2. Introduction.
T: warnings and disclaimer remain the same.
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She had learned a great deal of the cult while 'polishing' the false persona of Nato Chiko and yet, after only two weeks under the 'organisation's' roof, she had realised how very limited that knowledge was.
There was a depth and a complexity to the cult, as well as the unique society that it had created for its members, which only those that had experienced it themselves could truly understand. A strong solidarity that came from the fact that, for one reason or another, the members had nowhere else that they could call home.
Every Sunday since her arrival she had sat in the common room and listened as one of the cult members told the story of their arrival. Some had spun the tail of a hard life living on the streets, fighting for the barest scrap of food and hardening their hearts to the point that it seemed almost madness to believe that Tamaki-san had won them over with little more than a kind word and a listening ear. Some talked of a desperate want for a family, for the warmth and affection associated always with such a thing and of how Tamaki-san had made those dreams come true. No matter the tale the harmonic in the voice was always the same, a strong mix of awe and genuine gratitude that made it clear that they felt, in no way, manipulated by the other.
"He's letting them start their lives again, forgiving them the sins of the past and giving them a future to look forward to…something that's earned them their love and their unwavering trust."
Much like everything else about Ishida Ryuichi there had been this odd sort of ambivalence to the words, an uncertainty as to whether the other believed in their validity or whether he was saying them simply to explain matters to her. She had want to believe that this show of 'duality' was the other's subtle way of showing her that he was her new partner, that she had little need to maintain her guard when they were alone. Of course it was more than possible that this belief was being fuelled by the friendship she had begun to forge with the other, that this 'duality' was little more than a subtle test of her loyalty to the cult.
It was a complication that was not only beginning to irritate even her affable nature, but that had also begun to distract her mind from the assignment. Thus, having no want for her professional reputation to be damaged by something so very trivial, she had dedicated her evening to forging some form of solution for the matter.
"Chiko-kun, might I have a moment of your time?" The enquiry comes from he who had, until that very instant, been the very centre of her thoughts and, more out of impulse than anything else, she responds,
"Of course, Ishida-kun."
A bright smile catches at his lips and, in the blink of an eye, he has moved from lurking just inside the threshold of her doorway to sitting, cross-legged, on the floor to her left.
"How many times must I ask you to call me Ryuichi, Chiko-kun?" The enquiry has become routine between them during the last few days and, smiling a little despite herself, she responds,
"How many times must I tell you that we have not yet known one another long enough for such informalities?"
"Yet it feels as though we have known one another our whole lives through, do you not think?"
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" She has made the enquiry in order to move the conversation back to a more comfortable footing, a 'cowardice' that she cannot help but regret as the other's smile fades from his lips.
"I had hoped that we would not need this discussion, that you would be able to trust me without validation. However…" He trails and, his face tensing into an 'adult expression', he says, "Three months ago my body finally lost the fight against cancer. I was only eighteen and there was a great deal I had wished to do with my life, thus my soul was passed for judgement and thus, once proved suitable, I was offered a place amongst the Shinigami."
She feels her body relax and, her confidence again fully restored, she enquires,
"How could I trust you without reservation when I could not be certain if you were ally or no?"
"It's a fair point and I apologise for my slightly abrupt manner…I'm afraid I'm a little over eager as far as this whole thing's concerned, which is why I begged Kanoe-san to allow me to 'bed myself in' here while he found me the perfect partner." His smile, as well as the glee that seems to accompany it, has returned, something that brings a smile to her lips as she enquires,
"What is it about this case that has you so fired up?"
"I suppose some of it is 'rookie ambition' and the rest is my burning desire to make him proud."
"'Him'?"
"That's a story that can wait until we're out of here! For now…" He dips his head in the mimicry of a bow and says,
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kakyouin Tsubaki; I'm your new partner, Minase Hijiri."
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T: At which point I've most likely lost the lot of you! Hijiri's age here is based on the 'Tsuzuki and Hisoka had been partners for two years before Kyoto' fanon that seems quite prevalent. Next chapter will be up Thursday as Christmas frivolity will certainly stamp on my muse! Review?