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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 1:36:50 GMT
Zuki took the letter out of her pocket. Dear Tsukiyo, Your father and I heard what happened to your lieutenant and we're so sorry. I know we haven't spoken in a while and things have been a little rough but we do miss you. I hope you still know where we live, maybe you'll drop by and visit sometime. Or if you just want to see the house again, that'd be fine. Your father's usually working and I'm out around mid day for a few hours, just incase you don't feel like seeing your mother or father. I hope your well and your father says sorry for your disputes in the past. I know this is the second letter we've sent. We didn't know if you had gotten the first one. We hope to see you,
Mizu Kyohaku, Your loving Mother.
Zuki folded up the note again and slipped it in her pocket. According to the letter no one should be around so she'd have the place to herself for a while.
She opened the door gently, conforted by the sqeaking sound that was so familiar. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She undid the laces to her shoes and slid them off gently, placing them on the mat and stepping into the hallway. She hadn't been here in years but everything was so familiar, the scent of her mothers cooking, the paint on the walls, the pictures hanging perfectly straight.
She walked slowly, taking in everything for once in a long time. She looked around her, peering into the familiar rooms. The kitchen, the salon, her fathers study. Everything was exactly the way it used to be. She headed up stairs to her room. She looked inside, it was exactly how she had left it. The bed was neatly made with it's floral sheets. The black grand piano stood in front of one of the windows that looked out over her mothers vast garden that was always blooming with red and white roses. The vast closet that held all of her most valuable possesions was untouched. Everything else was exactly in the right place.
She stepped inside, the sensation of the room rushing through her. She hurried inside, the hard wood floors chiling her feet. She moved to the closet, almost involentarily, opened it and took out a box. She pulled out the possesions in the box. A shinigami outfit, few photos, a piece of sheet music and in the very bottom, packed away tightly, a lieutenants badge.
She cradled the badge in her hands and pressed it to her heart. Looking inside the closet again a flash metal caught her eye. A zanpakutoh. She stared at it for a while then closed the closet doors and put down the badge. She gently lay her hands on the music and walked softly over to the piano, her feet making no sound. She slid to the bench and pushed open the cover, the keys still clean and perfect, which she suspect was her mothers doing because she had noticed there wasn't even one speck of dust in the room.
She slowly wiped her fingers across the keys, beaming in their glory and the memories they held for her. She placed the music on the stand and gently placed her fingers on a few keys, pressing down ever so lightly. "What is love? Is it true? Is it me? Is it you?" She sang, basking in the old tune that had brought her heart so much joy the first time it had been sung to her. "Is it this feeling I get when I'm around you? My heart's pounding in my chest, I just don't get, Why I didn't see, What was right in front of me." She smiled, happiness and sadness both flooding through her. "Because in my heart I hold you so dear, I must ask you one thing... Baby, will you marry me?" Her fingers slid softly, playing the tunre with all her soul. She hadn't written it but she loved it dearly. She lifted her fingers from the keys, blinking back tears.
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 1:48:07 GMT
Raul had followed Zuki, when he saw her in East Rukongai. He thought he had a clue about where she was going. Her old home. Kyohaku Manor.
Raul passed this place numerous times in one day. Well, in a typical day, which involved him roaming Rukongai. As he watched, she slowed, and came to a stop at the door, eventually entering.
He sighed. He did not wish to intrude, but he did want to speak with her. He'd let her have her time, and wait for her outside. He folded his legs under him, waiting patiently by the door...
After a good 10 minutes, he opened his eyes quickly. He heard the sound of a piano. A melody, and...singing? Could it truly be Zuki?
He entered the door quietly, slipping off his shoes, and stepping inside. He found the source of the song. It was, indeed, Zuki. He stood, staring for a few moments, and, as the song came to a close, walked closer, making his presence known.
"Beautiful song..." He commented. "My apologies for intruding..."
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 1:56:12 GMT
His voice surprise her. She bolted upwards, knocking the bench over and practically slamming the piano cover shut. So it was who she thought it was, Raul Shihouin. "Um, Raul, I didn't know you were here. Just, er, hi." She studdered. She hadn't expected anyone to be near enough to hear her. She felt her cheeks grow hot so she knew they mus be fairly red.
"So what brings you to my home or is breaking into houses just normal for you?" She mumbled while averting her eyes. NO ONE had ever heard that song except she and Aiji who had sung it to her initially, not even her parents. All his posession were lying on the bed and she could only think of how much of a weak fool she probably looked at the moment.
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 1:59:36 GMT
Raul sighed. "To be honest, I had been hoping to get a word with you. But I could tell you were coming here, so I let you be. Then, when I heard the song..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I had to be sure it was you."
Normally, he would have cracked a joke at her expense, but, looking on the bed, he saw the uniform and badge. He knew they could only belong to one person. Raul had liked Aiji, and it had broken his heart when he disappeared. Though Zuki was far worse off. Even Raul preferred to avoid that subject.
"For someone who doesn't sing often, you've got a lovely voice..." He said, scratching his head. He wasn't used to complimenting people, but he felt he must. It was, after all, true. This fact had shocked him...
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 2:09:54 GMT
Zuki looked up at him. "Thank you." She knew they both must be thinking the same thing and she knew he had noticed the badge and clothing. "It's ok...that you came in...I guess I was just finishing up. So what did you want to talk about?" She grabbed the music and moved over to the bed, packing up the belongings, folding up the outfit and putting in the box then placing the badge and the music carefully onto. She picked it up and slid open the door with her foot. She placed the box on the top shelf, her eyes leading her to the zanpakutoh once again. She reached up and pushed it farther back and out of sight with a slight flick of her wrist.
"So, you were saying?"
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 2:14:15 GMT
Raul watched as she packed the clothing and badge. Packing away her feelings again... He thought to himself.
"I had just been pondering a few days ago. When that boy mistook Roren for you. Did he say anything that could be of value? Perhaps some information on the size of the enemy, or their power?"
In all honesty, that was not the reason he had decided to speak with her. He had just wished to make some conversation with another human. He had been alone since the accident, rarely speaking, in his quarters. Unable to train, he had simply thought about how he could have done things differently...
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 2:33:24 GMT
Zuki thought about his question briefly. "Nothing comes to mind, and Raul, I'm not stupid. No one would follow me all the way home just to ask me some question that could wait until I returned to work. Why did you really follow me?" She slid the door shut. "Or maybe you just stalk women for a hobby." She sat down on the bed and folded her legs. "Though I doubt your some perv." She grabbed a candy from her bedside table and put it in her mouth. "Damn, mom still refills it every day." She sighed. "So do tell."
Zuki put her hands on her together and rested her elbows on her knees, still watching him.
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 2:44:02 GMT
Raul sighed. "Now I see why they call you the most intelligent..." He took a seat on the other side of the room. "To be honest, my mind is just swimming. I'm still shocked I lost a battle. But what's more shocking to me is..." He paused, considering how he should put this..
He continued, "Is that, I got there in time, and I let my arrogance take hold of me. I should have gone after the kid before taking out the woman, but I valued my own life more than my duty..." He stared blankly at the floor. "I've always considered myself a good Captain...but maybe I'm just as corrupt as some make me out to be..."
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 3:01:51 GMT
Zuki shook her head. "No Raul, you're not. It's not your fault and I don't blame you, no one does. We'll get Roren back and if you want kill that woman at the same time but please stop fretting about it. If t was anyone's fault that he was gone it'd be mine, not yours. We both tried really hard and that's all anyone could ask, we all know captains have trouble taking on Espada, you should proad you got her to go to Ressurecion." She stood up and walked over to him. "I said before and I still hold by it. You'r a great captain and everyone knows it."
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 3:15:33 GMT
Raul chuckled lightly. "Thanks, but there really wasn't anything in that battle to be proud of. She used her resurrecion to mock me, basically. And even then, it wasn't her strongest." He sighed. "My only consolation is that I didn't use Bankai, and I have you to thank for that. If you hadn't have been there, I would have used Bankai, and she would have killed me, because I'm more of a threat."
He stood up. "Either way..." He flashed stepped around the room, leaving a good 10 images of himself at intervals, "I've only gotten better since I've been training. I just had to wait for my wounds to close up. As much as you don't want me training while I'm injured, I figure that if you don't hinder yourself in training, you don't get any better..."
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 3:28:54 GMT
"Do you think that battle would have been more worthwhile if you have used bankai and died because of it? That wouldn't have done anyone any good but the enemy. If their plan had worked I'd be there but Roren purposely put himself at stake to save me. What do you think would've happened if you suceeded, do you think they would just give up? They wouldn't just give up, they'd come back and probably hurt or kill more people in the process. That could give them the advantage in this war, depending on who they killed. They've got one of our own out there and I intend to get him back." She caught up withim and put a soft hand on his left elbow. "Please promise me you won't do anything stupid. I know your mad but doing something that's rash or quick won't do any good, we can't loose another person."
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 3:33:26 GMT
Raul winked and smiled. "Don't worry, you won't lose another." He paused. "Though, I have been known to be rather stupid in the past. Perhaps..." Seeing the look on her face, he immediately halted his prodding. "Alright, alright. I promise, I won't do anything stupid. But trust me, by the time I need it, my power will have tripled."
He rubbed his eye. "So, tell me, any progress on Garganta? After all, that's our only way of travelling to Hueco Mundo." He gazed at her. "Have you taken the issue up to Sakata yet? You know what happened the last time there was a request to go to Hueco Mundo. Then again, Sakata isn't Yama."
He shrugged. "I'll just have you know that, no matter what his answer is, I've never been one to follow rules to the letter..."
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 3:45:00 GMT
She withdrew her hand from his elbow. Zuki hadn't thought much about Garganta. "It's hard work without Roren, there's no one to bounce theories back and forth with no one to expiriment with, but I've made some progress. I've checked all the files from every single Head of Research and Development and come up almost completely cold. I guess they never really had to worry about it. There hasn't been many weird happenings in the human world lately sot seems they're busy with other things but I do have to make haste if we want to get Roren back anytime soon." She paused. "You could help me out, I could tell you what to do and you've got bankai. It needs to be a two person process and I don't know if Kashou has banaki or not and Roren and I decided that the user would need bankai, so." She smiled at him. "I'll be the brains you be the brawns, or we could do it vice versa if you'd rather hold up a barrier, though if I used my bankai it might get pretty cold." She paused. "It'd be great if you could help me with this, definitely. Unless you'd rather not, which is understandible." She shrugged.
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Post by Rangis Mukondo on Jun 18, 2008 3:50:35 GMT
Raul laughed. "Well, I hope you can handle the heat if you ask me to use Bankai..." He knew Zuki was strong, but he had no control over the power of his Bankai. All he knew was the heat and effect increased with his skill level, so it would be hotter now than she remembered.
"I can't help you with theories, I'm just not that smart. But if you tell me what to do, I'll do it. I've learned to trust you over the years. You've never been wrong before." He laughed, remembering back when he had actually done his paperwork. Math was never his specialty. Well, neither was thinking, but that's beside the point. Every time he tried to go through an equation, she found a flaw. It seemed natural that she would be the brains of this operation...
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Post by Tsukiyo Kyohaku on Jun 18, 2008 4:02:45 GMT
She kept smiling. "Thanks Raul, for helping out. I wouldn't be able to on my own, for obvious reasons. By obvious I mean that it could be dangerous and we'd need someone to hold a barrier." She moved back and sat on the edge of her bed. "So what do you think of my family's home?" She asked, looking around the room. "I swear my mother cleans it daily. It fels weir to be back here after so many years...a hundred maybe, probably about that many. Everythings exactly the same as it was when I left." She sighed. "My father is part of the Central 46...though he's my adopted father and my mother, my adopted mother is more of a house wife kind of person. What about your parents, Raul? I know loads about your mother, but your father? Or is it one of those bad, hard to talk bout things like me and my father?."
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