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TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW
Chapter XXXVIII:
"Bonds of Blood & Fellowship"
Soul Society, Ukitake Estate...
Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the Thirteenth Division, along with Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of the Eighth and the male half of the Primera Espada Coyote Stark, were seated in one of the parlors located within the grounds of the former's sprawling family estate.
The three men were presently gathered around a low table, situated in the middle of the large room, each of them with a cup in hand as they sat atop cushions on the tatami mats. However, they wouldn't be the only ones for much longer, as further guests were expected to arrive during the course of the next hour. But for the moment, at least, the trio were content to chat amongst themselves.
When Shunsui had arrived, he came baring a small wooden box in his hands, containing inside of it a full poker set- which included an official set of playing cards and chips. The scruffy-faced swordsman had set it down on the table, next to the drinks, before pouring himself a cup of sake and took his seat with amidst the white-haired Shinigami and brown-haired Arrancar.
"Thinking back on things." Shunsui started. "It's hard to imagine that in just a few months, there'll be a newborn in this place for the first time in centuries." He remarked, taking a sip from his cup.
Ukitake smiled and nodded. "I know." He replied, sipping from his own cup. "This house has been far too quiet for too long." The Captain remarked. "For a place of this size, with all these facilities, it's long overdue for a change of pace... I'd like it to be more like the house I remember as I child."
"I'll drink to that." The swordsman replied, giving a 'toast' and finishing off his cup. "And what about you, Stark-san," Shunsui went on, turning to the Espada. "You're awfully quiet, considering."
Stark regarded him for a moment, taking a drink before nodding. "Jushiro-san has been quite generous towards Lillynette and myself, not just with his hospitality... but also with his friendship." The Arrancar replied evenly, lowering his cup and reaching for the bottle. "Trust like that doesn't come easy for my kind, and it's not something I intend to forget, or take for granted."
The two Captains said nothing as the Espada refilled his cup. "As long as Lillynette and I are guests of this den, Jushiro-san and Retsu-san's cub will have our protection." The lanky Arrancar finished calmly, as he reached out to replace the sake bottle to the table.
"Thank you, Stark." Jushiro replied after a moment with a smile. "I really am a fortunate man... Not just to have Retsu, but the two of you as friends, in my life."
Just then, the door slid open and Szayel appeared, before entering. The Grinning Arrancar was carrying a large green bottle in his gloved hand. "Well now, I hope I haven't missed too much."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Elsewhere within the Grounds...
Within the grounds of the vast Ukitake Estate, as Jushiro was sharing drinks with Shunsui and Stark, Captain Retsu Ukitake of the Fourth Division was enjoying a similar meeting with her own Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, and Lieutenant Nanao Ise of the Eighth Division.
Unlike the other women, who were holding cups of sake in celebration, the female Captain's condition prevented her from joining them in consuming alcohol. The mother-to-be was smiling gently, holding a cup of tea gracefully in her hands. Retsu was well into the sixth month of her pregnancy, and only days away from starting her third trimester. Just over a month ago, she and Jushiro had visited the Twelfth Division, where upon they'd learned that the child was to be a boy.
"How are you feeling, Captain?" Isane inquired.
"Well enough, considering my present condition." Retsu answered, gently running her hand along the swell of the her growing belly. "Chiefly, adjusting to the changes upon my body that this little one has brought about, more so in the last few months." She added wryly.
"You must be excited Captain?" Nanao asked her with a smile. "After all, I mean, it's just a matter of a few months now, before your son is born." The bespectacled woman remarked.
"Indeed." Retsu replied softly, sipping from her tea. "Jushiro is just as excited about the forthcoming birth as I am- perhaps even more so- given his desire to have something like the sort of family life that he experienced as a child in the Ukitake household." She explained to them with a smile.
Nanao nodded. "That makes sense." The bespectacled woman commented. "This place would surely have been bustling with activity when the Captain was young- not just his family, but all the staff that tended to the house and the Ukitake family." She reasoned.
"Well, of course," Isane began. "The Ukitake are one of the most prestigious families in the entire Soul Realm, and also one of the Seven Clans with direct blood ties to the Soul King."
Among the population of the Soul Realm, there were a handful of families that stood out even amidst the ranks of the elite- including the Ukitake, the Kyoraku, and the Kuchiki clans. In most cases, these families were members of the prestigious upper-class. Though, two of these families- the Shihoin and the Shiba clans- had 'fallen', albeit to varying degrees.
In the case of the former, it was the Shihoin's obsession with mastering the art of Perfect Mimicry, to completely transform themselves into different creatures. While physical transformation and mimicry wasn't unusual, actual shape-shifting was something of a taboo subject- as some people believed that once you fully assumed a different form, you always retained some aspect of it.
In the case of the latter, it was the loss of the Shiba's patriarch- Kaien Shiba- leaving the family without a clear successor, as he had no children. This factor, combined with the public perception of the next in line to head the family- his younger sister Kukaku- greatly damaged the standing of the family. Kukaku was a brash woman, not to mention slovenly and prone to over-indulging in bad habits...
The door to the room slid open, revealing Nemu. The purple-haired Lieutenant offered a polite nod as she entered the room. She gave a small smile as she held up a white box. "Szayel-sama suggested that I should bring these pastries along with me, as a gesture of goodwill."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ichigo milled about in the darkened room. Heavy shelves, filled with dusty old books, were set against the walls in multiple places- the lower half adorned in wood paneling, while the upper half was covered over with yellowing wallpaper. Brass sconces were mounted on the walls strategically around the room, though only a faint ember of a glow was visible within the musty glass fixtures.
Based on his best guess, the dimensions of the room looked to be about 16 by 16 feet squared, and 12 feet in height. There was door was situated behind him (his south), an old ornate mirror mounted to the wall to the right of him (the east), while something stood in the center of the room- concealed under an old tarp covering. Ichigo turned away from it and began cautiously palming at the wall, until his hand brushed against what felt almost like a light switch- except metal instead of plastic.
There was an audible 'click' as he flipped the switch into an upward position, followed by the sconces coming to life and illuminating the room in their pallid, faintly yellow glow. Ichigo then turned back to the object in the middle of the room, pulling the covering partly aside- revealing part of a table and an overturned lamp. He righted it and pulled on the chain, the bulb hissing as the dust covering the bulb quickly burned away against the heat radiating from the now active filament.
He pulled the old covering further aside, revealing more of the table, along with an upturned picture frame. After a moment, Ichigo reached down and picked it up- leaving a clean spot in the shape of the wood frame. The orange-haired youth set about brushing away the dust and cobwebs... Uncovering a black and white photograph of himself, in the same room as he was in now, holding the photograph!
The only difference between the two scenes was that the 'other' Ichigo in the picture was looking away from his picture, toward the mirror on the wall. For a moment, the teen was caught between the sudden dread he now felt and the irresistible urge to look at at the mirror. Eventually, the latter compulsion won out over the former and he finally cast his gaze sidelong...
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Back in the Soul Realm...
The three men watched Szayel as he poured a round of drinks, the bespectacled Arrancar giving a wild smile as he used the bottle he'd brought with him to fill up the four small cups.
The pale liquid sparkled as it trickled forth from the narrow neck of the glass bottle. The exterior of the large bottle was green, and had featured a screw-on metal cap. And as Szayel had explained to them, it was a form of chilled sake- quite popular in the living realm- that was much easier to casually enjoy, as the lower temperature supposedly helped with the liquor's edge.
"Given your wife's condition, I suggested to my darling Nemu that she should bring something more palatable for a pregnant woman." Szayel explained. "So we put in a procurement request with one of the teams to pick up some special cakes from the living realm."
The other three men all accepted the drinks, as the Octavio set the bottle down and picked up his own cup in his gloved hand. "And now, a toast," he spoke as he held the cup aloft. "To the continued health and good fortunes of Captain Jushiro Ukitake, to your mate, and to the cub she caries."
Everyone nodded in agreement and down the contents of their cups. And in the process, Shunsui noted how his longtime friend seemed to have no reaction to the Arrancar referring to his wife and future son as his "mate" and "cub". Though, he suspected that this was likely due to Jushiro's accepting nature, as well as his extended exposure to the ways of the Arrancar- including the differing terms they used.
"So, who else can we expect to drop by as the night goes on?" Shunsui asked.
"Well..." Jushiro started, running a hand through his hair. "I imagine that Lieutenant Matsumoto will be dropping in later to visit with Retsu, so it would stand to reason that we might see Toshiro-kun, plus she may have insisted on bringing Lieutenant Izuru along as well."
The pink-haired scientist moved to refill their cups with more of the chilled liquor.
"That would make sense..." Szayel added. "Aside from those people, I ran into Ggio Vega in passing, and he said that Captain Soifon might make an appearance, so perhaps we can expect him as well."
Shunsui gave a quizzical look. "Really now?" He began. "For the Captain of the Second Division, I must say that's... surprisingly sociable of her, all things considered."
He took a long sip from his cup as he waited for his fellow Captain to respond, while the two Espada in the room seemed content to simply sit back and listen.
"Indeed." Jushiro remarked. "Though," he paused. "It would seem our fellow Captain has undergone something of a... transformation, as late." The white-haired man remarked. "And it would seem, in no small part, do to the influence of that catlike Arrancar she's been been keeping company with."
"I think it's more than just a good lay for her." Shunsui remarked candidly. "I've been told, by multiple people- no less- that Captain Soifon has been observed smiling a lot more these days... To say nothing of the fact that she seems, well, happy." The scruffy swordsman added. "And, considering who we're talking about, here, I believe that's saying something."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto of the Tenth Division was the next female to arrive- joining the ladies in the parlor to celebrate the Captain's forthcoming pregnancy.
The four woman in question were making small talk- over drinks, while partaking of the pastries that Nemu had brought with her. The purple-haired woman had explained, as she opened the box, that these small cakes were made a "French" style. At which point, Nanao had been quick to remark that the style of baking came from a country not far from England- the land that Lieutenant Sasakibe so admired.
And so, they had all looked up as Rangiku appeared- a big smile on her face, and clutching a bag in her arms- as she managed to close the door with her foot and enter the room.
None of the women registered the presence of Captain Hitsugaya, lingering only briefly in the corridor as his Lieutenant entered the room, before vanishing in a flash...
The buxom strawberry-blonde had referred to their gathering as a "baby shower": a term which she had apparently become familiar with during one of her excursion to the living realm. She explained that it a was special event held in celebration of the mother and the soon-to-be born child.
"So, have you and Captain Ukitake decided on a name for the child yet, Unohana-san?" Rangiku asked the older woman, only to blush as she realized her blunder. "Oops, sorry... But speaking of names, how exactly should I address you, now that you're officially part of the Ukitake Clan?"
"Yes, I suspect that's... going to be a point of confusion, for quite a while." Retsu lamented wryly with a small smile as she sipped her tea. "Even more so , I finally do return to active duty."
"That's a point..." Nanao started, adjusting her glasses. "On one hand, you are the Ukitake Matriarch, which is significant." She continued. "And yet, on the other hand, everything that you've accomplished professionally- up till now- you did so as 'Captain Unohana'."
"But, if you did use Ca- er your husband's name," Isane interjected. "Then that would mean that there would be two Captain Ukitakes... A- and..." She trailed off, now blushing.
"That Soul Society now has two Captain Ukitakes and two Lieutenant Kotetsus." Rangiku chimed in as the silver-haired woman faltered. "That's so cute, it's like you're part of a pair of matched sets."
Isane's face flushed bright red. "Hey!" She protested. "Don't talk about us like that, Matsumoto-san... Y-you make it sound like we're collectible toys or something!"
"Now, now, ladies..." Retsu began, looking to the two women. "Lieutenant Matsumoto, I think you've more than teased my Lieutenant by this point." She remarked. "And really, Isane-san, you really must work on your composure. It's hardly becoming to get so easily flustered."
Both women instantly fell silent, stymied under the unspoken "power" of the Captain's gaze, quickly nodding and apologizing- first to the older woman, and then to each other.
"Oh wow..." Nanao murmured. "To see it for myself, it really is just like the rumors described it."
"Indeed." Nemu replied evenly with a nod. "The Captain has long been known for her formidable nature, such that even Mayuri was unwilling to act against her once she asserted herself." The purple-haired woman explained in a low, steady tone. "The fact she was able to frighten him, combined with his inability to completely overcome his fear of her, greatly frustrated and angered him."
"With an ego like his?" Nanao replied. "There's no doubt about it."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ichigo looked at the mirror, except, now there was a piece of paper stuck to it- yellowed and frayed at the edges. He walked over and snatched it off the glass. It appeared like there was something written on it, but all the characters- the katakana even the kanji- were all wrong. It took a moment before the teen realized they were upside down. Slowly, he lowered it down, so that it faced the mirror...
Looking to the reflection, it was no possible to make out what was written. "Run all you want ...in the end, you CAN'T get away." Ichigo started. "It... ALWAYS knows where you are... It knows because it's IN you... PART of you..." He paused. "Part of... me?" The teen repeated to himself.
"It's always been with you... you just didn't realize..." Ichigo resumed. "And if YOU can see IT... then IT can SEE YOU... There's nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide, because it KNOWS you." The orange-haired teen became more frantic as he went on. "It's CLOSE now... CLOSER than you realize... and now... it's here, in this room... looking at you, INTO you, THROUGH you..."
He looked up, at the mirror, the image of his own face replaced with the horned, skeletal visage of the 'boogieman' in the glass. The teen screamed and recoiled in horror, just as the glass shattered and went flying outward into the room while he unceremoniously toppled over the table and went crashing to the floor with an audible 'thud' and a bloom of dust.
Still on his back, he blinked his brown eyes repeatedly. "I'm still here... I'm still... asleep?" The young man asked aloud as he looked up at the ceiling- the white finish now musty and graying.
He slowly rose to his feet and dusted himself off. Ichigo looked around the room, spotting the slip of paper he'd read from- via its reflection. The teen knelt down to retrieve it, a look of surprise appearing on his face as he realized that the writing was no longer upside down. "What the..."
Ichigo looked to the mirror, only to find it was once again intact. "...hell?" He whispered to himself, as the door on the left side of the east wall (had it always been there?) opened with a groan.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Yumichika Ayasegawa, Fourth-Seat Officer of the Eleventh Division, smiled happily as he presented a bundled-up object to Captain Ukitake. The white-haired man graciously accepted, only briefly pausing to look it over, before nodding politely and thanking the violet-haired man.
As this was happening, Stark and Shunsui were quietly engaged in a game of Shogi, neither of the two men seeming to be paying any attention to the handover of the gift.
The object looked to about three feat in length, and was wrapped in layers of paper (apparently pages from the 'newspapers' of the Living Realm) secured in place with string. After a moment, he set to work unwrapping the object, first revealing a handle of a katana- bound with light blue lace- before pealing away the rest of the newspaper wrapping. The polished sheath was white, adorned with a sageo binding the same color as the hand wrap. He drew the blade partly, revealing the two kanji characters etched neatly into the polished surface sword blade above the brass habaki.
"Son..." Jushiro Ukitake read, blinking his eyes and visibly swallowing as he took a moment to process to implication of the word, before looking back to the other man. "Th-thank you."
"It's hardly a big deal." Yumichika commented. "I just dropped by to see the Division's Quartermaster and asked him for one of the spare swords from the armory." The purple-haired Soul Reaper explained with a roguish smile. "After that... Well, I just had it gussied up a bit."
"Never the less," the Captain replied. "Thank you, it's a wonderful gift."
"Well, I'm just glad you like it." He replied bashfully. "The interesting part of the story is that I asked Lieutenant Abarai if he knew anyone who could do something like this, and he ended up asking the guy who runs the Silver Dragonfly if he knew anyone... And, sure enough, he did."
"That reminds me, Jushiro..." Shunsui began, casually adjusting the brim of his hat, as he looked away from the shogi board to the other man. "If I remember correctly, the birth's not all that far off now," he remarked. "So then, have you and Retsu decided on a name for the kid yet?"
"Well..." He stated thoughtfully. "Retsu was quite insistent that the child's given name include 史郎 as its suffix, the same as mine." Ukitake explained. "Just as with mine and my father's names."
"Speaking of names." Yumichika picked up. "You Arrancar sure have a lot of, er, interesting names." The purple-haired Shinigami pointed out, still smiling. "Some of them I get, but the others- so long and complicated." He continued. "Just how exactly do you come up with them?"
Szayel and Stark exchanged glances, and the former nodded. "Well, to be perfectly honest, when it comes to ours 'names'- that is, what we call ourselves- it's not so much a choice for us." The Octavio Espada explained. "It just sort of happens... To start, we aren't 'born', not in the traditional sense that you and the humans are- we're the end result of a series of events, you might say."
"What he means is," Stark spoke up, to the surprise of the others. "When we finally become powerful enough that the composite animal we were becomes a single being. At that point, our names just sort of emerge along with us... it's more of an instinct than something we consciously chose."
"Well put, Primera." Szayel responded as he held up a bottle of champagne. "It's all true, I'm afraid, it can't be explained in purely scientific terms..." He paused. "Rather like us, I suppose." He added with a quirky smile as he undid the metallic wire binding around the cork.
The Espada was too distracted to realize that the cork had nearly completely worked itself free from the slender neck of the jade-green glass bottle and was now about to fire off...
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Rangiku's complexion was starting to look a bit 'rosy', her cheeks now flushed faintly pink, and a broad smile on her face as she held up her cup of sake. "You know, Captain, we never really did get around to addressing what you and Jushiro-san are planning to name the kid."
The older woman nodded lightly. "Given his family's long and illustrious history, I felt it was important to chose a name that reflected this." Retsu explained, sipping her tea. "His father's name was Takashiro, and as Jushiro's name shares the same suffix as his father's name, so I saw no reason not to continue the tradition with our child, whether it be it male or female."
"Shiro, hmm..." Isane mouthed softly to herself. "Yes, well- er- I do suppose that it is rather... versatile in that regard." The tall woman went on. "Let's see, aside from Captain Ukitake and Captain Hitsugaya, there's also Lieutenant Kuno from the Ninth Division." She observed.
"That girl..." Nanao started with a slight sigh. "She must be exceptional in some other regard, because she strikes me as extremely unreliable as a Second-in-Command." The bespectacled woman shook her head as she continued. "How a man like Muguruma-san puts up with her, I'll never know."
"Seriously?" Rangiku replied incredulously. "The answer to both those points is pretty obvious, if you think about it at all." She explained in a knowing tone. "He acts all annoyed and put-upon, but the truth is he could have requested a new Lieutenant if he really wanted to."
Nanao arched a slender brow. "And just what exactly are you insinuating?"
"That the Captain clearly has ulterior motives for keeping his Lieutenant around."
The dark-haired woman looked aghast momentarily at what was being insinuated, but quickly downed the sake in her cup. "You sound awfully certain about that, Lieutenant." She replied. "Perhaps you have some perspective in such matters, something you'd like to share?" Nanao replied with a smile.
"I-" The curvy woman blushed faintly. "I... have no idea what you're talking about." She deflected, no longer making eye-contact with the other woman as she spoke.
"There's no need to get so embarrassed over it." Nanao replied, both her tone and expression softening as she refilled her cup. "Hitsugaya-san is the opposite of my Division's Captain. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that he's a bit too serious." She added. "You're just the sort of person he needs."
"No..." Rangiku countered, shaking her head. "The truth is, it's the other way around. The Captain is young, unlike me..." She lamented, giving a wistful smile. "He has his whole life ahead of him, and he certainly doesn't need someone like me holding him back."
"Absurd." Retsu interjected, surprising the others. "Lieutenant Matsumoto, you're at least three and a half centuries too young to be speaking about yourself in such a way." She added. "And as to the matter of your importance to the young Captain, you are most certainly not is a burden. And I think you'll find that Hitsugaya-san would say the same, were you to ask him."
"The Captain is correct." Nemu spoke up suddenly. "Though, I can relate to your feelings... The desire to feel wanted- even needed- in the eyes of another, I too have experienced this sensation." The purple-haired Lieutenant revealed. "I believe that it is universal."
Rangiku took a breath, then exhaled. "I had no idea that it- that we- were so obvious."
"Only to the very observant of us who know you." Nanao remarked. "More than likely, the majority of the men- if not all of them- are oblivious to it." She elaborated. "Otherwise, I imagine they would have stopped gawking at you by now, for fear of bringing the Captain's icy wrath down upon them."
"Hmm, now that's a thought." Retsu commented.
The door slid open, revealing the lean figure of Captain Soifon, standing in the entry way.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ichigo opened the door the rest of the way, to reveal a long corridor. The floor was solid wood, and the walls were the same half wood-panel design as the room- including similarly faded wallpaper covering over the upper halves. However, the wall sconces were out, and the light from the room only extended so far, leaving the end (wherever it was) obscured in darkness.
His instincts told him not to go forward, but he had little choice other than to push onward, all in the hopes that he might find some way out of this place... Reigning in his nerves as best he could, with one hand firmly on the frame of the door, he cautiously extended his leg to take his first step...
Only to suddenly feel himself being pulled forward by some invisible force. Except, that it felt less like being pulled, and more like he was... falling. Ichigo let out a garbled shout of horror and surprise as the orientation of reality abruptly switched from horizontal to vertical, leaving the young man to plummet helplessly down into a shadowy oblivion of the unknown!
Then, just as abruptly, his body somehow righted itself- and he was suddenly standing before a closed door at the end of the hall. He turned to look back, seeing the wall sconces now lit and illuminating the length of the corridor. "What... the fuck?!" He cursed inwardly to himself.
More annoyed now than frightened, Ichigo turned back and gripped the antique doorknob, turning it to open the door. Cautiously, he peered into the room before him. It was well-lit and resembled a western-style parlor, complete with a cushy soft and armchairs, velvet drapes drawn across the windows, and a large globe standing in one corner. Ichigo stepped into the room: noting how warmly lit it was (via the overhead brass fixture). It was almost cozy, considering the circumstances he found himself in.
There was a small wooden box set on the coffee table, with a decidedly sturdy looking antique crystal-glass lighter and an open packet of matches beside it. Ichigo raised the lid of the box, revealing rows of cigars stacked neatly inside. He closed the box and turned away, spotting a nearby oil lamp set atop a tall dresser in the corner of the room, mostly likely lit with one of the matches.
Ichigo nearly stepped on a brass flip-top lighter on the floor. He picked it up and flicked the side of the with his thumb. But as soon as the top flipped back and the small flame appeared, the whole room was cloaked in darkness- except for the glow from lighter and the oil lamp.
The next thing he knew, Ichigo felt himself being roughly grabbed by the throat, lifted off the floor, and slammed against the wall- by the horned, skull-faced monster!
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Everyone gathered in the 'guys room' instantly perked up when the cork was suddenly was discharged from the champagne bottle, the small projectile noisily bouncing off of the wall as carbonation bubbled out from the mouth of the slender neck of the dark-green grass vessel.
Despite the minor setback in their celebration, the pink-haired Espada was happily sipping from a glass of champagne in his gloved hand. "Captain Ukitake, we are here this evening in tribute- and not simply in honor of the forthcoming birth of your cub- but, also for the purpose of acknowledging you and your lovely wife and fellow Captain, Retsu Ukitake." He went on.
"Now, the fact that myself and the Primera are among your guests may seem a somewhat obvious fact, especially with the perspective of these last eighteen months... However, the 'truth' is that only so much can be credited to hindsight." The Arrancar added. "Really, if we took a moment to properly take stock of everything that's happened, tonight can either be attributed to a fantastic series of coincidences, or as the direct result of a number of crucial factors, many of them not immediately obvious."
"And those would be, what, exactly?" Shunsui inquired, somewhat curious.
Szayel nodded. "Well, to begin... First off, consider how the Captain has treated the two halves of the Primera Espada, and what that says about him." He replied. "Now, one might be tempted to contribute this to a certain naivete- but not myself." The Octavio continued. "Captain Ukitake is no fool, neither of them are. Yet, they've been nothing but kind and considerate. And I'm not just speaking for myself or for the Arrancar, but also towards my dear Nemu." He added, his tone more serious now.
"Regardless of my feelings towards your predecessor," Ukitake spoke up. "I can say that neither Retsu nor myself have ever had quarrel with the Lieutenant." He explained.
"Yes, but then, what reason did you have to care?" Szayel countered, before followed this up by taking a drink from the glass. "I think that's the real point to consider."
"But isn't that just basic human decency?" Yumichika observed, before taking a drink of sake.
"Perhaps," Szayel began. "But why extend that courtesy towards un-human creatures? By what rational criteria would Hollows or a constructed being like Nemu qualify?"
"I'm not even close to being drunk enough for philosophy." Shunsui lamented with a sigh.
"I... well, Captain Grantz, let's just say I'd be careful about how you chose to present that same line of discussion to my wife." Jushiro spoke up, visibly grinning. "Every member of the Fourth Division has taken the Hippocratic Oath, and they consider all life precious- worth preserving."
"Of course, and please, don't think for a moment that it was ever my intent to diminish- in any shape or form- the significance of the pledge that a physician takes." He replied. "And just as your wife is to the medical field, so too am I to the scientific field." The Espada hastily added.
"Excellent, then it would seem we are in agreement." Ukitake answered evenly as he took a moment to refill the cup in his hand with fresh sake from the nearby bottle. "And really, it's not as all this change is purely due to the effort of our kind," he continued. "You alone, Captain, have had a tangible impact on those under your command... Nemu has grown immeasurably as a person, in the same way that the members of the Twelfth no longer live in fear of their own Captain."
Szayel smiled at this revelation. "You flatter me, sir."
Yumichika nodded at this. "Also, Isane-san recently told me that the vaccination program you started is doing a lot of good." He revealed. "The drop in the number of sick is proof of that."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
For almost a century, Soifon maintained her distinctive haircut- featuring a pair of long (almost ankle-length) braids in the back, with the rest cut to resemble something like a bob-cut. However, during the last several months, the braids were seemingly "retired" as she let her hair grow out naturally.
It wasn't a perfect process, as Soifon had been forced to repeatedly trim her bangs over her face while the rest of her hair played 'catch-up'. Eventually, the petite woman settled on keeping it shoulder-length in back and tapered on the sides. This change in hairstyle was just one of the ways in which her overall presence had gradually softened and become less harsh and austere. This change was also reflected by the fact that she wasn't scowling as much, and would actually smile unprompted at times.
"How strange, to think that another life could exist within you..." Soifon mused aloud, as she took a moment to ponder the other woman's figure. "And yet, the proof is right before me." The petite female remarked to herself, her tone serious, yet also thoughtful at the same time. "Can I...?" The lithe woman began, looking up to meet the gaze of the older woman before her.
"Of course." Retsu answered with a slight nod of consent. She smiled to herself, watching as Soifon's small hand came to rest gently against the curve of her stomach.
"You know, it's actually kinda interesting," Rangiku commented. "Sitting here, just watching someone else taking such an interest in something most people would probably take for granted." She finished as she idly ran a hand through the long locks of her lustrous orange main.
Soifon cast a brief curious look to the curvy strawberry-blonde woman, as if wordlessly asking for her to elaborate on the comment. "A reasonable observation, Lieutenant," Retsu observed. "Though, given the Captain's particular field of expertise, combined with my own background... Well, I can certainly relate to the idea that a fundamental biological process could be of interest."
"Besides," she continued with a knowing smile. "Given enough time, with just your own condition to think about, it's surprisingly easy for self-reflection to become fixation."
"Self-reflection?" Nemu repeated.
Retsu nodded. "Trust me," she started. "Invariably, a point comes when there's precious little else to engage you, and far too much idle time... Until you find yourself thinking along the lines of 'my body can do that? My, how fascinating...'" She uttered the last part almost theatrically.
"And soon, what began as nothing more than a passing though is now the focus of a dissertation."
"The way you talk about it..." Nanao interjected. "Captain, does your mind just eventually move onto a new line of thought, or do you have to actively refocus yourself?"
"Typically, from my own experience, I'd have to say that my bladder plays a surprisingly large role in determining what's I'll ultimately be thinking about at any given time."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ichigo felt the long slender fingers gripping him by the throat, then his feat leaving the floor as he was lifted up and slammed against the wall. His eyes went wide as the horned, skull-faced demon leaned in close, its skeletal jaw opening and blasting him in the face with heat as it hissed.
Desperate to find an escape from it's vice-grip, the teen's mind frantically scrambled to come up with something- anything, to stay alive. In his peripheral vision, he registered the glow coming from the oil lamp in the darkness, and thrust his right hand out, wildly grasping for the the light. As this was going on, the monster roared and intensified its deathhold on his throat- clearly with the intent of strangling him to death before this fatal encounter was over...
Finally, he felt as his hand brushed against it, and fumbled to get hold of it. With all the strength that he could muster, he grabbed hold of the lamp and slammed it against the beast's head- the glass shattering and allowing the now-burning oil to soak into the creature. It unleashed an agonized howl of pain as its upper body was set ablaze, with Ichigo falling from its grip and onto the floor with a thud.
...Ichigo suddenly woke up, half out of bed and lying on the floor of his bedroom. The lower half of his body has become tangled up in the sheets, so it took him a moment to straighten himself out. He rolled onto his back, eyes towards the ceiling of his room, and took a deep breath.
"I can't go on like this..." He muttered to himself, exhaling. "I- I have to do something..."
(- End of Chapter XXXVIII... -)
This update ended up taking a lot longer to get finished and ready for posting that it should have... Things have a been a bit hectic in my personal life, though I am happy to say that I've made a lot of progress with the story, and am managing to keep up a decent buffer of future chapters.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys will think of the next chapter, as it has a lot of story and character heavy content. And I'm pretty confident that certain individuals among you will find it to be particularly interesting.