"I'm just trying to get to know you a little better, that's all. You haven't said a single word about yourself since you've come here and I'm starting to get curious." She arches a brow in question.
"What makes you think I haven't told someone about my past already, Daisuke?"
"Maybe I'm mistaken. If so, I apologize." Again she is quiet for a bit before sighing.
"They were all women, and each always had something to say about whatever situation we happened to be in. As I'm sure you know by now, I don't talk a lot...so it was fine with me as long as they kept their arguing to a minimum."
"Close enough to argue with each other...you must've all known each other for a while."
"Yes. We knew each other before we were recruited into that bastards ranks." Daisuke smiles at that. "Of course...that seems like a life time ago anymore..."
"You knew them when you were a Hollow?" She confirms this with a nod.
"We came together for survival. Females are easy prey for males in Hueco Mundo. It's always been that way." Daisuke arches a brow and then gives the Espada a quick once over, which the Shark Queen notices. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just...you don't seem like the type to be easy prey for any male. I find it hard to believe you needed help from anyone to survive in Hueco Mundo."
"I needed them as much as they needed me, Daisuke."
"Loneliness is a hard thing to fight, that much I understand." He shifts his weight a bit and then sighs. "So, how were you recruited into Aizen's army?"
"He saved me from an Arrancar, one he created in an experiment."
"And you joined him after that."
"Yes. I was deceived by the bastard, we all were...and they paid for my stupidity with their lives." Daisuke shakes his head firmly in response, not willing to listen to the Shark Queen blame herself.
"Aizen manipulated everyone in the Soul Society for well over a century. Yes, they gave their lives but that was a sacrifice they were willing to make and you couldn't have done anything to stop them."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"No. Losing someone close to you never gets any easier, unfortunately. You can replay the whole thing in your mind over and over and drive yourself crazy thinking about things you could have done differently. The only thing you can do now is try to learn a lesson from what happened and apply it accordingly, Tia. That's all you can do for them now." The Shark Queen is silent, finding some tiny bit of solace in his kind words.
"...Sounds like you've had to deal with loss as well," finally speaks Tia.
"I've endured my share. Everyone has, after all." The wind outside of the small house seems to howl louder and Daisuke tosses a piece of firewood onto the orange flames and shivers a bit. "I wish my damn clothes were dry already!" He sneezes rather violently and then shakes his head.
"You should lie down and get warm."
"I'm warm enough."
"Then why are you shivering?" He snorts and scoots a bit closer to the fire, Zanpakuto leaning against his neck as he does so. The Shark Queen watches him for a moment before standing and then walking around to sit down beside him. She wraps his heavy wool cloak around the both of them without a word. "Don't get the wrong idea, Daisuke. If you're too foolish to know what's good for you then I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on you."
"Well...having a lovely Espada looking out for me. Aren't I lucky?" His face turns a bit red and he looks away, ebony hair shifting a bit as he does so. Even the Shark Queen feels a bit embarrassed by his words. "Erm, you know what I mean. I'm just glad you're watching my back, Tia."
"Well...you certainly don't seem to care enough to look out for your own well being. So if I don't then who will?"
"Heh. Good point." He turns to gaze into the orange flames of the fire and sighs a bit. His shivering slowly ceases as warmth returns to his body and still Tia remains. To him, she feels much warmer then the open flames of the fire in front of them.
"I've told you about myself now tell me about yourself, Daisuke."
"What do you want to know?"
"Do you have any family?"
"No. None that I'm aware of. As far as I know...I'm just another orphan from the North Rukon, Tia."
"None at all? No...significant other?" Daisuke actually laughs in response.
"Uh-uh. I doubt that there's a woman here in the Rukon who could tolerate me spending more time at work then with her."
"Why not become involved with another Shinigami then?"
"That would be even tougher. Not a lot of women give a guy like me a second glance, you know." The Shark Queen gives the man a quick once over. He is in fit shape with several thin scars across torso and arms as evidence of his many battles. That combined with his strength should make him an obvious choice for a mate.
"May I ask why?"
"I graduated from the academy at the bottom of the barrel, you know. Not a lot was expected of me and the only time I was speaking with people was when I was fighting with them."
"You fought a lot when you were in the Twelfth?"
He laughs again. "Constantly. Looking back it doesn't seem like there was a day that went by that I wasn't fighting with someone from the Eleventh Division. A lot of people still see me as that person."
"I haven't seen you fighting any Shinigami lately."
"I was put on the right path, eventually." Daisuke smirks a tiny but and Tia narrows her eyes. "You know, you're being awfully talkative today."
"You have a problem with that?" asks Tia, sea-green eyes meeting his amber.
"Not at all. In fact, it's a nice change of pace considering how quiet you usually are. I like it." Neither of them says another word for quite some time and neither does the Shark Queen remove herself from his side. Time passes and eventually Daisuke yawns rather loudly. Having only had a few hours of sleep over the past few days, it is finally starting to catch up with him.
"You should get some sleep."
"I...yeah, I probably should." A grin appears on his young face. "If I'm gonna get some sleep...how about I let you tuck me in?" Daisuke was honestly expecting her to knock him through the wall but instead she simply tosses a piece of firewood onto the flames.
"As tempting an offer as that is...I'll pass."
"You sure? I don't give that offer to just anyone."
"I'm sure." He laughs an then stands and crosses the room. He returns a moment later with the bedding and drops it to the floor. It takes him only a few moments to get things set up and he slides himself under the blanket.
"Last chance."
"Good night, Daisuke." He laughs again as he lays down...
The incessant chirping of birds woke him and Daisuke was immediately aware of two things. Firstly, the storm had stopped and secondly...his right arm was asleep. The young Shinigami opens his amber eyes, sweeping the inside of the now cool home before eventually landing on a head of blond hair at his right side. He blinks in confusion, the dulling effects of a good nights sleep causing his mind to work slowly.
The figure stirs and then turns, using his woolen cloak as a blanket. The grim smile of the Shark Queen's mask fragments is all that stares back at him until her eyes open. Two beautiful sea-green eyes. Neither of them says a word as Daisuke's face turns a bit red. "Uh...morning, Tia," speaks Daisuke. "Can I have my arm back now, please?" Tia looks first at him and then down at his arm before leaning up quickly.
"What do you think you're doing?" asks Tia, giving the man a glare cold enough to freeze his blood something he completely ignores.
"Me?" Daisuke leans up as well, trying to work some feeling back into his rather fast asleep right arm. "You were the one using my arm as a pillow, Tia."
"What was that?"
"Whoa, calm down. I'm only kidding." After several tense moments she stands and retrieves her white jacket while Daisuke quickly puts on his Shihakusho. After returning Tenshi to her rightful place at his hip he glances over at Tia. "Ready?" The Espada nods and holds the cloak out in offer. "You wear it." The two leave the home and start towards the Seireitei, trudging through at the least a foot of snow.
The sun shines brightly over-head, it's golden rays attempting in vain to breathe warmth and life into the frozen world below. It is winter's time now. The two walk in silence, neither wanting to address their strange awakening. It takes a few hours of walking before they've arrived at the North gate, which is crawling with members of not just the Fourth Division but the Eleventh as well. Searching the crowd of the Shinigami they approach Lieutenant Kotetsu, the tall Lieutenant standing above everyone else.
"Lieutenant!" calls Daisuke, approaching quickly as Isane turns. "What's going on? Why is everyone-"
"There you two are!" exclaims Isane. "I was worried you had gotten caught in the blizzard last night but now that I know you're ok we can use your help here. A large number of Hollows have been spotted in the Fifth Rukon District. We're sending some members of the Eleventh-"
"We'll take care of them, Lieutenant."
"Don't you think you should go see Captain Ukitake first? He seemed pretty worried about you two."
"I can-"
"I'll take care of it," interrupts Tia. "I don't particularly enjoy fighting but if I'm going to stay here I might as well earn my keep. You go check in with Ukitake, Daisuke, and tell him I'll be returning when the Hollows have been disposed of." He is silent for several moments, obviously considering whether or not it would be wise to let the Espada even one as calm as the Shark Queen out of his sight in the presence of a group of Eleventh Division members.
Daisuke meets her sea-green eyes and smirks a bit, a firm nod accompanying his stare. "Alright. Take care of it, then, Tia. I'll go speak with Captain Ukitake and let him know that we're both fine..."