Shunsui smiled as he flicked the fringe of his brand new buckskin jacket.
The new clothing was in short supply but the snow was starting to come down, so Grimmjow had done some ruthless prioritizing. Starrk had needed a full set of clothing, but he and Grimmjow really only required jackets. Well, and he needed boots. That had been critical… his sandals, without socks, had not been remotely acceptable for the dead of winter. Glancing down, he examined the moccasins Starrk had fashioned for him. They were a bit crude, held together with more buckskin and heavy stitching, but the Espada had lined them with fur. His feet were quite warm, now, which was more than most of them could say.
"This ain't bad. I just hope the snow doesn't get too heavy." Grimmjow squinted at the sky. "Starrk's worried. Did you see those lines he put up?"
"Yes. It seems absurd but…" Starrk had run ropes, scavenged from a shed, from the house to their outhouse and also the chicken coup. The idea was that if a truly brutal blizzard hit, they would need the ropes to find their way. He'd told them a few cautionary tales of individuals who had tried to take a leak, gotten lost and froze to death. Shunsui had trouble picturing such a storm. The weather in Soul Society tended to be mild, without the radical shifts that characterized weather in the Living World.
"Yeah… but I think he's right. I seem to remember shit like that happening, from my blacksmith. He lived in a cold place. Pretty sure they just used a chamber pot when the weather really sucked, though." He said after a moment and Shunsui winced. "But we don't have many good pots and the kiln is a project for next year."
"Yes." Starrk knew how to make pots but the thought of doing it this year sent him into terminal exhaustion. Rukia and Orihime were both very interested in learning, though, when he got the kiln put together. That part would involve hard work for all of them so Shunsui was also happy to postphone it. "It's not really necessary, not for some time." They had some steel pots, taken from the ruins. Really, they might not need a kiln at all, but Starrk was taking the long view and wanted to pass his knowledge along. Grimmjow grunted, nodding.
"Yeah. Starrk's thinking of our descendants. Ya know, I wonder. How long will we live? And can we even have kids?" He said, voicing a concern that was preying a little on everyone's minds. Orihime and Ulquiorra were quite sexually active but there was no sign of a child yet. The way the worlds had shattered left it open to question. Where would new souls come from?
"It's too early to say." Shunsui refused to worry about it. This was definitely something they couldn't change and it was much, much too early to say. Leaving aside that shinigami and hollows weren't that fertile to begin with, Inoue and the Espada were different species. And so far, they were the only active ones in the group, although that might change soon. Speaking of which… "When do you plan to speak to Ulquiorra?" That was a source of tension in the group and the Espada knew it. Grimmjow grimaced, pausing to lean against a tree. Shunsui found his own tree, sticking his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.
"That's the question, ain't it? I know you shinigami don't like it much." He said and Shunsui winced. That was an understatement. Since Kurosaki technically had a higher reiatsu pool than Ulquiorra, the Claim had to be refreshed fairly frequently. That was very uncomfortable for everyone since Ichigo was not remotely consenting. The only thing that made it even remotely tolerable was that Ulquiorra clearly found it just as distasteful. "We just have to convince the bat that he's safe here and doesn't need the bastard anymore, and that he won't take revenge on him. That second part is the hard part. Kurosaki sure doesn't help with that." Grimmjow rolled his eyes and Shunsui couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yes, he doesn't do subtle very well." Ichigo had already gotten into a fight once with Ulquiorra. Fortunately, the Espada considered noisy insults to be beneath his notice. "And Orihime?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that. Grimmjow shook his head.
"No way. He's planning to put a pup in her and to tell the truth, his Claim on her is just as jacked as ours is." That was a new piece of information and Shunsui lifted his eyebrows at the Espada, silently asking for more. Grimmjow shrugged, a touch uncomfortably. "It's weird… his Claim with Kurosaki feels like a normal Claim, but what he's got with the woman doesn't. Don't ask me."
"Hmm. I wonder. Does it have something to do with emotions?" Ulquiorra didn't reveal his feelings much, but that didn't mean they were nonexistent. He was extremely protective of Orihime, in his own way. "You were fond of me and I know Starrk and Toshiro have a connection." Although, did the feelings have to be mutual? Shunsui contemplated it for a moment and had to admit that he did feel something for the arrancar. He could be unbelievably annoying, at times, but the good was coming to outweigh the bad. "I wonder how Inoue really feels about him." Perhaps he should discuss that with her. He would be more tactful than Grimmjow, although the arrancar was actually developing some sensitivity.
"Yeah. Oh shit, hide!" Grimmjow grabbed his arm and Shunsui blinked before spotting what the arrancar had seen… Nanao looking around with an intent expression. Smiling cheerfully, he joined the arrancar in quickly leaving the area. "Hey, let's go to that pumpkin patch and grab a gourd. Good excuse for a walk, hey?"
"Sounds good." The pumpkin patch had likely been meant for jack-o-lanterns. They weren't as sweet as real cooking pumpkins but they were adequate, particularly when tossed in a bone broth and seasoned with salt. Salt might eventually be a problem, oddly enough. Shunsui had never really thought about it before but where did salt come from? Starrk had mentioned the marsh they had passed through as a possible source, or the sea. Although they could live without it. There were naturally occurring salts in meat so it was not necessary for health. It would be good for preservation, though.
A few wet, heavy flakes drifted down and Shunsui glanced up at the sky. It was light grey and bright, threatening more snow but still pleasant. A blustery autumn day, it was a good time to take a walk. They stretched their legs, soon finding the pumpkin patch. It was a tangled mess of vines and squashes, untended by any human hands.
"Let's just get a few little ones, easier to clean." Grimmjow said and Shunsui nodded as they hunted through the patch. They would plant their own next year although it was likely this field would reseed itself, as well. Shunsui vaguely wondered how many domestic plants and animals would manage to go feral. Pigs certainly had. They'd caught a wild boar the previous week. Although from what Rukia had said, that was not unusual at all… apparently pigs were masters of escaping and going hog wild. Shunsui smiled at the thought.
Unfortunately, their doom was waiting for them when they returned to the house.
"There you are! Oh, you were getting pumpkins? Fine, put them by the fire but then you need to clean out the chicken coup." Nanao said firmly, adjusting her glasses and Grimmjow groaned.
"Oh fuck, do we have to?" Grimmjow said and she just stared at them. "Fine, fine! Shit… c'mon Shunsui." He growled and Shunsui sighed to himself. Cleaning the chicken coup was definitely among their least favorite duties but it did have to be done. The arrancar set his pumpkin down and he followed suit, turning it so it looked a bit nicer. "We're the leaders around here. Why didn't we put in a condition that we don't have to do the shit jobs?"
"A wonderful idea but absolutely no one would have let us get away with it." He could easily imagine Byakuya's stare and Rukia and Nanao glaring at him. Starrk would probably threaten to shoot them, considering all the work he was doing. And Toshiro would back him up. Grimmjow nodded morosely.
"Yeah, we'd have a mutiny on our hands. Oh well, time to get our hands dirty." That was definitely what happened. Fortunately, there was soap and warm water waiting for them when they were done. Shunsui pulled off his jacket, not wanting to get it wet as he cleaned off and shivered at the cold air. Autumn was definitely here. Which reminded him…
"You know, I was thinking. Should we have a harvest celebration?" He asked and Grimmjow flicked him a curious glance. "Like Obon." That was a festival to commemorate the souls of the dead. That would have special meaning, this year.
"Oh yeah, like Halloween? I like that." Grimmjow said and Shunsui blinked. He knew about Halloween although he'd never celebrated it… it was fairly new to Japan, let alone Soul Society. Also, it was for children more than adults, in his opinion. "We can have a Wicker Man! That would be great. Bit of work but there's lots of straw and if we have it near the river we can put it out easy. Yeah, I like this! Tell me about this Obon thing though. Is there anything special for that?"
"Yes, a dance." He began explaining how it worked to the arrancar and he was very pleased. They were still talking about it when Starrk came out and overheard some of what they were discussing.
"A Wicker Man? Grimmjow… what would we put inside?" Starrk sounded confused and troubled. Grimmjow gave him a look of blank incomprehension.
"Straw? What are you on about, Starrk?" He asked and the gunslinger hesitated.
"…I thought those were supposed to hold sacrifices to the gods. Usually captives or sometimes, a member of the tribe. Human sacrifices." He specified as Grimmjow blinked and Shunsui choked a little. "Druids did that?"
"Fucking… Starrk, I'm talking about a new age Wicker Man! Like the wiccans do to have fun! Not a bloodthirsty goddamned druid Wicker Man!" He protested and Starrk looked very relieved.
"Oh. I see. Sorry, I don't have many new age wiccans in here. I do have a few druids…" He said and Shunsui shook his head with a smile. "Dancing? This does sound like fun. We should catch something special for it."
"Yeah… you know, it's not like we have a set day for this. So let's build the Wicker Man and wait for a nice day with a good kill to set it on fire and dance and sing, yeah?" Grimmjow said and Shunsui nodded. "Hey, you're a good singer. I want to teach you some stuff so you can sing with me."
"Certainly." He would be more than willing to help the Espada with that. "I enjoy singing." He said with a smile. "Do you think we could make some drums?" Although he knew nothing at all about how to do that. "Even a hollow log might do." Anything to bang out a rhythm on. He pulled back on his coat, feeling quite a bit warmer with the leather blocking out the breeze. "And would you mind if I taught you some of the traditional Obon songs?" The arrancar likely didn't know them. He looked intrigued by the thought.
"Yeah, sure." He said agreeably and Starrk left them to their project, going to work on another piece of clothing. Right now he and Toshiro were making mitts and hats. Shunsui hated to admit it, but it seemed his skill at tailoring was nearly as bad as his handyman abilities. But he was turning into a decent tanner. That was something, at least.
They were practicing songs and trading melodies when Ulquiorra and Ichigo returned to camp from monster hunting duty. They both looked over to see that the pair were carrying baskets of fruit?
"Nothing of interest. However, the apple grove had one tree that was ripe and the fruits are reasonably sweet." Ulquiorra reported as he set down his basket. "There are more still on the tree."
"We might wanna pick those. Wonder why the others are waiting so long? Maybe they're confused on the seasons." Grimmjow speculated and Shunsui nodded. If the weather had changed the fruit trees might need to acclimatize. "Although they can run pretty late. Well, whatever, if they freeze they freeze." He took an apple, tossing it to him. Shunsui caught it easily before biting into it. It was sweet but just a little tart, very flavorful. Then the Espada took one for himself. "Nice! Hey, Ulquiorra. Do something romantic and bring your woman an apple." The green eyed Espada fixed him with a blank stare.
"Romance is meaningless. However, she could require sustenance." He allowed before taking several apples and leaving. Ichigo just glared after him and Shunsui sighed to himself. Grimmjow shook his head, still eating his apple.
"The problem with him is that he's got a huge personality problem but he doesn't think it's a problem… whatever." The arrancar glanced towards him and Shunsui met bright blue eyes, understanding the wordless message. Grimmjow wasn't going to talk to Ichigo about this. They were getting along slightly better, mostly by avoiding each other and he didn't want to change that.
"Ichigo." He said softly, drawing the young man's attention to him. The Espada grabbed a few more apples, muttering about Nanao and Rukia as he left. "We need to talk." Ichigo met his gaze with a troubled air before taking a seat and picking up an apple.
"What about, Kyoraku-san?" He asked politely and Shunsui noted the honorific. From what he'd been able to determine, that meant Ichigo did not feel particularly close to him. Partly it was likely a function of his age… Ichigo addressed Byakuya by his first name, but they were far closer to peers than he and Ichigo were. Although Kuchiki would no doubt deny it.
"About potentially freeing you from Ulquiorra." He said softly and saw shock on Kurosaki's face. He swallowed, blinking before shaking his head.
"I already spoke to Byakuya. He says Starrk and Grimmjow would attack us if we tried and force you and Toshiro to help." He said in a low tone and Shunsui wasn't too surprised. He smiled and shook his head.
"They would attack us if we tried to kill him. But we can try to convince him he no longer needs to Claim you." He said and Ichigo frowned. "He doesn't want you for yourself. Likely he would already have released you, if he didn't think you would try to kill him."
"And I would! I have to find a way out of this and free Inoue." Kurosaki growled and Shunsui winced internally. That was an understandable reaction but also the heart of the problem.
"Then you will never be free." He said, allowing his tone to become harsh. Ichigo flinched. "Ichigo, Ulquiorra's Claim on Orihime isn't like what he has with you. Grimmjow says it's more like what he has with me." Shunsui said and Ichigo frowned.
"What… is he to you? Rukia says you're really together but…" From the look on his face, he found it more than a bit preposterous. Shunsui had to smile at that.
"He's changing. You must have noticed that." Ichigo nodded. Meeting Kurosaki again had underlined the changes Grimmjow was going through. After a bit of bristling and posturing, he was managing to act like an adult and be civil when he and Ichigo needed to speak. And he didn't really feel a need to prove he was 'better' than Ichigo now. Of course, the competition might not be fair if he tried. Grimmjow had a connection to him and might be able to pull on his reiatsu, at this point. "I'm really growing quite fond of him. He can be quite a jackass but we all have our flaws." He said with a smile and Ichigo snorted, no doubt thinking that that was an understatement. "And, to be practical, I'm fairly sure that if he died something terrible would happen to me." He said seriously and Kurosaki blinked. "And vice versa. The way our inner worlds have partially merged… having that connection broken could be fatal." All the zanpakuto involved agreed. If he'd died after Yammy, nothing much would have happened to Grimmjow, since his power wasn't flowing back. But now it was and breaking the link would be catastrophic for both sides.
"Oh. And you think Ulquiorra has something like that with Inoue?" Ichigo sounded dubious and a touch troubled. "He's just such a jerk to her." He said and Shunsui nodded with a sigh.
"Even Grimmjow has noticed." And once, he'd been the most insensitive of the Espada. Shunsui thought that Ulquiorra was taking that title, along with the most indifferent. "But he may be changing. He seems like the kind to deny his feelings." Even if the Espada was developing real feelings for Orihime, he might not admit to them. "Still, killing him might harm her." That was the real point. None of the shinigami cared at all about Ulquiorra. Grimmjow and Starrk didn't either, precisely. They just thought he hadn't done anything wrong, by hollow standards. Ichigo looked down, his expression rather sad. "We need to talk him into releasing you and you need to be prepared to forswear any revenge… and mean it." He said firmly. That was going to be very, very hard for the young man. He'd been repeatedly raped by the Espada. That Ulquiorra saw it simply as a tool of domination wouldn't help much.
"…I have to think about it. But if it means getting away from that bastard…" He said in a low tone and Shunsui nodded. He understood what Ichigo felt. He likely would have made that bargain, back when his relationship with Grimmjow was new and he wanted nothing more than to be free of him.
"Fuck!" They both looked up to see the arrancar stalking towards them. He looked irritated at something. "Kurosaki! Tell me you're not too goddamned stuck up to drum on a rock."
"What?" Ichigo was just confused but Shunsui quickly figured it out and chuckled.
"You shouldn't have even asked him." Byakuya would definitely not be willing to bang out a tune with whatever drum they managed to create. Grimmjow scowled.
"I just want everyone to take a turn. He's not even going to dance! Dick." He complained and Ichigo still looked puzzled. "You haven't told him about the Odon festival yet?"
"Obon." He corrected the Espada before turning to Ichigo. "We're having a harvest festival, combining several traditions. Grimmjow is going to be building a Wicker Man to set on fire." Shunsui actually liked that idea quite a bit. Obon festivals traditionally involved bonfires, often in patterns. The Wicker Man would easily fill the niche. "We'll also make some jack-o-lanterns and have a feast. Probably slow cook the meat." That wouldn't be too hard. Rukia, Starrk and Grimmjow all knew the trick of wrapping meat in wet leaves and burying it in hot coals. "We can make a sauce. It should be delicious." They had canned tomatoes and they had been drying herbs from the garden.
"Yeah, maybe we can try to raid a bee's nest and get some honey for that. That'd really bring it together." Grimmjow said and Shunsui's mouth watered at the thought. Only rice would make it better, but the land they had settled in was definitely not suited to growing rice. "Or even sort through one of the ruins and try to find some sugar. They're so damned fucked up though." No one liked going through the ruins. It really was dangerous. Nanao had almost gotten caught in a collapse but Byakuya had called a warning before the remains of a roof could come down. "Maybe I can ask Starrk to do it."
"Hmm, not a bad idea." The gunslinger was busy but the thought of a really good barbecue sauce might be enough allure to pull him in. "I'll mention it." Starrk was less likely to threaten to shoot him than Grimmjow. Shunsui smiled in amusement at the thought. Starrk threatened quite a bit, but mostly didn't mean it.
"This sounds like fun. Sure, I'll take my turn drumming." Ichigo said with a small smile before standing. "I should see what Rukia's up to." He excused himself and they both watched him go. Grimmjow lifted an eyebrow at him and Shunsui just shrugged. He really wasn't certain how it would turn out.
That night, Grimmjow played another song by the fire. None of them could understand the lyrics, this time. The language was alien but beautiful, very smooth and lyrical. Shunsui closed his eyes, just savoring it. The fact that he couldn't understand a word only made it better. This was music, in its purest sense. After the song was over, though, Starrk chuckled softly.
"You're lucky only the two of us can understand that, or all the women here would likely be hitting you." He said and that garnered him quite a bit of attention. Grimmjow just grinned. "It is a story about mice and how women are terrified of them for no real reason. It is funny because it is true."
"I am not terrified of mice!" Rukia protested as Nanao and Inoue both blushed. Shunsui grinned as he remembered an incident in the Eighth Division. Nanao's scream when the mouse had run over her books had been quite impressive. So had her slap when he'd tried to comfort her. Starrk smiled easily at Rukia.
"Then you are a rare woman. But it is late. Shall we retire?" And most of them did except, interestingly, Ichigo and Rukia. Shunsui caught Byakuya giving them a look but the noble said nothing. Really, who else was Rukia likely to fall in love with? And he could sense the sexual attraction between the two of them. Likely it had sparked in the Living World. Smiling, Shunsui settled in with Grimmjow and felt an arm go around him. Meeting bright blue eyes, he ran a hand through the hair and pulled the arrancar into a promising kiss.
"Tomorrow." He murmured into the Espada's ear. The inside of the house had no privacy at all so mostly, they had sex during the day, within Nanao's wards. Vaguely, he wondered what they would do when winter hit. Create some kind of partition? It would do nothing for sounds but that couldn't be helped. Grimmjow nodded, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, tomorrow." Blue eyes were warm with lust and they kissed a bit more, just enjoying teasing each other before they properly settled in to sleep. Shunsui quickly fell into his dreams, warm echoes of his past, sitting on the roof of the Eighth and watching the sun set, a saucer of sake in hand.
It was a beautiful dream.