Down in the market section of the Rukongai, Juushiro waved to the other early morning buyers, exchanging pleasantries while waiting for the tell-tae ring. There it was.
The ice cream trolley, pulled by an old man in a dark blue kimono, his young daughter in pigtails dancing along beside him, rolled in, a merry ringing blending with the morning light. Juushiro approached.
"Good morning, captain," the ice cream man called out, "what can I get you today? A pound of chocolate for the barracks?"
Juushiro chuckled. "That's not a bad idea, though at this time of year, vanilla would be a better combination to go with the brownies." Someone tugged on his haori. He looked down into the child's wide hopeful eyes.
"Even without speaking, you convey what you want so well," Juushiro murmured, reaching into his kimono. He held out a a small origami fan, already joined to a piece of wood from his yard. "How's this?"
The girl's eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously, taking the handmade gift and holding it high to catch the breeze.
"Thank you again for all your kind gifts to Niya. It brightens her up for the rest of the day she's away from me. Now vanilla..."
"It's no problem on my part. Just because she can't speak doesn't mean she shouldn't enjoy life," Juushiro replied easily, yet in the next moment, his eye saddened.
People like Niya would be easy prey if the Riddler and those like her continued playing with them like this.
"What the-"
"Found something, Ouyama?"
"It's the strangest thing. I knew that the zanpakuto had gone missing, but," the ice cream man stood up, holding the blade out with a frown, "I never thought one would appear in my trolley. I check it for pranks every night."
"It's not your fault. May I have it?" The old man dropped it into his hands and Juushiro smiled as the spirits clamored for reassurances that he was indeed back with them.
"I swear I didn't know-"
"Don't worry about it. I know it wasn't you," Juushiro interrupted quietly but firmly. He slid his zanpakuto back into his sheath, yet kept one hand on the hilt, holding Sogyo no Kotowari close in his mind. "Make that a gallon of vanilla and a gallon of strawberry, please."
I apologize, guys. I tried to make a shorter post for this one, but Juushiro didn't agree with my original plan. I might come back to these two later on.
