Chapter 6
13 o'clock
Kyouraku
They had again shared information, but there was little of interest.
'Hmm.' Kyouraku said. 'Lets go though the different steps, and try to come up with more theories. We can check the data pad to see if they'll fit. First, how do people get affected, what is their connection?'
Ukitake thought for a moment. 'People that were at the living world at a specific time.' Kyouraku started looking through the files, comparing dates. 'Noo, doesn't fit.' he said soon.
His turn 'People that visited the same place in Rukongai' He read a while. 'Well, they didn't in the last two month, that's as far as the data goes back.'
Ukitake still noted both possibilities, and their findings down. Seeing that they didn't think of anything else, Kyouraku moved on.
'Next: What causes the symptoms?'
Ukitake started again. 'Maybe lack of sleep comes first, leading to agitation and headaches.'
'No, they gave some people sleeping drugs, and it didn't help at all.' Kyouraku answered after reading for a short time. He continued 'I'd say limp pain comes first, leading to people not moving enough, leading to restlessness and headaches from tension, but they tried to make people do sports, and it didn't help.'
Ukitake again: 'Maybe it's some kind of suppressed memory that causes the symptoms through stress, and we can't find a common cause because people forgot what they did.'
Kyouraku nodded 'Which leads us to psychosomatic stuff again, but we can't test that with this data. Divisions four and twelve are looking into it.' Again silence.
Ukitake
They weren't really getting anywhere, but it was worth a try. He was noting down their ideas, while Kyouraku was reading through the data pad, and Ukitake wondered for a second if Kyouraku had taken that role intentionally, moving the data pad out of his reach.
'Next. What criteria decides whether sleeping with a person helps or not? What is the connection between the two partners?' Kyouraku continued.
'Hmm. Having slept with the person before, alternatively not having slept with the person before.' He looked through the lists. 'Nope, doesn't work.'
Ukitake's turn: 'Having thought of the person in that way before' glad that Kyouraku would understand what he meant without further elaboration.
Kyouraku read. 'No. There were people who met less that 5 minutes before sex that were cured, and people that were in a relationship that weren't cured. It could be something silly. Like people that were born the same year.' He read a page 'No, doesn't work'
Ukitake: 'People that are an exact difference in height'
Pause 'Doesn't work. Same hair color. Doesn't work'
'Same eye color'
'Doesn't work. Same hairstyle, or clothing style on the day they slept together.'
Ukitake interrupted him 'What, I thought people undress for sex'. Kyouraku chuckled, but continued 'Well, doesn't work anyways. Nice thinking though.'
Ukitake smiled. 'Same food eaten on that day.' 'No. Same Hobbies. No' 'Same place visited' 'No. Same training place. No' They went back and forth, their ideas getting ever more ridiculous.
It's like a game, my Zanpakuto spirits would enjoy this Ukitake thought. Oh.
'Kyouraku, what about their Zanpakutos?'
Ukitake's thoughts were swirling inside his mind, as they looked at each other. 'Damn' Kyouraku said, 'It does make sense.'
Ukitake continued, still thinking. 'If it is transmitted though the Zanpakuto spirits, it would explain why we can't find anything...' Kyouraku took over: '...also, people have a change in their spiritual pressure as the first symptom...' Ukitake: '…and most people who got affected have not yet learned how to talk to their Zanpakuto spirits, or the Zanpakuto spirits might not know anyway….' Kyouraku: '…and younger Shinigami would not have formed a complete Zanpakuto spirit yet, so would of course be affected differently...' '...and normal souls and academy students would not have a Zanpakuto spirit at all, thus be unaffected.' Ukitake finished their thought.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, then Ukitake began writing everything down. After he had finished, he turned to Kyouraku again, who spoke: 'Good, let's keep going. How do the Zanpakuto spirits influence whether sex works or not? Why would it help anyways?'
Ukitake thought loudly 'Alright, it could be Zanpakutos that were forged together.' Kyouraku started looking through the files. Ukitake continued: 'Or maybe Zanpakutos that clashed before, like in training? Zanpakuto that have a similar age? Do you really think you can find that info in those files? Just how much information is there?'
Kyouraku gave him a half smile. 'You probably don't want to know, it is rather disconcerting. Remember the question about their hairstyles? That's in there. There is nothing about how far the Zanpakuto spirits have developed, but information on the forges is not a problem.'
He continued reading. 'Alright. Forging time and place do not match. Neither does training.'
He continued looking down at the pad, though his eyes were not moving.
Ukitake let him think, and waited.
'Alright.' Kyouraku looked up. He spoke slowly, like he was unsure how to formulate his sentences 'You probably don't know this, but sometimes during sex, the barrier between the two spirits kind of wavers, and you can nearly feel the others Zanpakuto spirit, like you can feel your own, only less strong. I asked Katen about it once, and she said Zanpakuto spirits sometimes kind of merge during sex. She actually complained to me because she didn't like the other Zanpakuto spirit… anyways. So it might cure people if their Zanpakuto spirits merge like that.'
Ukitake did not ask What? Seriously? Whose Zanpakuto was it? Isn't it scary? Does that happen often? He knew he was blushing, but he knew Kyouraku had expected that. He was also trying not to think about his new theory that… not thinking about it. So he just nodded, indicating that he understood. More or less.
Kyouraku seemed to understand, and continued: 'So, my new theory is that the Zanpakutos have to be of the same type, like both ice type, or both kido type Zanpakutos, so that they can better mix or whatever you call that.'
'Makes sense. I think.' Ukitake answered, feeling that he was completely out of his dept here. Kyouraku smiled at him, probably sensing his discomfort, and started searching through the data pad again.
A short time later, he finished
'Alright, there are not that many pairings where the Zanpakuto type is know, but there is no pattern in the ones I found that I can tell.
There is one kido and kido, one kido and strength, and one element and strength that healed.
Also, I think if we assume a random distribution of all three types, than the likelihood of getting better by sleeping with a person would be one in three, which it isn't. That's unless there is some factor that makes it more likely to sleep with people that have the same type of Zanpakuto, which I can't think of.
And I think I read somewhere that the type is determined soon after the Zanpakuto and the Shinigami unite, long before the spirit is fully formed, and that wouldn't really fit with the younger Shinigami recovering with random people.'
Ukitake had been writing it down, and he stopped now, looking at his pen. He had had this idea when Kyouraku talked about his conversation with Katen, and he stopped trying to avoid it now.
'I have an idea' which I'm really hoping is nonsense 'but I'm not sure if it makes sense...' he stopped himself from rambling about knowing nothing, and tried to decide how to formulate his thoughts.
Kyouraku was waiting for him, not giving any sign of impatience.
'What if it only works with the Zanpakuto spirit the ill Zanpakuto is attracted to?' He saw Kyouraku's eyes widen, as the pieces fell into place. Damn.
He continued: 'You said Katen complained about the other spirit. So Shinigami with Zanpakuto spirits that are formed but not yet fully conscious could sleep with anyone, because their Zanpakuto has no preferences. And for the conscious Zanpakuto spirits, there would probably also be some cases where the Zanpakuto didn't care, but the rest...' Kyouraku took over: '...would have to sleep with the right person. Which often would work out fine, because Zanpakuto spirits might know the Zanpakuto spirits of people their Shinigami was close to better, or because Zanpakuto spirits and Shinigami would often have similair preferences. But probably not always, which would lead to cases where the Shinigami would have to be put under, since they wouldn't actually be interested in the right person. And then there are cases like the one where Shinigami had to sleep with people that they were not married to, even through they really were close to their partners, because their partners were not Shinigami. Which they weren't, as far as I remember.'
Ukitake broke his gaze, and wrote down what had been said on his paper, trying not to let his fingers shake. This was such a mess.
KyourakuKyouraku
Kyouraku leaned back, mind still running fast. It all made sense. He also could see Ukitake's discomfort, which lead him to wonder who Sogyo no Kotowari would like, and if Ukitake knew and that was the reason for his discomfort. And then it occurred to him...
Oh fuck. Katen Kyokotsu. She told me, long ago, but that would have changed by now, right? Katen? But his Zanpakuto stayed silence, which was not surprising because his mind was still running way to fast for him to even get close to his inner world.
Alright. Find out later. We don't even know if this theory is correct yet. he resolved.
He took the paper from Ukitake, once he had finished writing, and cast the kido to make it travel to Unohana. Captain Unohana and captain Kurotsuchi would find a way to test it, probably one he didn't want to know about.
Ukitake seemed tired, and Kyouraku felt it to, now that they had found a theory that fit well for once. They sat in silence for a while.
'Let's try to find out more about that Zanpakuto merging. Did Katen mention any other time that happened?' Ukitake asked finally. Kyouraku felt thankful to have something to do. 'At the time, she said she never experienced it outside of bedrooms, and then only rarely. But that was a long time ago, might have changed. Anyways, let's see if we can find anything in these books on the topic.'
Ukitake nodded, and they took of into the forest of books again.