.
Tangency, Orbits, and Intersections
Bach's Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BWV1060
It was Saturday. The week went by fairly quickly and was a busy one. Rangiku ran into Unohana at the weekly Shinigami Women's Association meeting and they agreed to have dinner together Saturday night at Unohana's place. Unohana would cook, Rangiku would bring the wine which they determined should be red. Rangiku elected to surprise Unohana with desert, a cheesecake that she had just finished baking ahead of schedule. Leaving it to cool, she left to purchase two bottles instead of the agreed one. She was curious to see how Unohana would behave while inebriated.
Meanwhile Isane made her way over to Rukia's place bearing the earrings she bought and the equipment she'd need to pierce Rukia's ears. She knew Rangiku and her captain were having dinner together and wondered why. Given her still extant feelings for her captain and recent events between them she wondered if the dinner had a romantic element to it. But she caught herself and halted that line of thought finding it unproductive and obsessive. Little did she know, she had in fact predicted Rangiku and Unohana's union before Rangiku or Unohana even considered it.
Isane arrived at Rukia's and knocked the door. She heard the soft patter of Rukia's bare feet on the wooden floor as she approached the door, then a click, and the door swung open.
"Hello!" Rukia greeted with a wide smile.
"Hi Rukia!" Isane responded.
Rukia's hair was done up in a small ponytail, about four inches in length and sprouting up and back from the top of her head. She looked quite different with her hair like this, without her ever-present strands of hair hanging between her eyes.
"Come in." She invited.
Isane walked in and they made their way to the kitchen. Isane sat at the table and Rukia went to the stove and grabbed her teapot.
"Is green ok?" She asked.
"Yes. Thank you." Isane responded with a grateful smile as she removed the box containing the earrings and put it on the table.
Rukia placed a cup down and filled it with the freshly brewed green tea, then she sat across from Isane.
"So the time has come." Rukia said gesturing toward the box on the table.
"Only if you like the earrings I got you." Isane said pushing the box toward Rukia.
"I probably will." Rukia said as she received it.
She opened the box and in it found two pairs, one a pair of royal blue studs in a six petal flower design, and the other, two small plain black studs.
"Two?" Rukia asked.
"Yes, one tiny one for you to wear while the piercing heals and for daily use perhaps, the other for when you deem it appropriate."
"Thank you Isane!" Rukia said with a gleeful smile.
"You like them?" Isane asked.
"Of course! You couldn't tell?" Rukia said.
Isane smiled in response.
Rukia removed the blue pair from the box and held it up to her ear.
"How does it look?" Rukia asked.
"Better than I had imagined." Isane responded.
"Better than you imagined?" Rukia questioned finding Isane's response strange.
"No, I meant I imagined it looking good and now that I see it in situ it looks even better."
"In situ?" Rukia questioned, further messing with Isane.
"Yeah like in place or in its appropriate environment. Y'know in the…"
"I know what it means, I was just teasing you Isane." Rukia said.
"Oh." Isane said with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Rukia giggled then stood too look at it in the mirror of her bathroom. She announced her intention. Isane followed.
Rukia held the blue one up to hear ear and then the black one, liking the look of each of them.
"I like the size of them." She said to Isane.
"Yes." Isane said as she slipped in behind Rukia. "I didn't want them to dangle about and get in your way so I chose studs."
Rukia looked at the portrait of her and Isane framed by the mirror. It was a nice sight she thought.
"Do yours get in the way?" she asked.
"Not really." Isane responded. "I'm used to largish earrings."
"Are you ready for me to pierce it?" Isane asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Rukia responded.
"Don't be nervous." Isane consoled. "I'll take care of you."
Isane's words were nice to hear but it did not make her less nervous. She tried to prepare herself for unknown levels of pain as they returned to the table and Isane began preparing her equipment.
She watched as Isane laid out a small towel and on it a bottle of alcohol, some cotton swabs and cotton pads, and a pair of latex gloves. And then she procured two long and shiny piercing needles, each individually wrapped in clear plastic.
"Oh my god." Rukia said when she saw them.
"Don't worry, it'll be quick." Isane said.
"Are they sharp?"
"Oh very. But that's a good thing. Dull blades make jagged wounds."
"True."
"So," Isane said. "I'm going to put in the black ones now, you can take them out when they heal. The other ones are too heavy to be worn right now or before then."
"Ok." Rukia said.
Isane put on her gloves, making a loud latex slap with each one, then set to work cleaning the studs with the alcohol. Then she placed them down in an organized manner.
"Ok, I'm ready." Isane said as she got up "sit here." She instructed gesturing to the seat she was sitting in.
Rukia sat down and Isane slid a chair to Rukia's side, swung her leg over it, and sat down, all to avoid dirtying her sterile gloves.
"I'm going to clean your earlobes now ok." Isane announced before swabbing the lobes with alcohol. It slightly tickled.
"It's cold." Rukia said with a nervous laugh.
"Evaporative cooling." Isane explained.
Rukia smiled silently, enjoying Isane's apparently expansive knowledge of the sciences.
Isane took the needle into her hand and removed it from its plastic wrapper. Rukia drew a sharp breath.
"Want me to add the numb it first?" Isane asked.
"Please." Rukia said.
Isane put the needle down, pulled a bottle out of her small medical pack she always carried, and dabbed the numbing liquid on with a cotton swab.
"Can you feel that?" Isane asked poking at Rukia's earlobe.
"What?" Rukia responded feeling nothing.
"My finger."
"On my ear?" Rukia asked.
"Yeah It's working." Isane said.
"Oh, good." Rukia said.
"Alright Rukia." Isane said taking the needle into her hand again. "Three, two…"
"Oww!" Rukia squeaked. Isane had prematurely driven the needle straight through on two.
"Did it hurt?" Isane asked.
"A little bit. It seems the solution only numbed the surface though. I can still feel it inside." Rukia said.
"We're almost done." Isane said placing the stud into the hole in the needle.
"Oh now that's weird." Rukia said feeling the strange sensation of the needles length slowly transversing her earlobe as Isane pulled it through.
"Aaaand there! It's in now. One ear done." Isane said putting the needle down and affixing the clutch to the back of the earring.
"Really!" Rukia said then scurried off to the bathroom to look at it in the mirror.
"It's so nice!" she announced.
Isane felt proud as she watched Rukia return with pep in her step.
"One more and we're done." She said.
"Yes!" Rukia said sitting back down.
Isane prepared the other ear, applied the numbing solution and got the second needle out.
"May I turn your head?" She asked reaching out with her hand.
"Of course." Rukia responded.
Softly pushing on Rukia's chin she rotated Rukia's head left and right determining the proper position to place the needle and ensure her work was completely symmetrical.
"Ok." She said and began to approach Rukia's earlobe with the needle.
"Isane." Rukia said.
"Hmm?"
"Don't do it suddenly before reaching one."
"Ok. I won't." Isane agreed. "Three, two, one." And then she drove the needle through.
Rukia groaned.
"Almost therrrrrrre…" Isane said sliding the other stud into place. Then she slid the needle out and clipped it in place.
"…aaaannd done." She announced. "No blood on either one. You did good Rukia."
"Awesome! How do they look?" Rukia asked turning her head to side to show them off.
Isane smiled and said "Go see for yourself."
Rukia did, Isane followed and threw away her gloves.
"It's so different, but I like it. I like it a lot." Rukia said turning her head left and right.
"I'm glad." Isane said. "By the way," she began but stopped when Rukia pulled the band out of her hair to let if fall. She pouted and went "hmph" when her hair covered them up. So Isane swept Rukia's hair behind her ears to try and address the issue.
"But it'll fall if I move." Rukia complained then gave her hair a light shake, intentionally sabotaging Isane's efforts
"You could just clip your bangs back." Isane suggested as she again swept Rukia's hair behind her ears just as Rukia intended.
Rukia smiled then said "maybe I'll clip them back, or maybe I'll cut my hair shorter. I dunno, I like this style but it's getting kinda long. Either way, whether they're visible or not, I know they're there and that's all that matters to me."
"True." Isane said then looked in the mirror.
"Maybe I should cut my hair too." She said to herself out loud as she ran a hand through it and pulled on of her locks.
"No. It looks fine as is." Rukia opined.
Isane laughed then said "Ok. I'll leave it then. It's not excessively long yet."
They looked at each other through the mirror, smiled, then left the bathroom and returned to the kitchen.
"So, are you hungry?" Rukia asked being hospitable and knowing that they didn't have anything further planned.
"Yeah."
"Me too. Why don't you stay for dinner?" Rukia invited.
"Thank you, I will." Isane said then sipped from her tea. "Actually now that you mention it, could I stay the night? Unohana is making Rangiku dinner and I feel like they may be up late."
"Ok." Rukia said cheerily, hiding her apprehension at the idea of Isane staying over, and wondering where the fuck Isane would sleep.
"Do you like curry?" Rukia asked, returning her mind to the task at hand.
"Yeah. You know how to cook it?"
"Mhm."
"Wow. It's a bit foreign. Is it complicated to make? I never learned how."
"No. It's fairly simple is if you use a premade spice mix."
"True true." Isane commented.
"I'll show you if you want."
"Ok! Should I take notes?"
Rukia laughed. "Sure, if you want."
"Right let's cook!" Isane said standing up swiftly.
"Let's." Rukia said with a smile looking up at Isane. She always loved it when Isane went from a seated position to a standing one. For when she did she transformed from just being a cute girl, into a towering figure of grandeur and beauty, at least in Rukia's eyes. And so with admiration in her heart, restraint on her mind, and hunger in her stomach she led the way to the kitchen and they began to cook.
. . .
The arranged hour for Rangiku and Unohana's dinner had come and Unohana waited with everything prepared for her guest's arrival. She sat on the couch of her living room thinking about Isane. She pretty much never saw the girl anymore. Isane largely kept to herself when they were working and she rarely called on Isane for assistance since she could get by without Isane's help and felt it would be unnatural and forced to call upon Isane just because she wanted to see her.
Isane had apparently spent Saturday morning at work. She swapped shifts with Lemura, taking his morning shift and trading it for her evening shift. She briefly returned in the afternoon bearing a couple shopping bags. Then she gathered some things and quickly left again, not bothering to speak on where she was going.
This distance - which ironically Unohana had first imposed upon them - now made her feel very uncomfortable. Her maternal side felt as if her baby bird was flying farther and farther from the nest, whereas her amorous side felt that she had really fucked things up between her and Isane. She didn't, but given the lack of interaction between them she couldn't really gauge what Isane was thinking or feeling. Overall, she didn't regret rejecting Isane, but she did regret leading her on to the extend that she did.
And so with guilt on her heart she decided that she should prepare a plate of food for Isane later on. She didn't know when Isane would return but surely she should have some of the food too. It smelled so good, and she had put a lot of time into making it. Without a doubt Isane would have smelled it when she returned for the brief moment that she did earlier. So she summoned a butterfly and sent a message to Isane telling her of her intentions.
Isane, I'm going to leave a plate of food in your refrigerator. It's very good so I felt you should have some.
Enjoy,
Your Captain
She sent the butterfly off, sighed, and growing hungrier wondered where the hell Rangiku was.
Soon enough, Rangiku arrived and with her soft knocks on the door the energy of the room brightened.
Unohana opened the door to find Rangiku wearing nice red dress with a matching scarf.
She looked beautiful standing there in that simple strapless dress which slightly hugged her body and stopped at her knees. In one hand she carried a paper bag and upon the other she effortlessly balanced what looked to Unohana to be a cake box.
"Good evening." Rangiku greeted politely.
"Good evening, come in." Unohana warmly invited as she took the cake off Rangiku.
"Thank you." Rangiku said as she entered.
"I didn't know you were bringing cake." Unohana said smelling it and enjoying its sweet aroma.
"I wanted to surprise you. It's cheesecake. Also sorry I'm late, I spent too much time getting dressed."
"You look good Rangiku but you didn't have to dress so fancy. It's not like we're going out to a restaurant or anything." Unohana said feeling like her state of dress in her standard shikahusho was inadequate.
"Well, we're having dinner and I'm not at home so I felt I should wear something a little special."
"Well I appreciate it and it's certainly a nice dress." Unohana said.
"Thank you." Rangiku said.
"My god does this smell good." Rangiku commented as they arrived at the kitchen and the delicious smells of Unohana's cooking hit her stronger.
Unohana smiled proudly.
"What did you cook?" Rangiku asked.
"Italian food. You like Italian food right?"
"Of course I do." Rangiku responded as she pulled the bottles out of the bag and placed them on the table which was set with two plates, a large covered pot, a bowl of garden salad, and a small salad dressing bottle containing an obviously home-made vinaigrette.
"So, your cheesecake, do you serve it warm or cold?"
"Cold. I've had it warm before and I found it strange. Do you prefer it warm?"
"No, I too find it strange. I'll refrigerate it then."
Unohana did so and returned from the refrigerator with two small plates of antipasto. She placed the plates on the table and gestured for Rangiku to sit.
"Antipaso?" Rangiku said assuming her position at the table.
"Mhm. I wanted to serve some semblance of the traditional Italian meal structure. I still need to make the bruschetta. It's best served fresh." She said as she procured a thick oblong loaf of bread, a cutting board, and a knife.
"Of course." Rangiku said.
Then Rangiku bit into one of the cheeses, it filled her mouth with magnificent flavor, and she knew that this was going to be a superb meal.
"I see you've brought a Cabernet Sauvignon. Good choice." Unohana commented as she prepared the bread.
"Strong and versatile." Rangiku responded, now chewing on some prosciutto.
"It will complement the pork." Unohana said as she removed her beautiful Brasato di Maiale from the oven where it was being kept warm and placed it in the center of the table. She then removed her roasted potato and asparagus dish from her other oven and placed it on the table as well. She turned on an oven and set the bruschetta, drizzled with olive oil, rubbed with garlic and lightly sprinkled with oregano, to toast on the top most rack of the oven.
Taking in the sights and smells of the meal before her, Rangiku's stomach rumbled with anticipation.
"Dear god I haven't eaten anything of this quality in forever." she said.
Unohana smiled pleasantly in response.
"Do you have a cork puller." Rangiku requested, wanting to wash the meaty and cheesy flavors from her mouth with wine.
"Sure." Unohana said grabbing two wine glasses and a cork puller and handed them to Rangiku as she sat and began to eat from her plate of antipasto with small sampling bites as she watched Rangiku work at the bottle.
"You brought two." She commented.
"Better to have more than less. Plus you know I like the drink." Rangiku responded jokingly as she slid the cork out with a loud pop.
Unohana chuckled and said "That I know."
Rangiku smiled, enjoying the foreign sound of Unohana's humorous vocalizations. She filled the glasses and handed one to Unohana who immediately sloshed it round and brought it to her nose, taking in the aroma.
"Good." She said. "Very good." then she brought it to her lips.
"No toast?" Rangiku interjected.
"Aah. What shall we toast to?" Unohana asked.
"What do the Italians toast to?" Rangiku asked.
"Salute is common. To health then." she suggested.
"And prosperity." Rangiku said raising her glass.
"And friendship." Unohana said.
"To health, prosperity and friendship." They said in unison then clinked their glasses and enjoyed a refreshing sip.
Unohana let out a pleasant "Ahh that's good." Before glancing toward the oven and deciding to check on the bread.
"It's ready." She announced as she put on her oven mitts. She removed it from the oven, placed the glistening toasted bread on the table, put away her mitts and put a bread knife beside the bruschetta, then surveyed the table with her eyes for a moment and said "Let's begin."
"For our Primo," she said uncovering the pot. "We have Carbonara." She said as she served spooned some onto Rangiku's plate.
"I've never had carbonara." Rangiku said. "What is it?"
"Pasta with egg, cheese, olive oil, and pancetta." She responded and she served it onto the plates.
"Our secondo is Brasato di Maiale, basically a spiced pork roast." She said as she cut slices of the wound pork and served three slices to Rangiku and three to herself.
"Our contorno is roasted asparagus and potato," She said gesturing to the dish as she sat back down. "help yourself to that as you wish."
"And of course we have bruschetta and garden salad with an apple cider vinaigrette to cleanse the palate as necessary and to top it all off a surprise dolce from you." Unohana said with an appreciative smile.
Rangiku smiled.
"Enjoy." Unohana said before taking another sip of the wine.
"Oh I will." Rangiku said doing the same and then grabbing her fork and knife.
And so they ate. Oh what a magnificent meal it was. Bread was broken, wine was poured, and gustatory pleasure flowed with every esophageal caress.
They ate slowly, savoring their meal, and though their words were few and far between it felt as if with every glance, and with every passed platter, pot, and pan they grew closer.
Eventually their plates became cleared, covered only by streaks of gravy and dressing and the clinking of utensils came to an end. They had completely finished a bottle, and each, feeling satisfied, slightly buzzed, and a bit spent after the exertion of eating, leaned back in their chairs sipping slow.
"Thank you for this." Rangiku said.
"Im glad you enjoyed it."
"I'm so full." Rangiku said placing a hand on her tummy.
Unohana laughed then said "But we still have cheesecake to eat."
"Oh god please not now." Rangiku said.
"Ok. We'll digest a bit." Unohana said as she stood to collect the dishes. She reached out for Rangiku's but Rangiku intercepted, placing a hand atop Unohana's wrist, stopping her.
"Please." she said. "Let me. You've labored enough creating this meal. At least let me collect and wash the dishes."
"How generous of you." Unohana said granting Rangiku's request.
"It's the least I could do." Rangiku responded.
She rose and began to clean up while Unohana retrieved a clean plate from the cupboard and began to heap food upon it.
Rangiku looked at her questioningly.
"For Isane." Unohana said as she shoveled all manner of things onto it.
"Aah. It seems you feed her well."
"Not really. I mean, we don't dine together often but when I cook something special I make sure I give her some. We must care for our neighbors you know, and she doesn't seem to eat enough in the first place."
"Mm." Rangiku said as she returned to the table and opened the second bottle of wine and refilled her glass.
"How are things between you two?" She asked while gesturing toward Unohana's glass offering to refill hers as well.
Unohana nodded granting permission while thinking of how to respond "Distant, but that's only natural." she said then drank.
"I guess." Rangiku said. "You know, I saw her today. She was buying earrings for Rukia, said she was going to pierce her ears tonight. Anyway, I tell you this to let you know that they seem to be getting closer, which you expressed… interest, in happening."
"That is good then." Unohana said somberly despite a half smile.
"Is it bittersweet?"
"A bit."
"I'm sorry." Rangiku said then took a sip.
"Don't worry yourself." Unohana said then announced she would be right back. She left to Isane's place, while Rangiku, who had become pensive, resumed washing dishes.
Unohana walked into Isane's apartment and flipped on the lights. The apartment's typically messy state was a reassuring sight. She became worried however when she opened the refrigerator and found it almost completely empty, containing only the barest essentials.
Milk, bread, jelly, and a poorly wrapped block of cheese.
"Is she eating porridge all the time again?" She thought as she placed the plate within. Then she opened the freezer and found it completely filled with store-bought frozen food.
"No, she's just lazy." She thought to herself with a chuckle, concerns about Isane's diet laid to rest.
Making her way out, she stopped and looked back at the place for a moment, then turned off the lights and left.
It was coldish out but Unohana, being a lover of the outdoors, wished to sit out anyway. So when she returned to her kitchen to find that Rangiku had finished with the dishes she invited her to drink and relax outside with her.
Rangiku agreed to do so and they made their way out.
"It's nice outside." Rangiku commented taking a seat beside Unohana on the bench.
"It always is." Unohana responded looking out at the sky.
"Nature." Rangiku said.
"Pure and free, a simple world connected to but distinct from ours." Unohana responded.
"Your garden is beautiful. I've always kinda wanted to maintain a garden, y'know, do something productive with my free time, but I don't think I'd be good at it."
"Thanks. It's not that difficult. You just need to separate time and be consistent in your care."
"That's the issue, the consistency."
"I see. What do you do in your free time?"
"Not much. Mostly drink or shop or lounge around with friends. It's simple, and admittedly a bit empty, but I enjoy it."
Unohana giggled at Rangiku's words then glanced at her wine glass, considering her level for a moment to make sure she didn't drink excessively.
"Would you call yourself a hedonist?" she asked Rangiku.
"In a way."
"I used to be when I was younger but it stopped fulfilling me."
"What do you live for now?"
Unohana paused for a second then answered, "Duty."
"Duty?"
"Duty to the Gotei. Becoming a captain changes your perspective on things. You learn the importance of maintaining the balance in this world. That, is why I heal. To offset the destruction."
"And that fulfills you?" Rangiku asked.
"I'd say so, yes." Unohana said unconvincingly. "Does your life fulfill you?" she asked directing the focus back toward Rangiku.
"For the most part. When I was a girl I wanted to save the world. I joined the Gotei because of that desire. But now, after seeing all this evil and facing all the disappointment I've faced in my life and seeing the world for what it is, all I really wish to do is maintain peace and tranquility around me. I wish we didn't have to fight as much as we do but it seems to be the only way to solve our problems."
"You don't enjoy the fight?"
"I hate it."
"Hmm."
They fell silent. Rangiku opened her mouth to speak then decided not to.
"What is it?" Unohana asked seeing Rangiku's hesitation.
"Nothing."
"Surely you had something to say."
"No it's just that, I don't want to ask too many questions. Pry too deep."
"You're curious about me?" Unohana said teasingly.
Rangiku noticed this tone and its accompanying playful smile wondered if it was because of the alcohol or because Unohana just liked to mess with her. Then she answered. "I, well, basically yes. Out of everyone I have ever met, you are perhaps the most mysterious and enigmatic." she explained a bit hesitantly.
"You're intrigued by mystery." Unohana said beginning to undo her the twists of her braid.
"Yes." Rangiku confirmed then continued with her line of thought. "What few interactions we have had, I've enjoyed, and though I know little about you I feel we can relate to each other on some level. So while I don't wish to pry too deep or tread where I shouldn't, I want talk to you and learn about you, perhaps learn from you as well. I don't know."
Unohana smiled and ran a hand through her now unbound hair letting it breathe. Rangiku couldn't help but notice that she looked quite pretty and youthful with her hair loose and free like this.
"Oh Rangiku, you flatter me." Unohana said. "But I feel that the more you learn about me the more you will realize that I'm just a regular person. See we're all the same Rankigu, not a single one of us is special or at all unique." she said sweetly.
"Cynicism." Rangiku commented.
"Truth." Unohana corrected. "But still, I find you interesting. And when we toasted to health, prosperity, and friendship, I meant it. So let us be friends so that we may learn about, and perhaps from each other as you said."
"That's what we'll do then."
"Good. Now, I don't know about you but I'm in the mood for some of that cheesecake."
Rangiku smiled. "I'll get us some slices then Unohana Taicho."
"Thank you." Unohana said. "And please, just call me Retsu."
. . .
Isane and Rukia had long since finished their dinner and wound down for the evening.
A brief disagreement had broken out between the two of them over who was going to sleep where. Isane insisted that as a guest she should sleep on the couch and not disturb Rukia while Rukia insisted that guests should be treated with honor so her bed would be more appropriate for Isane.
Rukia had won the argument and so Isane lie awake now in Rukia's bed. She had been awoken by a dream whose contents she didn't remember but whose feel was strange.
She focused inward and with great effort tried to recall what the dream was about. But she failed, not even grasping hold of a thread.
Isane found dreams interesting. She was of the opinion that dreams were a phenomenon with no intrinsic purpose of their own. That they only arose as consequence of the brain reviewing and archiving the most pertinent information of the day and forming abstract connections between the distinct subjects into a string of vivid experiences that straddled the line between subconscious and conscious experience.
And though simple in its cause, she found the result beautiful even though she was plagued by somewhat frequent nightmares. She and all that slept experienced things that never ever happened yet felt very much real when within the realm of sleep. A virtual landscape as expansive as the imagination. Perhaps, she thought, this life she lived was itself a dream dreamt by a higher being. An imagined reality that would fade and be forgotten when it woke again to a new day.
"If only I did not have so much nightmares." She thought to herself then realized that she hadn't had one in a while.
She recalled Unohana's nightmare and the terror on her Taicho's face when she woke. She wanted to talk to Captain Unohana like they used to, and see if she was okay. But still she kept her distance as she assumed Unohana would want her to.
"She barely calls upon me anymore anyway." She thought to herself then rose quietly to get some water and try to sleep again.
She walked with small cautious steps, careful not to stub a toe on some unseen obstacle. She could see a little bit, her eyes having adjusted to the darkness and moonlight leaking in from the windows. The window blinds creating striped patterns of darkness and light upon the floor and walls.
She checked on Rukia and found her fast asleep in a strange twisted semi-curled arrangement complete with a random foot sticking out from underneath the blanket and hanging loosely over the edge. The couch, wide enough to accommodate two people sitting side by side, was clearly too small even for someone as small as Rukia to sleep on.
"But at least she's asleep." Isane thought to herself as she turned away and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a cool class of refrigerated purified water then refilled the combination water filter/pitcher arrangement.
"I should get myself one of these at home water filters." She thought to herself as she stood at the window looking out at the dark empty night and drinking her water.
She watched the silent swaying of the dark leaves in the wind and found the silence with which it happened, the silent emptiness of this night in general a bit creepy. Rukia's place was clearly more insulated and soundproofed than hers. Loud were the sounds of her heartbeat and Rukia's soft breaths.
She drank more, looking out at the night and listening to the sound of the water washing down her throat. Then she heard the rustling of sheets and a soft moan. She turned round to see that Rukia had assumed an even more uncomfortable looking position.
"She's going to wake up next morning with a crick in her neck." She thought to herself. Then she realized that she could just move Rukia to the bed. After all it was big enough for the both of them and Rukia would almost certainly be ok with it though she most definitely would not have proposed it.
Decision made she returned to the kitchen and finished her water, then washed the cup and put it away.
She returned to Rukia and gently pulled the sheets off of her. Rukia shifted and turned her head again, reacting to the removal of warmth and mashing her ear against the couch in the process. She let out a soft whimper of pain.
"Fuck that must hurt." Isane thought to herself.
But still Rukia slept, so Isane wrapped her arms around her body with the gentlest touch and effortlessly lifted her up and off the couch. Experienced in carefully moving the bodies of the sick, the injured, and indeed the deceased, Isane was able to carry Rukia without disturbing the girl at all.
Rukia felt fragile and delicate in her arms, in complete contrast with the way she felt when she was awake; small yet strong and planted. Perhaps it was because of her limpness, or her lightness. Isane did not know and when they entered a streak of moonlight she looked down at the girl in her arms. Her face looked so peaceful with her mouth slightly open and her chest rising and falling with every soft breath. Rukia wore loose and light white tee shirt which was only marginally paler than the skin of Rukia's arms which Isane followed down with her eyes. Curiously, two of Rukia's fingertips glimmered in the moonlight as if wet.
"She doesn't suck on her fingers when she sleeps does she?" Isane wondered to herself, "No no. She'd have a fierce overbite if she did. Then how did two fingers..."
"Oh my." She said aloud in a low voice upon realizing the source of the moisture.
Surprised and wondering at the contents of Rukia's dreams she continued on, carefully passing through the bedroom door and laying Rukia down on the bed. She looked at her for a moment, laying there with her hair spread about, a sliver of midriff exposed.
Isane blushed and averted her gaze. Then covered Rukia with the sheets to give her sleeping body its due privacy.
She moved round the bed and sat on it. Rukia's hand dwelling on her mind. Did it wander on its own, seeking warmth perhaps? Was its migration motivated by a dirty dream? Or did Rukia masturbate herself to sleep like she occasionally did on restless nights?
In image of Rukia touching herself flashed across her mind and she wondered what it was that Rukia touched herself to. Ever modest and feeling uncomfortable about this sexually speculative thread of thought she quickly put it out of her mind wondering "What the fuck is this perverse curiosity?"
She glanced at Rukia for a moment, then got in bed then closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and began to breathe deep slow breaths, meditatively settling herself back down towards sleep.
A deep breath in, a slow breath out.
In, then out.
In.
Out.
A couple minutes of this went by and though Isane wasn't yet asleep she was calm and comfortable and was slowly slipping under. Surely sleep would be fast asleep soon.
But she was pulled from her placid daze by the soft touch of Rukia's body which in search for warmth had curled up against hers.
Isane opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Rukia once more. Rukia looked so comfortable like this and Isane couldn't help but admit that she looked cute too.
The warmth of Rukia's body brought her comfort so after a couple moments of consideration she thought to herself "fuckkit" and rolled toward Rukia, wrapped an arm around her, and soon fell asleep in the comfort of their collective warmth.
. . .