Pre-Note
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. This is for creative purposes. I do own this plot.
Reminder: Mature-rating. Mystery-themed. Light sexual content. Crucial to remain attentive to detail. This is for Rukia and her relationships.
Love, Spider Lily
Present
After she had put the map back to its rightful place she had noticed that the Captain and Byakuya had been immersed in a conversation. To give them some privacy, she left to explore a little.
She began to walk down a very narrow hallway squished in between one of the other rooms holding books and photo albums and a small kitchen to her left.
Approaching the end of it would mean entering the other hallway it eased into. As she prepared herself to turn, she paused once something like cloth gently touched her nose. Something had appeared right in front of her.
And it reeked.
"Huh?" Her head shot up and she met bright turquoise eyes with a deep yellow ringed around its pupil.
Immediately, she recognized the face of Okasake Gureta. Annoyance pulsed through her as she stared up at the thing drilling holes into her face.
"Geez, now he's got me seeing you too." Rukia grumbled. She put her hands on her hips, "not funny, Jushirmai. Can you get rid of her now?"
No answer.
"I'm serious, this isn't funny. I know she's not real—can we move on from this trick now. It's boring."
The thing just continued to stare at her. She noticed that Jushirmai had given her the vision of the younger one as its hair was black and skin free from wrinkles.
It made her wonder which version Byakuya had seen but she wasn't in the mood to get him all spooked again by mentioning it.
"Jushirmai!" She yelled at the thing. "Not funny, get it over with already!"
Once again, the thing said nothing nor did it disappear.
Annoyed, she sighed and attempted to move past it but it slid to stop her.
Man, that brat was annoying.
"What the heck do you want?" Rukia sneered. "I'm not gonna fall for your useless illusions of the dead so you can just forg—"
Something shot past her, almost grazing her cheek and plunged into the body in front of her.
The pure light?
Once it did, it took Rukia several blinks to grasp what had happened in a matter of seconds. The pure light in its blade had stabbed itself into the figure in front of her who seemed as solid as ever and terrifyingly unaffected by the light which immediately withdrew itself and flew back.
She came to the morbid realization that perhaps Byakuya hadn't seen an illusion after all and this thing in front of her was actually…real.
The surge of energy shot through the spirit and it moved quickly to slash her—her quick reflexes had her flash-step out of the way before the thing charged at her.
Considering how well versed she was in hand-to-hand combat, she didn't fear the thing as they engaged in a fight.
She couldn't believe that Okasake Gureta had turned into a soul shadow. Her body reeked of it, Rukia had no idea what type of skeleton she ended up being but it definitely was one with extreme speed and skill.
Her strength allowed her to push it back several times.
Amid it all, Byakuya had followed her reiatsu through the hall and watched at a distance as the soul shadow and Rukia engaged in a very fast-paced fight.
Unsure of what to do, he looked behind him to see if his grandfather had followed but he did not. Before he could question it, he came to realize something very interesting.
Rukia was just as strong, if not more strong, than the soul shadow entity she was fighting.
She was very quick at dodging and had the ability to push the thing fighting her at a large distance away from her with minimal effort.
Though he didn't understand it, he was sure the gift his grandfather had mentioned and even the rarity they had mentioned long before had something to do with it.
But what?
Past
There was a time jump but no one knew for how long.
He hated the Head Captain for skipping over the whole part where Rukia would have confronted either Sensei Okasake or Byakuya's grandfather about the heir's different bodies since they obviously knew about it but hadn't told her.
It was strange that they left her in the dark like that and being completely absent for her first day was even weirder. But then again, Ichigo didn't know if she ever did meet up with them on that same day since obviously the Head Captain had skipped over that whole part and left them standing in some busy noble hall.
Captain Ukitake spotted the date and noted it was mid-June which meant that it had actually only been about three weeks.
That covered the time lapse but what about everything else? Was she still watching him?
Orihime guessed yes, considering the diary entry of her waiting for the heir every day in the spider lily field. Uryū guessed that she now knew what it was. But if that was true, why did the Head Captain feel the need to skip all over that?
They stood in some noble hall that Captain Ukitake identified as an archive centre for nobles. Rukia was nowhere to be seen nor was there anybody they knew or cared about who was relevant to the story.
Yachiru tried touching one of the many people swarming the place but fell right through them. Some of the Gotei 13 walked around the area but couldn't spot anything.
They divided themselves unintentionally in which some of them stayed outside and others stayed inside.
There were so many people in here—at a point, Ichigo closed his eyes and thought hard to see if he could find her amongst them.
He did.
When he notified the people with him, some relief washed over him that no matter where he was, he was still able to call upon that connection.
She was about to approach an old noble clerk to their left. He was tall, very old with thin, rectangular glasses. Above his black kimono and white overcoat was a silk scarf of violet with gold tips.
Rukia was no longer wearing her black cuffs she got for graduation and the sleeves of her uniform were different. The fabric was different—it was rolled up tightly above her elbow with long black gloves, the jet black Okasake gloves, running all the way down to her hand.
Like the younger one in present time.
She approached the white counter. The man surprisingly recognized her.
"Ah, the Okasake cases on hold." He connected the dots after one look at her.
She nodded her head. "There should be three."
The elderly man bent down and pulled a stack up. He scanned the barcodes on the files and did a few clicks with his mouse.
"They are all yours." He slid the stack closer to her to lift. His gaze went back to the computer and he started clicking, "I will not receive the files you requested until next Thursday. Would you like me to drop them off for you or will you stop by again?"
His tone said it all. He really liked her.
Rukia really had a thing with old people. She was like a senior citizen's magnet.
"Hmph? Oh that's fine, I'll come back again." Rukia assured him. "If I could make one more request…"
"What can I do for you today?" He bent his head lower to see through the glasses resting on the tip of his nose.
"I was hoping I would be able to access the receipts of the building repairs and reconstruction projects that were made in the past year within the Seireitei." Rukia said.
"That's highly classified information." Tōshirō said, appalled by her request.
"Ah, yes. Let me see here…" he went back to clicking on his computer. He prepared to type, "tell me, my dear, what is your serial number again?"
My dear? Did every old geezer call her that?
"78B2104." Rukia answered. Her real serial number or rather, her old one.
"Ah, good. I've made the request. You'll likely have them in a few hours. They just need to verify who's requesting them." He explained.
"That's fine. Until then!" Rukia said with a smile to which the elder reciprocated.
She stalked off with the folders in her hand. Upon following her to the outside where a red pavilion could be seen ahead of them, she abruptly stopped—her shoulders shot up and shivered.
It was brief. She quickly walked around something and descended down the large steps into the painfully bright sunlight.
When they looked at the ground it was a spider.
Considering the environment didn't automatically change, once she hit concrete ground where some other Gotei 13 members had been lurking, they followed her.
"What do you think it means?" Ichigo asked them as they did.
"Research, I guess." Captain Kyōraku said.
"But for us?" Isane asked.
"Well," Uryū mumbled, "judging by her attire now and the time, it seems that she's formally recognized as an affiliate of the Okasake clan. She wears the gloves now and it seems she's able to access classified information now because of it."
"C'mon, it's only been like three weeks." Lieutenant Hisagi said.
Rangiku was a bit surprised. "I thought it would've taken longer but it's like she hopped right in."
"And the Okasake heir…" Momo said. "Did she decide to take care of him? Does she have those responsibilities now?"
"Well Nee-san doesn't look too troubled! That's good!" Kon said.
"For now, Kon." Ichigo pointed out sternly. "But I still don't get this whole thing. Why the time jump? Why'd the Head Captain skip over a whole introduction that easily could've told us what this guy was? How would they justify the child version they didn't even prepare her for?"
"You know I'm starting to think he just became a natural responsibility." Ikkaku said. "I don't see why she wouldn't want to do it considering he just looks and acts like a kid."
"And when you think about it…nobody knew she was an obsession at the time so as long as she didn't stay with that other version, she was dealing with a harmless child." Isane said.
"Yeah but isn't it kinda stupid for them to let her agree to that knowing how fucked up the guy or kid or thing is? It's mid-June—that Sensei said he would try to convince his brother to let her ditch this assignment but considering what Inoue read in her book, she stayed watching the guy her whole time here." Ichigo said.
"Do you remember seeing anything else in her diary, Orihime?" Rangiku asked.
Orihime shook her head. "That's the only thing I saw. She just talked about waiting for him in the spider lily field and if he wasn't there, he was off doing something awful. When I tried to close it, in her sleep, she smacked my hand off of it. It's like she knew someone was reading it."
Tōshirō agreed. "Considering how important that book is to her, I'm sure it was just a reflex summoned by her reiatsu."
Captain Unohana agreed. "I'm quite sure, Kurosaki-san you've had many moments with her where she strictly told you not to touch it."
Ichigo scoffed. "Almost killed me too."
"That's 'cause you kept trying to read it!" Kon accused passionately.
"I wasn't tryna read it! It just fell on the fucking floor and I was tryna pick it up!" He squeaked.
"I saw the whole thing! You peeked!" Kon said.
"Yeah 'cause there was a gazillion fucking papers flyin' out, what the fuck was I supposed to—"
Kon jumped to the ground and pointed his paw up at a sharp angle. "You always tried to read Nee-san's book! You're the reason she never told us anything!"
"WHAT?!" Ichigo asked.
"You didn't respect her privacy! You always tried to see what she was writing about! It's YOUR fault we have to do this!"
Ichigo leaned back, appalled. "You can't be serious—"
"Nee-san would've probably told us everything and we would've been a part of her entire plan!"
"She wouldn't tell us, shit—it belonged to another life and clearly she was right about that because she went from adopted noble with a poor background to some former god-noble-slash-Rukongaier-'every old man's dream' affiliate of a prestigious noble clan ran by people who just so happened to create the entire universe!" Ichigo yelled.
"That's your excuse! Because YOU don't want to admit that the reason Nee-san never told us anything is 'cause she knew you were too invasive and clingy and would probably make her feel weird about the entire thing!"
"HOW THE HELL WOULD I MAKE HER FEEL WEIRD?! It belonged to another life, it wasn't that big of a deal!"
The horror came to Kon's face. "WASN'T A BIG DEAL?!"
"THIS IS WHY NEE-SAN DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU WOULD UNDERMINE THE WHOLE THING!"
Ichigo bent down.
"I-I DIDN'T SAY THAT?!" His hands were to his waist. "I'm saying that she didn't think of it as a big deal 'cause it belonged to another life that she CLEARLY wasn't a part of anymore! What part of suppressed memories and experiences and not wanting to deal with shit do you not get?! It's hard enough living as a noble of the clan the Okasakes were extremely close with, which probably reminds her of a bunch of shit, but considering Byakuya's grandfather was here for this whole thing, it's no wonder she was freaked the fuck out enough to not wanna talk about it! Like, how fucking insane is it when she knows—"
His back immediately straightened once he got a glimpse of what was ahead of them.
They were moved.
The tree in the spider lily field was a distance away.
What they saw ahead of them immediately made Ichigo think—
"Woah…"
###
The little creep was yet to show up.
Despite it, Rukia couldn't feel relieved knowing she'd have to kill a few more hours with him. He was insufferable.
She couldn't even call the thing 'cute', it was a nightmare! Not only was it extremely clingy and annoying, it tended to run around and do the most mischievous things and had her apologize for it.
And Sensei was still adamant to have her assignment changed.
She couldn't believe he thought she would be able to fix whatever the heir was.
Fortunately Sensei and Captain were not going to give up just yet.
She bent down and played with the lily flowers and instantly remembered to check out the flower guidebook she had gotten in the Rukongai District to see if her and Captain had ever found this one there.
Standing up, she pulled the book from her skirt pocket and flipped through the pages in search of it.
As she scanned page after page, her flipping was interrupted by the sound of another that was not that irritable creature.
"You will not like the name, do not search for it."
Rukia looked to the left of her to see one of the few people she had acquainted herself with during her first three weeks here.
Sensei's god son who was also the Captain's son.
Lieutenant Kuchiki Sojun.
He was nice. Very nice actually it caught her by surprise that he actually smiled considering the fact that she now knew Kuchikis were notorious for being stone cold and serious.
He had violet eyes and short black hair which parted like curtains on his forehead. Upon meeting each other, Sensei had noted that it seemed as though he had a type in reference to their similar—if not the exact same—eye colour.
On his left, he wore what she now knew was a Kuchiki signature thing—a white hair ornament shaped like a cylinder.
Atop his soul reaper kimono he often wore a light black overcoat though he didn't have it on today—his sixth division Lieutenant badge being on display meant he was or had been on duty.
He stood next to the tree with his arms crossed.
(Kon couldn't help but scream, "WHAT THE—"
Ichigo immediately slammed his mouth shut despite being equally weirded out too.
He looked a lot like Byakuya or rather, Byakuya looked a lot like him.
Captain Ukitake told him that Byakuya's father actually smiled a lot which had surprised him after he had asked upon noticing that in every photo he had there was a little smirk or small smile.
What stirred discomfort besides seeing Byakuya's father in person which he never imagined that he'd ever meet in his life as he had passed was the fact that Rukia was there.
Both of them had purple eyes and both of them were known as 'Lieutenant Kuchiki' in their respective times. It was ten times weirder that they weren't related here since her adoption didn't happen until like two hundred years later.
He didn't even want to look at Byakuya right now. He was seeing yet another person who had passed away a long time ago when he was a kid, moving and interacting and talking as though he was alive.
That had to trigger very sensitive memories.
Ichigo didn't know how he did it.
How the hell would she justify this?!
He also took notice of his father leaning towards that tree. In present time, there were no leaves—it was dry, old and wilting but here it appeared healthy with big green leaves and a normal bark. The branch that loomed over the dry circle was straight with blooming leaves.
He couldn't ignore the contact now that he knew there was some feature to the tree that could potentially bridge contact between souls who died here.
Maybe it did collect something regularly from contact as Byakuya had said hence….)
"Oh, hi Lieutenant." She greeted him, "did he come with you?"
"I wish you would stop referring to it as a person." He carried a tad bit of expression in his voice which differed from the Captain but of course, he didn't stray too far from the mundane tone she had gotten used to.
(And of course they had to appear well acquainted with each other.)
Rukia shrugged. "I use both."
The Lieutenant didn't like Jushirmai from what she got. He also referred to him as an 'it' and it made entire sense considering the answer Sensei has given her about the heir's different physical forms.
A birth defect.
She was appalled by the answer at first but considering how weird he was and the aura he gave off it made sense. He was a weird soul with two bodies, maybe more! The voice fluctuations finally had some reason to them.
Rukia also mentioned how Sensei had appeared which garnered a less clear reaction and response. She knew Sensei really loved his son but his giddy reaction was so unlike him. Sensei justified his behaviour as just a side effect from some medication he was taking when she continued to pry but somehow it felt like a lie.
Nonetheless, it was enough to have her quickly move on and talk about other things.
He asked her about her research and she went on with that, he told her everything about how and where to access archives and files within and outside the manor, he gave her full permission to explore it and familiarize herself with the area and even gave her the option of brushing up her mannerism skills around nobles so that she could move out and about without any bad looks or sneers, considering that she was no longer hiding her powers.
Captain later explained to her that the child version was harmless and only started to appear in recent years. And though it didn't make her feel any less weird about it, it did finally clear the confusion up.
When she had asked about why neither told her, it was allegedly supposed to be a 'surprise'.
From that day forward, she got rid of her hours with the thing early, occasionally skipped lunch to work on her research project and took small classes with the Head Mistress of the manor to perfect her posture and speaking tone.
She would even call herself an actress considering how well she had slid right into the role. Even the Lieutenant praised her when he first met her for her great posture which surprised her.
"Giving it any sense of personhood will encourage it more." He said. Though Rukia did not know what to say to that because she didn't know in what way.
Encourage it how?
It was harmless.
"I have brought your files." He held a folder in his left hand that was clothed with a fingerless white glove which she also learned was not only a Kuchiki thing but a noble thing.
(Ichigo felt like he was re-experiencing what he had gone through when Byakuya's grandfather first came out of that portal ages ago.)
Sensei Okasake had gifted her the Okasake black gloves a week ago and boy, did they do wonders for her. She saw the respect in people's eyes before they could show it.
She was really starting to feel like someone special now.
"Colonel Yvone had them verified early for you to which Chief Gou," the noble clerk at the archiving hall, "had wanted to tell you."
Rukia's eyes fell on the folder with gratitude. "Oh. Thanks for picking them up."
"I will leave them under your desk at the manor." He said, pushing himself off the side of the tree. "Though, you should co—"
A strong gust of wind flew past them. Strands of their hair flew left while the folder ascended into the air—it rained papers.
"WU-KEY-AHHH!"
The little creep was back to clutching her legs.
Rukia grimaced as she looked down at it. "Gee…"
The Lieutenant was stoic as he bore holes into the thing's head as the papers of receipts touched the ground.
Moments later, she felt the Captain walk towards them. He stopped and she turned with her face flushed in annoyance.
"You are en route to completing your research I hope."
She couldn't hide her annoyance when she emphasized her sarcasm in the remark, "very…funny."
"How about some tea."
###
In the shallow opening of the Okasake gardens was a very broad rectangular fountain of white with a three-tiered leaf fountain at the center, itty bitty rock cress flowers were scattered above the water pool.
Rukia sat mounted on the flat surface of the rectangular fountain with Captain to her right and the Lieutenant to her left who were a bit ahead of her, standing.
The thing had whined and screamed and kicked when it was brought back to the manor but instantly became fixated on the butterflies which lived within the gardens and started chasing them.
A butler immediately rolled in with sweets and tea upon their arrival to which the Captain didn't eat and the Lieutenant couldn't eat because of his health. She didn't want to awkwardly eat anything amongst them either so Roger, who she had brought along for the trip, took care of it.
"I think we," he addressed the Captain, "should directly ask the Ministers to reconsider." About her assignment.
He looked back at her. "They should be convinced. You have watched it for almost a month now."
(Ichigo had to get past the creepy visual of Rukia and Byakuya's father communicating to gather what was happening in front of him in mere seconds.
He was glad that he was willing to help her.
After all, it had only been three weeks.)
"Sensei might override it though." Rukia said. "I tried bringing it up again but he thinks it needs to grow on me."
("Is there any time this guy is not under that kid's voodoo?" Ikkaku asked.)
He had also accused her of listening to other people's negative opinions. She didn't want to mention that part since it seems that he had been referring to Captain and the Lieutenant.
"Then perhaps we should gather others who would agree with us also. No matter their legal authority, it would make a better case." He suggested.
"But who?" Rukia asked him. "Captain, Minister Asa and Chancellor Fujii have lost all their rights to an opinion on this because they know me."
("He even barred people who knew her well with authority over there to reduce her chances of being favoured in the ruling." Uryū said.)
"Chief Gou would not hesitate to do so, the staff here would not either. We would not need to explain much either."
Rukia still didn't think it would be that simple. After all, they saw her as something powerful, no? Something capable of making real changes. Why would they jump at the chance to argue she couldn't do something as simple as watch a little, abnormal kid?
"Did you complete your work?" The Captain suddenly asked her.
"No—Yes, why?"
She had finished her draft but she didn't have any plans of submitting a paper for highly educated people to read without re-reading, editing and doing a bunch of do-overs before she'd submit it so it was irrelevant to this whole thing.
More importantly, her subject was literally the knowledge she had accumulated as a kid trying to survive in the Rukongai District. There was a high probability that she would be laughed at—after all, what did they, as in her, a Rukongai kid, know to these people? They all thought they were superior to commoner kids.
"Considering you have completed your draft," she grumbled internally at just how well he could read her, "you merely need to present it to the people I had mentioned."
"I'm not doing that now." Rukia said.
"You present it verbally." He specified though Rukia still shook her head in response.
Lieutenant Kuchiki glanced at the toddler clinging onto a tree. He looked back at them with the revolt hidden in his eyes.
"He would not leave that to an ordinary child, no matter the circumstance."
Rukia blinked a few times.
Ordinary?
"It will be easy to have others, though they may not know you well enough, to agree that assigning you it is morally wrong and absurd." He continued.
"But I don't think it will turn out that way." Rukia argued. "They might agree with Sensei too."
"Why?" He asked her. "They like you."
Rukia frowned. "No," she lifted up her left arm and called upon her sheatsu, "they like this."
A sphere of a purple to white gradient appeared above her hand. She closed her hand and got rid of it.
"Despite everything you mentioned, I know they'll feel like I should be the one to do it even if we all agree it's impossible." She explained. "This is something divine to them—fixing whatever he is without making things look messy for the Okasake clan is probably what they care about more."
She noticed that the Lieutenant's gaze was drilled to the spot where the orb had appeared and vanished.
He looked almost lost.
Her gaze shifted to the Captain's which hardened. Rukia didn't get it so she shifted back and forth between them to get it before it came to her.
It stunned her to learn that the Lieutenant…didn't know a thing.
"You…didn't know…?"
The Lieutenant only stared at her.
"That was false." He suddenly said, "it had been an error, a mere light reflection from…" he stopped.
"Kit's story really made its way up to here." Rukia observed, a bit amazed.
"Who?"
"He's the officer responsible for me." Rukia replied.
"I did not know…" he seemed quite startled by it which made her realize how odd it was that he didn't know.
Considering she had met him last week by chance and he had greeted her like he knew of her, including what she was doing here, it just wasn't adding up.
"But then…how'd you know of me then?" There was no way he would've continued to casually speak to her as some regular trainee in the manor of all places. "You weren't surprised to see me here either—why?"
"I…" he seemed at a loss of words. "Last week. At the archive centre, I had overheard you picking up some reserved files for godfather. I…" he looked down, "happened to see your name on the computer and found that you were written as godfather's granddaughter. I figured he was yet to tell me, considering he has been quite busy these past few weeks so I introduced myself in that regard."
So he spoke to her because she was 'unofficially' considered Sensei's granddaughter?
She leaned back, "but…I'm not hiding it anymore. Can't you sense it?"
Something flashed in his eyes.
"I cannot sense those things."
Woah.
She never considered that a possibility. By default, she assumed all nobles could sense sheatsu. Hearing that made her realize how used she had become to having people like assassins around her.
"We have been speaking in the wrong regard." He approached her. "I thought you were here because godfather took a liking to you. As for your assignment, I assumed the board Ministers believed you could reform it because they are under the impression you share a background."
Surprise took her when he sat down next to her on the fountain edge.
"This changes everything." The Lieutenant said beside her with his arms still crossed.
"How?" Rukia asked.
"You could be a threat."
"A threat to what?"
"It. If you interfere with something it wants."
"And why would I do that? Or how would I do that?"
"That is just it. You will not do anything but it could deem you as one."
"Enlighten me, Lieutenant." Rukia said. "You seem to know a lot about him."
He turned his face away from her.
So you do know…
Mustering up the courage, she had to ask—"what is he?"
She knew of him as the unofficial heir with weird psychological problems and apparently, some birth defect which affects its physical form but somehow, given the Lieutenant's reaction and suggestion, it seemed as though there was more.
"Or—" she corrected herself, "—what is it?"
She didn't expect him to answer as fast as he did. "A birth defect."
She already knew this. Before she could open her mouth to tell him, he clarified that it was, "the Soul Society's birth defect."
Rukia leaned back. What?
She could see he closed his eyes. "Like any normal birth, it was susceptible to having an arbitrary defect. It is precisely that."
She went pale.
"He's our birth defect?" What ever happened to him having a birthing related issue? The whole time Sensei was implying that he was the issue in itself.
It was odd to imagine despite all the things she knew which made the place imperfect. Those things were built—created on here—but to think of something…inherently embedded in its creation? That looked like them?
("Well that explains a fucking lot." Ichigo muttered as he watched the interaction unfold.)
"It is like an inherent malignant sickness. It was given life here." The Lieutenant explained.
("So it's a living manifestation of a genetic error!" Mayuri exclaimed in fascination.)
She paused, "and the…Okasakes were a part of its creation?" An even scarier realization ran through her just then. "—Is he Okasake blood?"
"Their DNAs do not match." The Lieutenant replied.
("If the Soul Society's 'their kid' then how the fuck would it not be their blood?" Kensei asked in the background.)
"It was the error of the light, unrelated to their identity." The Lieutenant explained to her.
So it was the light that birthed the error…
(Captain Ukitake stood mortified at the thought. Watching an exchange happen between Rukia and Sojun had already been unsettling but to learn of the heir through them was worse.)
"And that also means that much like Sensei, his body is basically a part of—"
"Our land." Lieutenant Kuchiki finished. "It is a malignant cell we are yet to find a cure for."
("Strange to think of it as being cells which make up an error in the genetic composition of the Soul Society." Uryū said.)
She couldn't believe it. Somehow they should've known or recognized that sensation. "How would they not know of the defect?"
"It took time to develop a physical soul form." He answered in a low tone.
"So…" she looked at the little child jumping, "Sensei adopted the Soul Society's error."
The annoying kid she was watching and the ominous boy who talked to her in the Rukongai District were the same person…the Soul Society's error.
And considering the dangers he posed and the abilities he probably had, "but why is he still here? Why not get rid of him? Considering that you know…"
His eyes lowered. "Its abilities have prevented us from touching it. It uses god uncle as its shield."
Sensei? That didn't come to a surprise when she thought of how he behaved around him but it was terrifyingly evil to think about it.
"And what are those abilities?" Rukia asked very slowly.
"They are rooted in psychological manipulation, regeneration and an obsessive narcissistic personality disorder." She gasped. Regeneration? That explained his different forms. "It has similar abilities to what the Soul King heart controls for the Soul Society."
The mention of the Soul King was enough to make her petrified about what he could do. That alone meant a lot of things.
("Younger Lieutenant Kuchiki in present time wasn't lyin' when she said this Lieutenant Kuchiki knew what the hell that damn heir was." Lieutenant Hisagi said.)
"That's why everybody believes his problems are all psychological…" she muttered more to herself. "I'm guessing they only know what he shows on the surface."
Finally, the ominous behaviour made sense and the feeling he gave off and everything else she felt that was off about him in the few interactions she had with him.
"The scope of them is unknown. There are some I grasp, others that remain difficult."
"But considering all this and Sensei, how is keeping him here any better?" Rukia asked. She didn't get why they'd still have him here, regardless of Sensei's obsession with him; they were all powerful people and they clearly knew enough.
"We must find a cure."
Rukia saw the side of his face turn to her following his response.
A cure?
Like medicine for a disease.
The memory of Sensei likening the heir to one in the Rukongai District made sense now.
("Something an antidote would be able to get rid of." Uryū figured.
"This might be where the pure light comes in," Rangiku said. "Obviously it's dangerous to him so—")
"To get rid of it." Rukia figured, she thought for a bit. "Who…else knows about this? If he's as old as the Okasakes and only got adopted like a hundred years ago, what's the intention? Why come here?"
She had too many questions.
"It is well versed in psychological manipulation, its adoption occurred as a result of it getting ahold of god uncle's conscience. It came here because it developed an obsession with the heart." He explained. "To have others know of it would make them targets. If too many are to know it will likely resort to mobilizing its abilities to an extent that cannot be handled."
("So that's the reason." Tōshirō said. "To keep it at bay. If they had publicized the issue and a formal exile or execution or hunt ensued, it would have resulted in the heir mobilizing its innate abilities on par with the Okasakes to destroy our land."
"Lil' fucker liked livin' on the low." Ikkaku said.
"Provoking him would've started something they weren't prepared for." Uryū said. "It was easier to monitor and control it under his guise as heir than leaving it on the loose.")
She hadn't thought of it like that. It made her realize how dangerous of a thing it was despite its appearance. If he had the same abilities as the Okasakes, it was too much of a risk to provoke him without a cure.
"I see." She looked down.
The memory of when he had drawn a comparison between them as non-noble kids came back. He had told her they were exactly alike, but they weren't…he wasn't even a soul. Forming that relation between them was his way of manipulating her—she understood now.
"It appears close to your age and attempts to befriend you. It is trying to let itself into your mind because you may be of use or a nuisance to its plans later. It wants to have a grasp on you early considering your ability."
"That's for me but what about the others?" The question seemed to surprise him. "He's been around this long, adoption or no adoption, he must've done something to tip everyone who knows about this off. I'm sure there was something that happened which is why you know what he is now and what he's capable of."
("Gureta-san…" Captain Ukitake merely said.)
And when he didn't respond, Rukia remembered what Sensei told her, "the psychologist. What happened to her?"
He looked away.
("That pretty much damns confirms it." Ichigo said.)
She was never found according to Sensei. By the Lieutenant's reaction here, she could only imagine the most gruesome thing.
They were keeping him here to monitor it until they could get rid of it quietly but even if that wasn't the case, they would not be able to do anything about it because the heir had mobilized Sensei as his defense and had abilities such as psychological manipulation that it would use to its advantage if it was ever in the position to be eliminated.
Despite not feeling fear, she couldn't deny that now knowing that the boy or toddler she was watching and speaking to was so powerful made her feel more alert.
Maybe he could crack—or would crack—if he was pushed to a certain limit. Who knows what he'd be capable of?
She hoped they never found out.
###
Upon stepping into the general study, surprise took her when she saw Sensei there, working on his low desk. She had a few questions for him about this whole thing but thought it was best to talk in private.
"You are done with your hours?" He asked to confirm.
"Yes," she walked to her desk with the pile of folders, the Lieutenant came in shortly after.
"Godfather." He called.
She felt Sensei look up to the left of her.
"I have not seen you in weeks." He resumed looking at his work.
"That is your own fault." The Lieutenant accused as he walked to his desk which she now learnt was the corner desk she had seen the first time she came in here.
"Some of us work, Sojun." Sensei replied.
"So I have heard." Though she was busying herself with the folders, she could see the Lieutenant had knelt down into the red cushion she saw and was doing his own work. "Some of us are also about to die."
She had learnt that the Lieutenant was ill and had quite a lot of medical problems though she had never asked personally. He appeared quite fine to her externally but that didn't mean much of course.
"You are still here. That must be the divine order." Sensei said to him.
She found it funny that they were so immersed in their paperwork while talking.
"Hardly." Lieutenant Kuchiki responded. "Your absence would matter less if no—"
She saw a shadow cast and turned. It was other Sensei and…him but in his boy form—the creep she knew from the Rukongai District. He was holding something…flowers…
"Rukia," Sensei called from the doors. "My boy would like to give this to you."
She froze as he approached her with a soft smile. In his hands was a bouquet of those red lilies near the noble entrance and white daffodils.
Rukia didn't know what to do. How could she accept flowers from the thing she now knew was a hundred percent a creep?
The act had silenced the Lieutenant diagonal to her and Sensei, now behind her.
It bothered her more to think she was retrieving these from an old man in some preteen form.
"He picked those just for you." She heard Sensei say in the background.
He lowered the bouquet to her.
When she made eye contact with him her heart started to pound. She raised her hand up, slowly, to take the flowers out of his hand without breaking eye contact.
Creep.
She thought of saying 'thanks' but she didn't want to.
"The daffodils were my little touch." Sensei added.
Rukia let the bouquet rest in her lap. Why wasn't he moving? Did she have to say 'thanks'?
"I…" her eyes finally shifted to Sensei near the door, "don't know what to say."
"He was very excited to give them to you. He was waiting for the right time because he wished to be sure that those were your favourite flowers." He spoke so softly, it was though he was telling her a bedtime story.
"I did think of it for awhile…" the boy, it, finally spoke, "though why ever did I not think that you would like spid—"
Lieutenant Kuchiki interrupted him. "Godfather, I think we should give those flowers a new name."
And it obviously struck a nerve because he became serious the moment he heard his voice.
"Ah…yes…" she heard him speak behind her. "How about…chrysantellum lilies?"
That immediately woke her up from her daze and struck her nerve. What the heck even was chrysantellum?
"Sensei." She chastised as she turned. "These don't look like chrysanthemums!" She corrected him.
"Death lily is appropriate." Lieutenant Kuchiki said. "It is relevant to the flower's most popular meaning."
(Upon hearing Byakuya's father's suggestion, he didn't understand why she didn't take that name over the other one.)
Sensei came to his own defense. "It is merely a new name."
"A wrong one." Rukia said.
"I believe that as an individual perceived as God I can name what I please." Which made Rukia almost roll her eyes.
She accidentally fell back into her informal speech at the mention. "People are gonna think I'm weird calling this thing chrysantellum which a, isn't even a word and b, sounds like I'm struggling to say chrysanthemums which don't even look like these."
(Well, at least she knew she was weirdo calling it that, Ichigo thought.)
"I will side with Hirosuke on this." She turned around to Sensei at the door. "We are God, we do what we please."
And he knew she disagreed with that but anyways—
"Death lily is much more appropriate." Lieutenant Kuchiki said.
"And calling it anything that sounds like some other name is—" he cut her off.
"You asked for a different name."
"I was under the impression you would pick something much more creatively accurate from its many names." Lieutenant Kuchiki mundanely responded.
"Is that not what I just did?"
Rukia scowled, "chrysantellum is just an odd version of chrysanthemums."
"The idea is not to ruin her perception of it." Lieutenant Kuchiki added to which Sensei could only simply say—
"Take what you can get."
"I would like to bring you these again." The boy—it—said behind her. She turned to meet him again, "I think that it has meaning to us."
(Upon hearing that Ichigo understood completely why she went back and forth when it came to liking those flowers. Why the hell would she need to be reminded of that association?)
Suddenly, those pretty looking red lilies were no longer interesting.
She was afraid to ask but did anyways, "and what meaning is that?"
"Page 404 of that guidebook you have in your possession." He smiled.
Rukia unknowingly glanced at her skirt pocket before looking up. How did he—
"You should put them in a vase for your desk." Sensei suggested from the door.
Uh…"…Sure, Sensei—later." She actually wanted to hand them off to someone else one by one.
"Here." The thing suddenly said in front of her. She had no idea where he had pulled it from but it was a clear glass bud vase.
Rukia enclosed her fingers over it and stood up. There was a small room to the side like a miniature kitchen where she would remove herself from this incredibly awkward situation by putting water into it.
"Ah," to diffuse the silence, she heard Sensei at the door speak as she walked around her desk towards it, "isn't it nice the kids can share these things?"
The Lieutenant and Sensei did not respond. The hissing of the water filled both rooms.
(Ichigo observed how both Byakuya's father and Sensei Okasake were stuck staring at the papers on their desk. The whole situation was weird and awkward though it seemed that they themselves felt as though if they spoke they would trigger something.
"They're taking precaution." Tōshirō observed out loud.
"I can feel it." Isane whispered.)
She shut the pipe and walked out to see Sensei and the boy staring at her while the Lieutenant and Sensei were looking down at their work, evidently wishing they would leave.
She took the bouquet and plunged it into the water, leaving it at the very edge of her desk.
"It might fall!" She felt her skin crawl as the boy exclaimed in pure, seemingly innocent fear that it would fall and break and cut her. How sweet he sounded, his expression so alert.
("Now what the fuck is it doing that for?" Lieutenant Hisagi asked.
"It sounds no more than a mere boy." Isane said.)
She felt the discomfort in the Lieutenant's reiatsu who was now to her left at the boy's shriek also.
Sensei at the door hummed. "You may leave it up there until you clean up your work."
Rukia followed his eyes to a photograph of Sensei Okasake Gureta. The room felt heavy—there was something like a blanket which covered the room once she locked eyes with it. The Lieutenant's reiatsu got stiff while Sensei's behind her remained unreadable.
("THERE with that SCARY WOMAN?!" Kon shrieked.
"Kuchiki-san doesn't know about what happened to Sensei Okasake Gureta yet." Uryū answered. "But former Lieutenant Kuchiki and Sensei Okasake do. The heir's doing it to provoke them."
"I've noticed. He's trying to break their adamancy to intervene." Tōshirō reiterated.)
Something was telling her not to do it.
"Oh…no…I can move some of my things." Rukia said kindly, even the air next to her photograph had become cold and heavy.
"Nonsense," Sensei said to her, "put it up there."
Rukia didn't know to defy his order. Not only was the room awkwardly silent but in addition to the heaviness, Sensei seemed agitated that she wasn't listening.
She took one glance back at the picture of Okasake Gureta and felt that she shouldn't go through with it.
("Same thing younger Byakuya in present time went through, remember?" Ichigo said.
"She feels something…" Uryū observed. "And by the looks of it it isn't just from anybody here."
"Well how long has it been since Okasake Gureta became a soul shadow?" Rangiku asked.
"A soul shadow's conception time can only be determined by a sample of its reishi." Mayuri informed them.)
"—it's okay. I'm done with these," she referred to her folder pile, "already."
Sensei eyed her in a way which made her feel as though he was two comments away from ordering her harshly to place it beneath Okasake Gureta's photo.
("Well he doesn't look too happy." Lieutenant Hisagi commented.
"I give him a minute." Lieutenant Kira said.)
"Aunt Gureta truly looks ravishing in that photo." The boy admired with a smile. Sensei's reiatsu started to tingle in resentment. "Father, I should pick some of her favourite flowers and make a bouquet too!"
("That damn thing's really trying to piss them off." Ichigo muttered.)
"That's a splendid idea." Rukia couldn't believe how easily Sensei's tone melted into joy upon the mention.
Then his eyes met hers again and it glared. What had she done so wrong? "Now, put the flowers up there until he makes Gureta a new one."
("Yeah, he's pissed—I'm givin' him thirty seconds." Ikkaku said.
"Thirty?" Yumichika said beside him. "Fifteen.")
He was speaking to her as though he had run out of patience and wanted to smack her.
She clutched the vase tighter and turned. Because of her height, she had to go on the very tip of her toes to reach the top of the antique dresser to slide it up there.
"Rukia can help me!" She heard the boy say. Once she put the vase down, something took over her and she immediately brought it back down.
("Oh, there it is." Lieutenant Hisagi said. "He's gonna blow.")
The displeasure in his reiatsu was detectable.
He was mad.
"Now what did you do that for?" He asked her.
She didn't know how to justify herself, it was just a feeling.
"Put it back up." He ordered roughly. Rukia, being no stranger to defiance, put the vase back down on her desk.
"No." She quietly said while she maintained their gaze. Shortly after, she thought of a better excuse. "Those are for me…I'll help him pick some for Sensei Okasake later."
"Do not be rude." Rukia was taken aback by his comment. Rude? Her? "Put it back up."
(Kon immediately jumped up and approached the Sensei at the door—jumping and waddling his fist in fury.
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO NEE-SAN LIKE THAT?! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! THAT CREEPY OLD MAN YOU HAVE FOR A SON IS—" Kon's outburst faded in the background but went on.
"Ichigo," Kenpachi called, "can you shut that thing up?"
He was referring to Kon.
Ichigo looked back at him and then to the stuffed animal. "Kon."
"Kon."
"Never mind, Ichii! I'll take care of him, Ken-chan!" Yachiru jumped off his shoulder and chased after the plushie which screamed upon her arrival.)
This was a definite order. His tone was consumed by anger.
Nonetheless, she did not move.
"Put it back up." This time he said it slower. An invisible tick went off in her head as she counted down to his inevitable explosion.
Rukia only pushed the vase further down her desk, sliding papers off her desk and atop her seating cushion.
His reiatsu flared. "You will put that vase up there now."
This was a warning.
But still, it didn't scare her enough to move.
There was a rumble which came out, it sounded like a grumble and growl at the same time.
("Five…four…three.." Yumichika started to count.)
"I will ask you one more time." And here came his last warning, "put that vase up n—"
The flowers of the bouquet erupted in fire. A quick swoosh was heard and then blaring orange yellow flames came out, smoke followed.
("What the hell?" Ichigo asked. "How'd that happen?"
He searched the room for a second before his eyes fell on Byakuya's father.)
Surprised by the act, she heard Sensei's wrath swallow him when he looked to the source.
"Sojun!" He chastised harshly. Rukia immediately looked at the Lieutenant also who was staring at Sensei by the door.
"Get out." He told him. It was low—they locked eyes before he said it again, "go."
She couldn't believe he was telling him to leave his own house! Moments later, she finally watched Sensei look at his brother in the eyes at the door.
Tension brewed as they communicated with their eyes.
Sensei, at the door, soon resumed staring at her. "Free your schedule tomorrow. I will take on your sheatsu training."
("Wait—That's it?" Ikkaku squeaked. "Whatever happened to being crazy as shit?"
"It's been three weeks, Madarame." Isane answered.
"Community service training lasts a year." Sui-Feng explained.
"Yeah and we still got that whole shit with the heart and the pure light to complete the shift." Ichigo reminded him.)
Rukia looked at Sensei next to her and then him. She could only nod her head.
Sensei, at the door, then walked out.
(Ichigo followed him with his eyes as he did. Unknowingly he caught sight of Byakuya who was at the far end of the group, almost directly across from his father. His eyes weren't even open.
Ichigo didn't know what to say.
He felt bad for him.)
As she watched him leave, her eyes fell on the boy—the thing—that stared at her and never moved.
"Leave." She finally heard Sensei speak to the thing.
He backed out but his eyes never left hers.
(When Ichigo drew back his stare, he caught Captain Ukitake staring at him.
They both felt bad.
This wasn't good.)
###
Flashback
On a picnic bench nestled in between two big rose bushes of cream and bubble gum pink, Rukia sat in the Kuchiki Gardens with a few illustrations in her hands in solitude.
Her level of concentration had been immense enough to shield the noise outside, including the feet of Byakuya who arrived from a distance.
He remained still on the cobblestone path.
"Rukia."
She lifted her head up. To her left, she saw him on the path leading the way through the gardens and eventually out of the Kuchiki manor.
"Oh, hi, Nii-sama." She greeted softly with the drawings piled on her lap.
"Return to the manor." Rukia blinked, uncertain of why he was sending her back until she caught a glimpse of the sky. She hadn't noticed how dark the skies had become.
"Oh...I will." She began to pack them in the brown folder box near her foot.
When she looked up, she noticed he was eyeing the large papers she was shoving.
"Err, these are drawings for the Women Soul Reaper Association's drawing competition. I'm supposed to be judging them." She explained while she put more into the box.
"I was unaware you attended." A conversation? Rukia thought to herself. From Byakuya? She didn't think he would be up for one, especially considering the day.
Today was Kuchiki Sojun's death anniversary. Rukia was surprised he had even stopped to converse with her longer.
She played along nonetheless. "I usually don't but Lieutenant Matsumoto caught me yesterday and dragged me to attend one. When I did, Lieutenant Kusajishi gave me the responsibility of judging the art entries for their competition so I would have no choice but to come back."
He observed her clothing. "You are wearing a human dress."
A flowery white one with splotches of red and pink.
Rukia looked up at him, "...I just felt a bit stuffy that's all, Nii-sama."
"Your uniform."
Rukia shook her head gently, "uh...not today."
Out of all days, this was the last one she'd ever be donned in her soul reaper uniform with those gloves being called that name. Byakuya could easily make that connection without knowing the past.
She was starting to think she reminded him of more people than she should.
Picking up the last few on the bench, she inserted them in.
"I will aid you in judging them."
She immediately looked up, unable to hide the shock or rather, concern from her eyes.
Today was the day. Why is he acting so...
"Uh," she looked down at the box, "you don't have too, Nii-sama, it's okay. I know..."
Her chest heaved. She would never mention it on a regular day nor would she mention it on the actual day though, this was beyond weird for her. Especially for someone like Byakuya who would prefer to be alone on a day like this.
"...this is," she released a breath, almost sorry for having to mention it and perhaps remind him further as if he didn't already know, "the day."
'The day' was enough. It was vague but he would immediately get the point. It's not like this day symbolized any other moment in his life that would be more critical than that.
"I'm sorry." She rushed to say, shaking her hand in the air. "I shouldn't have mentioned that."
She lowered her eyes back to the box. "I'll be fine. It's actually not that much, it just looks like a lot and it's not due until—"
He walked off.
Figuring that she shouldn't say anything, she ended up bowing instead, feeling more sorry than ever for bringing it up.
###
Turns out, the rain forecast had been wrong—not that Byakuya would admit it when he returned and nothing had fallen. Rukia was surprised when he came into her room where she had already laid the illustrations on her desk and told her to return to the garden.
When she did, they sat on the round cream table situated not too far from her bench near the cobblestone path. They were surrounded by the same coloured rose bushes with stone statues nestled in the green leaves. A fountain could be heard not too far from their location made of stone too.
There was a space in between them though they sat on the same curved seat. The illustrations were out and spread onto the table as they observed them in silence.
Again, Rukia was to experience the same shock mixed with concern as Byakuya spoke yet again about a subject that she hadn't expected nor truly wanted to speak about.
"My father passed over two-hundred years ago..." he started.
Rukia quietly gasped at the mention, looking up at him immediately though his eyes remained on the entry he was judging.
This was a topic that Byakuya had never once brought up. It was the same with any one of his past family members. The only person she had ever heard about was Hisana and that was on the day of her execution. Never once had any of these topics come up after that. She always knew he preferred to keep those feelings to himself.
So why...?
"You don't...have to talk about it."
She hoped he wouldn't. As much as this sort of conversation was one she had thought about having while also acknowledging the impossibility of it all, it was never one she expected to ever have. Not with Byakuya—he was not like that and yet, here they were.
She knew why it bothered her so much to talk about it. She knew why this feeling of discomfort crept in at the mention. Anyhow he ever found out about them, this conversation would be one he remembered as the one where she sat here and lied by silence.
She had no right to hear these thoughts.
"You do not need to apologize."
For bringing it up, Rukia thought to herself—piecing together the reasoning for his words.
"Oh..." she looked to the drawing, "I see...though still," she looked at him again, "I had no right to mention it..."
She really didn't.
"I was just confused." She admitted. "I would've thought you would want to be alone so I didn't want to burden you with this."
He didn't speak as he moved the drawing that he marked. She assumed this was where they'd stop talking and continue in silence but her sensory skills just had to recognize a familiar presence on the tip of his fingers. She knew what it felt like and before she could scold herself for allowing a conversation surrounding that topic to be brought up again, the curiosity got ahold of her.
"You..." her eyes locked with his fingertips, "went to the spider lily field again?"
For the first time since being here, he looked at her before resuming his work. She took his silence for a 'yes'.
Well at least she did one thing right, she thought to herself though again, more questions were running up her throat to ask.
She was going to Hell for all this. If he ever found out...this conversation would seem like what it was.
Evil in disguise.
"I'm...kind of curious—I have been, actually," she spoke quietly. "But why," she looked up at him, "did you never tell anyone about that place?"
He shuffled two papers and put them aside. Rukia continued despite his silence.
"Considering what it does...what it makes you feel," emphasizing that felt like a dead giveaway, "it's all a bit unrealistic for us considering where we are so, why..."
The spider lily field was located right outside the walls which guarded the Kuchiki manor so to no surprise, Captain had bought it without any suspicion being raised about why.
It was probably a property thing. He didn't need to tell people about it because it occurred on Kuchiki property. She figured he knew that by now, he probably searched it up.
She shouldn't have asked.
With that in mind, Rukia hoped for it to remain quiet. She was glad he didn't give her a response. Though it seemed she was having a hard time avoiding Byakuya's silence today.
She almost lost it when he brought up the Lieutenant again. It was becoming harder and harder to hold back the more he spoke of it. Her heart was no longer beating fast in shock but fear.
He needed to stop and yet here he was, still ready to continue. She was starting to question if this was really Byakuya she was speaking too.
"I was there today because that sensation reminds me of my father."
Rukia did not hold back. In the midst of a quick gasp, she looked at him with a stern look. It was evident the action was a surprise to him as it was to her though she couldn't bear to hear this anymore.
It needed to stop.
It was eating her away too.
"You really don't need to talk about this."
The discomfort was radiating off of her now because she locked eyes with him, something she rarely did for this long.
Eventually, she looked away. "I'm sorry."
She resumed her work, writing comments on a paper while she awaited a response.
It never came. It was only until the last entry was marked that she heard his voice again.
"Your submission."
"I don't have one..." she mumbled. "I'm not participating."
Again, he studied her.
Rukia's lips curved into a small smile.
"I just wanted a break I guess."
She was on break after all. After this break, everything she enjoyed would become everything she hated.
Even being Kuchiki Byakuya's 'little' sister.
Flashback End
###
Pulling the handle of the water pump, she waited for the water to come out to wash her face and feet that were covered with dirt.
She was back in her district today.
She had made a plan to watch the heir for three days of the week so she had two days to resume work in her district and the weekends to do whatever she wanted such as following up on complaints or building gardens.
After much pressure, she finally presented her work to the Ministers, Colonels and the non-division Senseis and after evaluation, they concluded that she could become a Sensei.
Her lesson plan impressed them. Though it was still in the works she got granted an exception because of it.
She was now known as Sensei.
Sensei Okasake thought it was good that she had a title so that she could be officially referred to since she didn't have a last name.
She washed down the dirt and then splashed some more water on her face. She felt him—or it—come in front of her. When she looked up with her wet face, there he was.
He didn't show up with the toddler version of himself today. Not that either version made much of a difference anyways. In a short time, she understood that they were both him and both equally fixated on causing trouble for her in any way.
She didn't get the point of the toddler version of him but she also didn't want to ask—she didn't even want to talk to him.
"What are you here for?" Today was supposed to be her off-day!
He sternly observed her.
"You believe them." He stated coldly.
Rukia didn't respond.
"You're a traitor." He spat at her, Rukia jerked back. "You believed everything they said and now you won't talk to me."
Unphased, she took the towel hanging on the handle and patted her legs and hands.
"You really believe that I'm land?" He spoke as though it was ridiculous.
"If you wanna prove otherwise, go ahead."
He smiled, she noticed he had two sharp front teeth—like fangs.
"The commoner speech is back, good." He moaned.
Rukia shot him a look of disgust as she patted her face.
"You're a good actress, I commend you." Oh, so now he was complimenting her?
She folded the towel, put it over the handle and pulled a basket she needed to wash.
"They like you for it." He said. "The reputation of that clan has some hope."
"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked in annoyance.
"Because you believe them."
She wanted to roll her eyes. So what? It was true anyways.
"If that's the problem then tell me, what are you?" She didn't actually care for his response.
"I am an Okasake."
"Not by blood." Rukia pointed out.
"I was here when they were."
"Gee, I wonder how that happened!" She sarcastically replied.
"But they couldn't feel me." This was the same thing she had heard just weeks ago from the Lieutenant. She cleaned the basket and pulled a bowl to clean.
"And why's that?"
"Because my body wasn't made yet. It was left to rot as soil."
"And when it was made, what did you want to do?" She asked, fully immersed in her cleaning.
"Kill."
She stopped and looked up at him.
He was dead serious.
Rukia swallowed and slowly resumed her work. In between the hissing of the water, she quietly asked, "and did you?"
She already knew the answer but kept him talking.
"Not at first." Though she hadn't expected a genuine response. "I needed something more."
While wiping the bowl clean, she made eye contact again. "So you go after people? Make them crazy? Does that satisfy you?"
He scoffed. "That doesn't satisfy me. It's what comes out of their behaviour."
She didn't understand.
"It creates…" he seemed lost, focusing on the ground, "this feeling…"
He seemed fascinated. He rubbed his fingers as he stared at a spot away from here.
"And that's why you've made two-hundred and fifty three peoples' lives hell." Her comment broke his distraction.
Once she said it, his eyes shifted to her.
"They enjoyed what I did to them. It was a service." The man voice was back again to her displeasure.
"Service." Rukia mocked as she connected a hose to the pipe.
"You don't believe me…" this time he said it as though he was fascinated by her response.
He got angry. "I did them a service and this is how you repay me?"
Okay, now she was lost. The growling and snarling and agitation seemed to be growing.
With the hose in her hand, she once again paid attention to him. "I don't know what you want me to do."
"Stop listening to that clan."
"What does that got to do with anything?" Rukia asked. "You're some creepy old man living in a kid's body to provoke me 'cause you wanna get in here," she pointed to her skull. "I think that's enough to make me not wanna talk to you."
"Oh?" He was amused. "You're not curious in the slightest?"
Rukia internally groaned because yes she did have a bunch of questions she wanted to ask but seeing how he used Sensei to his advantage and how much the Lieutenant had warned her, she had to avoid her temptation.
"What is there to know?" Rukia asked him. "By the looks of it, your only powers are limited to whatever the heart can manipulate. There's nothing impressive about sneaking into people's dreams."
She felt the excitement in him before he showed it. "You won't let me try it on you?"
That question immediately alerted every fiber of her being that he was trying to get into her.
Rukia didn't answer.
"Did you get bored after hearing of how many people have fallen down the same path?" He inquired. "Or is it the fact that I can do it so naturally, with anybody I please which makes it seem too normal? Less…" he took a breath of fresh air, "exciting?"
She packed the bowls into the baskets and prepared to leave with them. He chuckled.
Rukia turned but was suddenly hauled back. He gripped her left arm tightly.
"Too bad," he said to her with a small smile which quickly became serious, "tell Sojun he'll never be able to understand me like you."
He applied more pressure onto her when he spoke.
"Figuring it all out takes time and lucky for you," his smile returned, "ours is a lifetime."
###
Some time in the night while Renji, Raiden, Koda, Oda and Uzi were all squished in their little shed, Rukia got rid of the fire they had been burning outside and looked to the river.
Roger was out with Wildfire and Choda who had run off in the night to find a thief so it was just her alone by the riverside.
She spotted those water lilies again and reached out to grab one. She then remembered her guidebook.
Pulling out the flower guide she had 'borrowed' from the downstairs some time back, she flipped to the page the heir had navigated her to read weeks back.
Spider lilies.
She understood why they were called that but chose not to think about it beyond that. They were apparently poisonous though she figured her sheatsu protected her from its impacts before hence why she never knew.
The most she got from her brief reading was that they were popularly known to symbolize death as the Lieutenant mentioned before she read two words which struck her.
Final goodbye.
They would grow where a final goodbye was to be said.
What did that mean to them?
Was he just pointing out how she liked flowers which commonly signified final partings of the living to deceased?
Rukia thought of it more and wondered if he intended for her to realize that for them to 'part ways for good', death was the only option.
And if death was the only option, their final goodbyes would not happen until one of them was in the ground for good.
End Note
There's nothing wrong with having a birth defect. The point is that the Soul Society has always been envisioned as the equivalent to 'heaven'—a perfectly pure society so having an abnormality embedded into it would appear as a stain. It's better to think of it as a disease that needs a cure by reimagining the land as something that has one.
Spider lilies have a lot of different names because of different folktales about it so there really is lots to pick from. The flowers being lit on fire is associated with the 'legend' which alleges that if you bring spider lilies into your home, it will burn.
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