"More than kisses, letters mingle souls."
~John Donne
Chapter Fourteen
Written Words
"You barge into my office and suddenly decide to remain silent? Kyoraku-taichou, I have to say, that is uncharacteristic of you. I would have pegged you for a complete imbecile, but maybe I was wrong."
Shunsui winced at the words slipping through Sui-Feng's lips. Every statement was incredibly debilitating; it was a miracle that he chose to remain standing on his feet. The truth was, he didn't want to see the leader of the Second Division. He didn't want anything to do with her. She was an emotionless shadow—she functioned on the very basis of regulation. On many occasions her behaviour was simply abominable. It was difficult to tell how she survived in the world. She only seemed to channel anger, which starkly contrasted his own bubbly personality. Unfortunately he was still a little off. He had a hangover and was in no condition to simply skip and hop about. Luckily, his determination was unwavering. Shunsui would deal with his throbbing head if it meant he could stare into Nanao's eyes without feeling a grain of guilt.
"Still silent? Fine." Sui-Feng stated blankly, staring at Shunsui as if he had two heads. "I suppose that makes this conversation more bearable. What do you want? You must know I don't have time to deal with you or anyone else asking for charity or pity."
Like he said, Sui-Feng didn't have the ability to feel. She cursed anyone who seemed to shed a segment of emotion. Her use of 'charity' and 'pity' were a huge hint to how she truly felt. It was unbelievable—no, painful. Shunsui could literally feel agony seeping through his skin. Perhaps that was why he suddenly groaned and grabbed his head. The sound bounced around Sui-Feng's office, dancing along the walls like some sort of phantom. It was annoying. He was certain the woman sitting in front of him would have something to say.
"What do you want?" Sui-Feng snapped in an angry tone. "Unlike you, I'm not an animal. I don't make ridiculous sounds for no particular reason at all."
Shunsui couldn't help but grin. "My apologies, Sui-Feng-taichou. I didn't mean to make any disagreeable sounds. I have a headache, you know. The pain suddenly increased when you began to talk."
"Is that supposed to be an insult?"
"Unfortunately, not." Shunsui replied, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "But you know what people say; some things are always up for interpretation."
"I will ask you again, although I'm sure you'll have difficulty understanding, as everything I say seems to fly over your head. Tell me what you want, otherwise I'll be inclined to ask you to leave." Sui-Feng said with a scowl.
Another groan slipped through Shunsui's lips. "Watch the tone of your voice! I'm not lying—I have a dreadful headache."
Sui-Feng abruptly stood up and slammed the surface of her desk. She glared at Shunsui, her eyes glittering with malice. "I've had enough of your atrocious behaviour. You wouldn't have a headache if you didn't drink your intelligence away. Now, get out. I was wrong about what I said before. I would rather deal with charity than a man like you. I'm honestly surprised that you have managed to maintain your rank. It's a wonder the Eighth Division can function, let alone exist with you leading it into disaster."
Her words stung, although Shunsui wasn't surprised. Every time he bumped into Sui-Feng, she somehow made an off-hand remark about his position within the Gotei Thirteen. Luckily, it didn't matter in the slightest. Whatever she said was usually out of spite rather than complete seriousness. They had never really gotten along. During battles or meetings, Shunsui could hold his tongue, but other than that, he allowed himself to have fun. Taunting the woman was amusing, although it had many repercussions. Today however, she wouldn't be able to exercise her power. Yamamoto had given him permission to investigate on his own, which gave him one thing: information. Sui-Feng had to give him what he needed. Of course, she had the ability to decide what she could give, but other than that, he didn't care. Any kind of file would help in his search. If it failed to be useful, he would investigate on his own.
"Once again, I give you my apologies, Sui-Feng-taichou. I'm unable to leave your presence until I have been given what I need."
"And what may I ask," she began in a fiery tone, "do you need from me?"
"Files and any information you have gathered after investigating the murders that occurred a month ago." Shunsui replied in a respectful manner. He had discarded his playful charade and was acting in complete seriousness.
Another scowl quickly decorated Sui-Feng's features. She sat down and pointed towards a nearby door. "Get out. I'm not giving you anything. That case has been closed and deemed unimportant."
"I've been sent here by Yamamoto."
That seemed to change things. Sui-Feng's face dropped; it looked as though she had lost her best friend. It had to be the most prominent change in emotion Shunsui had ever seen from her. He knew that it would quickly change of course, but the fact still remained. Sui-Feng, in her pretentious and stuck-up glory, had the ability to feel small fragments of emotion. It was amusing to witness the sudden change. It was like watching a slow motion film; with every transformation, he learned something new.
"Why would he give you permission to investigate a case that has been closed?" Sui-Feng asked slowly, a frown slowly replacing the look of pure confusion that had once dominated her features.
"He loves me, of course." Shunsui stated in an amused tone.
"Very funny, although I'm certain love has nothing to do with it."
"Don't be so uncertain. It very well could be." He said while adjusting his large and wonderful straw hat. He enjoyed the texture of the accessory; it brought comfort, something he desperately needed within his war-torn life.
"Are you meaning to tell me, that you have no idea as to why the head captain sent you here?" Sui-Feng asked in frustration.
"I can't read the Old Man's mind. If I could, I don't think I'd want to venture within the depths of his thoughts. Who knows what goes on in his head. You never know—he could be a pervert or some sort of sexual deviant."
"Shut up." Sui-Feng snapped angrily. "I didn't ask to hear your disrespectful opinion on what may or may not occur within the head captain's mind."
"May or may not occur? My dear, Sui-Feng, it appears as though you may also be questioning the righteousness of our beloved leader."
"That's quite enough." Sui-Feng shouted in a frustrated tone. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sent Shunsui a sceptical glare. "I don't want to hear you talk in such a way. It's simply insulting, not to mention degrading. I could have you written up for this. In fact, I will report you for this. Maybe the head captain will do us all a favour and decide to get rid of you."
Shunsui grinned and shook his head. He had to admit, Sui-Feng was a very outspoken woman. She always had a set opinion on things. If not that, than she would attempt to prove her belief, which was consistently amusing. On one occasion, she tried to prove that Shunsui wasn't sane. She went to great length writing notes and 'interviewing' him if she could. Of course, he knew what she was attempting to accomplish. After discovering her goal, he had merely played along. Every time Shunsui had bumped into Sui-Feng, he would begin to act absolutely crazy. He would sing weird songs, attempt to dance with random by-standers—he would do anything that appeared remotely insane. The act went on for months unnoticed. When it came to an end however, he regretted his actions completely. Luckily that was years ago. He wouldn't dream of doing the same thing now. Despite many people's beliefs, he had matured in a way.
"All fun aside, I think we should get back to our previous conversation." He managed to say with a large grin. "Otherwise, I'm certain you'll lose your temper."
Sui-Feng shook her head. She starred at Shunsui intensely, almost as if she were imagining his ultimate demise. "Don't pretend to care for my state of mind. In fact, don't talk at all. Despite Yamamoto's permission, this case has no need to be investigated further. There is nothing to find."
A small frown slipped across the edges of Shunsui's mouth. "There is always something to find, Sui-Feng-taichou. Perhaps you have over-looked something."
"Are you questioning the skills of the Second Division? Despite your beliefs, I can assure you, we don't make any mistakes." Sui-Feng hissed under her breath.
"You misunderstand." Shunsui said while taking several steps forward. "There may be more I can add to the investigation. I'm sure the Second Division did an excellent job collecting evidence and information. I'm only asking if I can look at it myself."
Sui-Feng remined silent. She sat at her desk quietly, her eyes dancing around the room. Shunsui knew that she didn't want to help him. If she had any choice, she would rather kill him than provide assistance in any shape or form. Unfortunately, she had to give him something. Shunsui knew—he could tell from the look plastered across her face. Despite her previous statement, she was bound by the orders of another. It was almost amusing to watch her struggle, but he could never be that mean. Instead, he stood quietly watching Sui-Feng scowl and look at everything but him.
"This issue stretches far deeper than just mere curiosity." She stated angrily. "Do you think I'm blind? I know exactly why you wish to take my information into your own hands."
"What is that?"
Sui-Feng leaned forward and rested her head between her fingertips. "Your demoted lieutenant. I'm no fool, Kyoraku-taichou. Your actions alone could have you stripped of your rank. Any affections you hold for that woman will literally kill—"
"I think that your investigative abilities have gone too far." Shunsui stated quietly. "Nanao served by my side for years. I have every right to try and redeem her worth. I'm sure you can relate to what I have described."
"I'm afraid I don't have that pleasure. Ōmaeda-fukutaichou is a complete imbecile. I would rather watch him die than attempt to redeem his worth. It would be a waste of time."
A loud sigh slipped through Shunsui's lips. It didn't matter what he attempted to do. There was no way he could make Sui-Feng feel a segment of compassion at all. She cared for no one. She lived in a manner that embraced loneliness. It was sad; she separated herself from the world in order to protect herself. She was afraid of feeling. She feared emotion. In the end, that would be what killed her. It was her only enemy, one which crept closer every day. The problem was simple—she only failed to see it.
"I see. Perhaps you will come to care for him in time."
The expression on Sui-Feng's face said it all. She would never care for Ōmaeda. "You may hope for that day, but I most certainly shall not. That would be unforgivable. Fortunately, that is besides the point. You want information for one soul reason: to help a woman you're involved with. That lacks honour."
"It would be dishonourable if I chose to ignore the situation. That is why I will ask for the files again, Sui-Feng-taichou. I will not become the sort of man that ignores a friend when they are in need." Shunsui said solemnly.
"Seeing as you have involved Yamamoto in this matter," Sui-Feng began slowly, her rage becoming very apparent, "I am in no position to refuse your request. I will however, ask something in return. Do not involve me in your investigation. I've done enough on my own. I have no need to help you or anyone further."
After speaking, she stood and walked to a nearby file cabinet. She removed a key from within her uniform, and quickly inserted it into a lock. Where it was located—Shunsui could not tell. In a matter of seconds it had been opened, and Sui-Feng was fishing through it angrily. She would pull out several papers, glance at them, and suddenly jam them back in their place as if they had some sort of disease. Sometimes she would turn and toss a file onto her desk. Other times an assortment of papers would land in the garbage. Shunsui knew that she was only attempting to waste time. Fortunately, he was patient. He was willing to wait despite the Second Division leader's efforts to stall. He would let her have some satisfaction. She only desired to bother him after all.
"Take this."
Before Shunsui could think, a giant bundle of paper had been thrown at his head. He attempted to move out of the way, but was far too late. The thick file landed in the centre of his face, knocking his beloved hat askew. It landed on the floorboards beneath his feet. Despite his doubts, it remained intact, rather than separated. If that had occurred, he would have had quite a time attempting to pick every piece of paper from the ground. A wince of pain slipped through his lips. Shunsui rubbed his face, not entirely surprised that Sui-Feng would do such a thing. It was hard to tell whether she had intended to injure him in any way, but one could never be too sure.
"How amusing. The leader of the Eighth Division has terrible reflexes. I would have never known."
Shunsui had difficulty suppressing a frustrated frown. He ran a hand over his face again, scowling when a sharp twinge of pain erupted across his nose. "That wasn't very kind."
An evil laugh popped out of Sui-Feng's mouth. "Blame yourself. You had the ability to move out of the way. I only gave you the file you've been whining about for ages. Now you can leave me in peace. Nothing holds you here now."
"Thank you." Shunsui managed to say before bending down and snatching the bundle of papers along the floor. "I appreciate your time."
Sui-Feng rolled her eyes and pointed toward the door. "Get out. I'm certain you could care less about the time you have wasted. I now have a back-up in paperwork because of you. Who knows how long that will take to complete."
Her voice slowly faded away as Shunsui walked toward the door. He waved a hand before he exited the room. As soon as he came into fresh air, he breathed deeply, cursing Yamamoto in the back of his mind. His nose was bruised due to Sui-Feng's violence. The only benefit that came from the visit was his retrieval of the case file. That had yet to prove worth while. For all he knew, it could be filled with worthless information. During the meeting several weeks ago, Sui-Feng stated that the evidence she had gathered was inconclusive. Shunsui hoped—no, prayed he could use the file to his advantage. He wanted to fix his circumstance with Nanao so badly that his chest ached with pain. If the evidence failed to meet his expectations he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He would have to confer with Jushiro again, and he wasn't sure what other plan they could conjure up. With worry, he glanced at the wad of paper between his fingertips. He truly wished it would contain something of value.
"Kyoraku-taichou!"
Shunsui's nose scrunched up in surprise. He regretted the action, as it quickly caused pain. A hiss slid between his teeth as a recruit came bounding around the corner of a nearby building. That of course, only served to frighten the young man, which immediately made Shunsui's heart sink. New recruits were delicate in nature and had to be treated with upmost care. Every student or 'kid' as he called them, seemed to freak out when they met someone with a high rank. It was frustrating, so much that he couldn't help but allow another hiss to come bounding out of his mouth.
"S-sir," the nameless recruit muttered under his breath, "I was told to give this to you awhile ago. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but I got lost. I haven't been in the Second Division before. I didn't know what to do—I'm so sorry. I was told this letter was important. Some girl gave it to me, and that just put me right off—"
"That's quite alright." Shunsui said softly, reaching out to snatch the envelop between his fingertips. In order to do so, he was forced to slide the file underneath his left arm. He glanced at the letter, his heat thumping wildly at the hand-writing scrawled across the top. It looked incredibly familiar. In shock, he slid his thumb across the writing, somehow enjoying the texture of the print beneath his finger.
"Is it in good condition? I tried to bring it here all in one piece. Believe me, I had a few accidents along the way. The Fifth Division had some sort kido practice going on. I almost died—"
"The Fifth Division?" Shunsui interjected again, his fingers suddenly pulling apart the paper surrounding the letter. He peeled the envelope apart like a banana, stuffing random pieces of paper into a pocket along the side of his uniform.
"Y-yeah." The recruit stuttered in a quiet tone. "Some girl gave it to me. She's a new transfer from the Sixth? No, it was definitely the Tenth…" He paused to wave a hand in disregard, "my apologies, but I can't quite remember. She looked pretty rough to me. If I can recall, her hands were all cut up—"
"Cut up?" Shunsui asked before unfolding the letter between his fingertips. He remained silent, scanning the message written along the paper. It was composed in a delicate manner, one which he could trace within his very mind. If his eyes were closed, he would have known the writing. It was literally ingrained within his conscience. It was impossible to forget. He had starred at it for ages wondering why it remained neat and pristine.
"What does it say?"
That caught Shunsui's attention. He looked over the letter, appraising the recruit quietly. "Nothing of importance, my friend. I suggest returning to your division. I'm certain someone there is expecting you. You did after all, say that the delivery of this letter was delayed."
The boy's face paled considerably. "O-okay. I'll do that. Thanks, Kyoraku-taichou!"
Before Shunsui could think of something clever to say, the recruit had vanished. It was unlikely that he had used Shunpo, but that didn't matter. The letter pinched between his fingertips was all he cared about. The reason was rather simple: it was written by Nanao. The bold and brilliant writing he had seen was from no stranger. It was from an old friend, a woman he could have never forgotten even if he had tried. In surprise, Shunsui pressed the letter up against his chest. He breathed deeply, allowing oxygen to filter through his lungs. It did nothing to ease the aching within his heart. He never thought that she would write a letter, especially one dedicated to him. When he had seen her last, she had been broken; he could tell by the look within her eyes. That was why he had gotten drunk. That was why he had chosen to investigate on his own. He didn't want to see her that way.
In thought, Shunsui glanced at the letter, once again tracing over the hand-writing as if it were a long lost belonging. On the paper were a variety of words, all of which held meaning. Nanao had asked him to meet her at the bridge by sundown. He knew where that was—outside of the Eighth Division office there was a small garden of sorts. There were flowers, sakura trees, and a small stream, one which flowed underneath a decorative bridge. It was meant to be Shunsui's safe haven from work, but Nanao and most of his subordinates chose to visit the area often. It was where every party or celebration was held, as it was such a pleasant place. Oddly enough, Nanao had asked him to meet him there. Her request was random, and Shunsui couldn't help but feel worried about it. With a frown, he slowly folded the letter and placed it within his uniform. He adjusted his hat, and began to return to his office. He would make it there by sundown. Nanao's request meant everything. He could only hope that it would be the beginning of something new.
A/N: Hello, everyone! I did plan to make this chapter into two parts, but as you can see, it became longer than anticipated. It would have became an essay if I chose to add Shunsui and Nanao's meeting in it! Rather than create a HUGE chapter, I chose to break it up. Was it a good choice? I hope so! Well, I guess you know what the next segment is about. Our beloved couple shall meet again! After that, this story should pick up the pace a bit. Soon it shall come to a close! I have an ending in mind, one which I continue to pry at. I want it to be perfect!
Anyways, thank you for the support everyone! It is truly awesome! Please feel free to leave a review! It makes me happy!
TeaAndWarmSocks: Thank you, my fine friend! I appreciate your confidence! You have followed me through this story for a long time!
Guest: You are very clever. I'm surprised that you notice so many things! For instance, you bring up the fact that Nanao's zanpakuto avoids Katen Kyōkotsu, just as her owner avoids Shunsui. I didn't even notice that! Ha, that's so weird, but awesome at the same time. Yes, Shunsui's zanpakuto is incredibly rude. She has a right to be in a small way. Nanao is only concerned with herself; she fails to realize that her actions cause others pain, especially Shunsui. It would have been different if he was guilty, but fortunately he is not. So in many ways Katen Kyōkotsu is angry at Nanao's ignorance. As stated in previous chapters, she is blind.
Monoprotic: Hello again! I love that both Nanao and Shunsui dislike green tea. It's something that seems incredibly trivial in nature, but isn't in the slightest! It ties them together in a small and intimate way. (I don't know why they don't like it either. In my opinion, it's a great tea!) I'm glad you like the description of Nanao's spiritual world. It is always changing and now must remain the same, all because of Shunsui. Ha, isn't he a great guy?
~IronEclipse