He shifted his arm so it was shielding his eyes from the sun as he blinked himself awake. Glancing around the dark haired man spotted a few people nearby, but he wasn't sure he recognized any of them. He glanced down at his body. He found loose fitting grey pants covered his lower half, wooden sandals were on his feet. His torso was also in a loose fitting grey attire that he didn't quite recognize. He looked up at the others around him and asked, "where are we?"
He blinked as he heard someone mention the word "Takimura" but he couldn't understand much more than that. He rubbed the back of his neck and flashed a toothy grin before apologizing and explaining he didn't quite understand what the person was trying to tell him.
Suddenly someone had their hand on his forehead, and was speaking in a language he understood a few words of, but couldn't fully comprehend. He felt his heart beginning to beat, and his stomach tensed. This wasn't good. He was somewhere he didn't recognize, with strangers, and he couldn't even talk to them.
Then suddenly he heard someone bellow out a few sentences, or he thought they were sentences. The crowd dispersed and a woman with long silvery blonde hair, indigo eyes, and a tanned complexion approached him. She knelt down a little and offered him her hand as she introduced herself, "I'm sixth Squad Elite Lieutenant Tamika Shimizu, do you know your name?"
"Ace Portgas," he answered as he stood up. The woman retracted her hand and gave a small nod of her head. Tamika was dressed in loose fitting black pants, with white toed socks and wooden sandals, she had a matching loose fitting black shirt, or he guessed she did, it was kind of covered by a white waist length coat she wore with an indigo blue interior lining. Around this waist length coat was a sash at her waist, which had a sword attached to her side. The sword's sheath was navy blue with gold embroidery, the hilt wrapping was also navy blue, the tsuba was circular with lightning bolt decals. She looked to him as she offered, "Well, if you've no where to stay for the time being, you may as well come and stay with my family."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Ace objected. To his surprise the woman waved off the concern with a gesture of her hand, "it's not an imposition, in fact I insist."
He blinked before giving a small chuckle as he answered, "then it'd rude of me to refuse."
She smiled and gestured for him to follow her.
An older gentleman approached the Elite Lieutenant, asking a question to her. She replied in his language and then translated so that Ace would understand, "since when have we feared new comers? We've always welcomed everyone. The fact he speaks a different language than us, doesn't indicate anything bad."
"But doesn't he speak the same-"
"No. He doesn't. The language is similar, but it is not the same. It took time for some of you to adjust to the life and language here. I humbly request as a member of this village you extend him the same courtesy," Tamika interrupted.
Someone else began to argue something which involved the name 'Kuchiki', again Tamika responded first in the native language, and then translating so he'd understand, "Yes. My Captain is aware that I take in people who are down on their luck for any number of reasons. He helps me to get them on their feet, and being productive in our society. You feel the need to report me, please do. You'll find it a fruitless endeavor. "
At this point Ace was gritting his teeth and doing his best to keep his temper in check. Seeing this, the woman gripped his wrist and led him away from the growing crowd.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bother," he apologized.
Tamika shook her head from side to side while assuring him, "you're not. Usually the place is pretty peaceful but in recent times we've suffered two wars. The last of which, saw the founder of my organization killed in action. They're good people. They're just nervous of anyone different. It doesn't matter how small or great the difference is."
"So then I'd be a threat to your family," he surmised.
Tamika shook her head again as she kept walking with him, "no. I'm the sixth squad Elite Lieutenant, which means I handle security for the first noble family here. They're powerful, not just in finances, or influences. The head of that clan isn't someone many would wish to anger, so right there we have some protection that most others don't. Next up is that my eldest daughter is also a Lieutenant in a different Squad. She should be home right now, watching her little sister. I also have five sons, Yoshiya, Toru, Hiroshi and Daichi are all part of our organization as well. My youngest boy, Kenta is currently a student."
He heard the sound of rushing water, like a waterfall growing louder, and Tamika released his wrist from her grasp. He looked to the simple looking house. It was round with stone walls seemingly held in place with mud, the roof was of a substance similar to hay. Some parts were bamboo, and there were windows without any glass. He noticed a two children who were playing in the water, a boy and a girl. The boy had dark auburn hair, and was splashing a smaller girl with pale blonde hair. A young woman with similar silvery blonde hair to Tamika's was observing them, giggling a little until the girl repeated for the boy to stop.
"Daichi, she asked you to stop," the young woman reminded the boy in a firm tone. The boy seemed to roll his brown eyes as he replied, "alright."
"Thank you for stopping, next time please try to be nicer about it. She has the right to ask you to stop when she's had enough of playing that way. As do you when you don't like how she's playing," the older girl stated.
Daichi nodded his head in silent agreement, and apologized to the little girl, calling her Sora. For her part, Sora smiled and gave a slight giggle before diving under the water.
"That's my girls, the little one is Sora, and my older daughter is Rina," Tamika informed him. Ace kept his eyes on Rina a sense of nostalgia washing over him almost like a déjà vu. He quietly approached her and introduced himself. She returned the introduction, identifying herself as the second squad Lieutenant.
After speaking for a few moments he gathered his courage and inquired, "Rina, this may seem weird but—have we met? I'm having the strangest sense of déjà vu."