This is a little corner where I write down what's interesting in my life. Enjoy. I hope I don't end up writing anything distressing, but that may occur.
- Created By Juushiro Ukitake
The Price of the Riddler's Fun
The scrap of paper with the riddle had arrived in the night, but he didn't given it more than a glance. He couldn't. He had become a captain to help others.
Slipping it in his kimono, he left his room and headed towards his squad's mess hall, where he started preparing hot chocolate. An hour later, Kiyone and Sentaro entered, rubbing their eyes and necks, the result of another long night of unease.
In two more hours, the majority of those in his protection had followed the smell of the chocolate, wandering in and trying to smile with him. Even with unnamed Asauchis at their waists, the loss of everyone's zanpakutos continued to disturb the natural peace of his grounds, contributing to long, restless nights. Juushiro took note of those in the worst shape. Much as he wanted Sogyo no Kotowari back at his side, he wished the thief had returned the swords of the youth first. He could cope with the emptiness better.
Thankfully, things were getting better. Scattered laughter bounced off the walls today and more food from the table disappeared for breakfast. Kiyone and Sentaro, as usual the last to retire for the night besides himself, hadn't gone to bed last night without thanking him for being there for them all; however, he believed the strength now being shown by his chosen third seats had lifted the squads spirits further than himself. He smiled lightly as he watched from his position at the head of the room.
Thanks to the hot chocolate, Sentaro's wide grin and laughter didn't falter as he poked fun at the men, even going so far as to leap backwards comically when someone threatened him. Kiyone, not nearly as alert as her co-leader, had her own act going. She didn't hide the fact that she was exhausted, going so far as to drape herself over frowning members with a zombie-like groan, before cackling to herself about ringing the thief's neck. More and more members found themselves shaking their heads at her antics with a slight grins. It was too much like normal times, after they had both spent the night over paperwork, to not get some reaction out of everyone.
Juushiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "They'll be alright," he murmured to himself, before sitting at his own breakfast.
.....
That night, after tucking in those who were sleeping the worst, he returned to his personal chambers, retrieving the riddle from his kimono.
"Stiff is my spine and my body is pale, but I am always ready to tell a tale."
Juushiro read it twice to be sure then reached for the book on the top of his stack. There, stuck in the middle, was another slip of paper.
The captain sighed as he withdrew it.
Continued: What Do Children Adore...
Revelations
Previous: Thoughts Recalled During the Dark of the Night He'd brought a watermelon this time, as an excuse and had bee...Thoughts Recalled During the Dark of the Night
It was late at night and most of the thirteenth squad had retired for the night. Curled over their own stacks of paperwork, Kiyone and Sentaro, the third seats, were no exception. They had tried once more to keep up with their captain, but here h...Misplaced it.... where?
Oh dear, had their captain finally cracked?!
Another cloud of dust left the captain's quarters, followed by his shape, though his haori was covered in dust and his hair was no longer shining, as he sat a chair down. What was going on?!
Spotting his third seats staring at him, Ukitake chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm just cleaning out my -" He tumbled on the mat he'd tossed earlier, cried out, and fell in a heap of furniture and cushions. A wave of dust shot up, obscuring him for a moment. "Really," he called out and winced an old pottery cup fell on his head, "everything is fine."
For a moment, there was silence. Then...
"Ukitake Taichou, punish me! It's obviously my fault that you're doing this. I left you too much paperwork to do and you-you..." Kiyone Kotetsu went flying as a shoe planted in her face and another figure fell over himself in a dogeza in frout of Ukitake.
"No, I! I am the one to blame. I obviously should have asked another captain for help. Your fragile state of mind is obviously-"
Another faceplant, this time from Kiyone to the now flying Sentaro Kutsubaki. "BAKA! You don't have enough manners to address our perfect captain, let alone enough brains to ask for help!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DIDN'T DO THE FIGURES FOR WHAT OUR LOSSES COST US!"
"AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WANTED TO GET CAPTAIN BACK HERE EARLIER!"
"WHY YOU- WE BOTH WANTED THAT!"
"Sentaro, Kiyone-chan, calm down please," Ukitake murmured, standing upright again and massaging his head. "What seems to be the matter?"
The two distraught third seats whirled on him like a tidal wave.
"CAPTAINNNN, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY SUFFERING FROM A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN," Kiyone sniffed inelegantly.
"YOUR ROOM IS ALWAYS," a sniff from Sentaro, "in perfect shape, even when dusty. Your DESTROYING IT," he moaned, "is all our fault."
Captain Ukitake blinked twice. "Why you two.." he chuckled and placed a hand on both of the distressed heads. "I'm quite alright. There's no reason for you to be so worried. It's alright," he said slowly, all the while petting their heads, "I am not having a breakdown. I've just misplaced something very important."
"Really?" Kiyone said, voice lilting in hope.
"You're not going to fire us?" Sentaro murmured from his side.
"Even though we don't like each other?" they both asked in chorus.
Ukitake chuckled nervously. "I am quite sure. I've never had finer third seats."
"YATTTA!!!!!!!" they both hollered, nearly toppling Ukitake into his pile again. Both grabbed a hand to stop him. "Sorry, Taichou."
"Ooooooiiii, someone here?"
"Yikes!" Kiyone and Sentaro burst to their feet. "We-we left the gate open-" Sentaro sputtered.
"-and no one guarding it either," Kiyone finished, groaning.
"Well, if I was an enemy, you'd both be in trouble, wouldn't you," an amused voice murmured from around the bend. Pink kimono swaying in the breeze, Captain Kyouraku winked. "Boo!"
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!"
"Shunsui," Juushiro sighed, placing hands on his third seats again, "don't go riling them up. I just barely got them to settle down."
The captain of the 8th division chuckled. "They do have something right though. Your room is in a right state of disaster."
Juushiro laughed lightly. "It wasn't that bad until I panicked," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck once more, spreading dust.
"PANICKED?!"
"CAPTAIN, WHY'-"
"Oi, Oi, you two, don't you have work to do?" Kyouraku inquired quickly, interrupting the wave, and fanning away the dust with his hat.
"We do..."
"But..."
"I can handle it from here." Kyouraku smirked. The two wavered.
"Here," he tossed his hat at Kiyone, "hang that up somewhere. And you," he pointed at Sentaro, "don't you prepare tea and snacks for your guests?"
"Hai!"
"Then," Kyouraku paused for effect, "what are you waiting for?" He winked again.
"Aaaaah, nothing."
"Nothing at all," Kiyone barked, grabbing a fist of his kimono, "we'll get those things right away." She paused and bowed both of them to the ground. "Shitsure shimasu."
Shunsui laughed. "Those two never change, don't they? They still walk all over you like mother hens."
"And you still scatter them like leaves in the wind," Juushiro added, taking a seat. "How are things with Nanoe or is she the reason you are here?"
"Nanoe.... -chan?" Kyouraku repeated slowly. "Ano, I think she's ..." he slumped and chuckled with a wry grin, "probably still made at me for sleeping when she arranged the squad's meeting."
"Again," Juushiro chuckled, wiping off his haori.
"Hey, hey, I attended the last one, and no one knows but you and me. My squad wouldn't tell a soul. What are you doing here? It's been ages since you've lost something and couldn't find it amongst your library books."
Juushiro sighed with another anxious chuckle. "I looked there first. It's not there, even after I put everything back in its place, and I knew I had it two days ago."
"You sure you can't just buy another?"
Juushiro righted a pottery cup. "No matter how far back our friendship goes, Shunsui, I doubt you'd redo the flower art on that cup."
A moment of silence fell. Then a loud groan echoed out over the grounds. "You haven't thrown that stupid graduation gift away yet!?"
The original reason the Captain of the 8th division had come over, to discuss the young Hitsugaya, and the particular reason Juushiro had torn his room apart for the cup at that moment, for the notes to Urahara he'd placed inside it, were quickly forgotten as both of them started talking all at once about Kyouraku's old art hobby.
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Rper: Meant to be a short post, but it got out of hand. Enjoy~
Clearing Out the Dust
War takes its tolls on everyone in different ways. The Captain of the Thirteenth Division found himself confined to his estate and put on mandatory bed rest. It could have had to do with the hole in his body from Aizen's arrancar, or it could have had to do with a terrible attack of tuberculosis, the like of which he hadn't suffered for decades, since the harshest of the years of training under Yama-ji. Fortunately, Juushiro knew he could let his third seats handle things and let himself relax.
When declared well but still weak, he started a couple house projects to pass his time including trimming a few bonsais that had gotten out of control. One day, his family remarked on his better health and mentioned that perhaps he should return to his squad. Laughing, Juushiro said he would and returned to pruning the yards. A week later, he finally took leave of his family and returned to Seireitei again.
. . . .
Juushiro wiped off some dust from an old journal he hadn't seen in ages. Closing his eyes, he fingered some of the more worn pages, recalling the times he'd let himself escape from. For perhaps longer than he should. Setting it aside, he set about opening the windows in his study and put on some tea.
By the time his squad noticed he'd returned he would had a full plate of onigiri out. Smiling he thanked his squad for waiting patiently for his return.
(RPer: This is a post to help set apart the first RP and this new one. It's in short an explanation as to why Juushiro's been gone and a peek into his personality for the new roleplayers. If I need to change this to fit our timeline, I will.)
