[LOG] Rangiku and Byakuya
[Byakuya and Rangiku meet to discuss Rukia, Shiro and Gin over ice cream and coffee; no warnings]
Byakuya passed back and forth along the wrap-around porch in his aunt's house, arms crossed in his bare feet, deep in thought. Occasionally, he checked his watch to see if it was around the time that Rangiku would be home from work. He looked so stressed and unlike himself that his cousins, occasionally walking past him, skirted him by about three feet to avoid contact, but he barely noticed. When he deemed it late enough in the day for Rangiku to be home from work, he took his cell phone out--it was ready-set to her number, he just had to press call, which he did, and held it to his ear, his other hand in his pocket. Stepping off the porch, he walked along the loosely-rock-paved path through the garden for some privacy away from small eyes and ears.
Rangiku was just in the process of taking her cell out of her handbag as it rang and therefor she answered unusually fast. "Moshi moshi." she tossed the handbag down on the bed and sat down.
"Rangiku-chan?" he asked to be sure--he didn't know what Toshiro sounded like. He headed to a rather large fish pond and started looking for the fish food to feed the koi.
As soon as she was able to distinguish the voice she frowned. "Byakuya? Hey, are you okay?" there was a slightly worried tone in her voice as she pulled her feet up on the bed and she started to fiddle with one of her stuffed animals.
"Ah... I think so, yes." He seemed to be processing the thought himself as he started sprinkling the little flakes over the water's surface and watching the large fish snatch at it with their mouths, occasionally breaking the smooth surface of the water.
"...you think so? Look you said you wanted to meet to talk so how about I meet you down at the park in a few. I just need to check on Shiro a quicky and then I can be there in ten minutes." He had her worried even if he didn't know it, though part of her worry originated in not knowing where Gin was but it was best to not think about that cause then her nerves would just go berserk.
He nodded, setting the fish food back behind the little rock waterfall of the fishtank. "Right. The park. I will meet you there. See you in a few minutes." He headed back to the house to get his shoes and other outings' things, like a bepper, hand-held, etc.
Leaving the cell on the bed Rangiku gathered up her things and grabbed her coat, peaking into Shiro's room to let him know she'd be gone for a while and that dinner was on the table. From there she hurried out of the house and down towards the park not even sparing the people she passed a glance and missing quite a few of her friends by doing so. Once in the park she glanced around to see where Byakuya was at.
Byakuya took a little longer than normal to arrive--whereas normally he would strive to be the first to arrive, he somewhat took his time in getting his things together, to give himself time to think. When finally he was ready, he headed out of the Kuchiki district only to realize he'd forgotten his shoes, and hurried back to get them, so that by the time he arrived, Rangiku had been there for some minutes. "Ah... were you waiting long? I'm sorry," he said as he headed up the path to her. He wasn't aware of Gin's late absense, not being affiliated with the man himself other than through Rangiku, but if he had, he wouldn't have called her out when she would possibly be stressed and worried.
"Huh? What? No, no.. not at all." Giving him a small smile she stepped over and gave him a light hug, anything to calm her down was something to be thankful over and just seeing Byakuya had calmed her nerves some. "I was actually just thinking about getting an ice cream but that can wait. You said you had something you wanted to talk about?"
He nodded, giving her a hug as well and rubbing her back a bit. "We may talk over ice cream if you wish. I have nothing planned today." He gestured down the path he'd come, to the town; an ice cream parlour was nearby.
"Okay, if you insist." Hooking her arm with his she started off towards the ice cream parlor.
"I spoke with the head master of your school," he said as they almost strolled down the path. "As well as a private investigator. They know where Rukia is." His voice gained that tone he'd gotten when he first told Rangiku about Hisana and Rukia. "It has been almost a year searching for her... but now that it comes to the fact... I find myself scared."
Patting his arm with her other hand she just smiled up at him. "Well I'd be more surprised if you weren't, I'd be worried even. I mean you've been looking for her for a year now and suddenly she's there and you're not sure what to do anymore because it's new and it's scary."
He nodded slowly, opening the door to the parlor for her. "I also worry that perhaps she will not accept my invitation to be adopted as my sister. It would be a great change for her. It pulls at my conscious that I must lie to her for why I will extend this invitation, though Hisana implored me to do so... and even more, I worry that she will not like me.." The last was said as if it were the greater of the three ills.
"Thank you~" Walking inside Rangiku nodded at what he said as she ordered a strawberry sorbet and a coffee, paying the man as she got her orders and moved to sit down. She placed the cup of coffee in front of Byakuya. "Well I'm sure she'd be surprised and start questioning you're motives for doing what you are but I can't see why she wouldn't and I can't see why she wouldn't like you either. You're a great guy even if you're not the most social there is."
"Thank you," he mumbled for the coffee, taking a sip of it; it calmed his nerves a bit. "I do not know what she looks like... but should she look like Hisana, as I predict, I shall simply say I am adopting her for the fact that she so greatly reminds me of her... though... it would be almost painful to see someone who looked like Hisana, alive and in the flesh.."
"Look if you want me to come with you when you see her then I will. I know how scary things you're not used to are and taking someone in, even if you know them or not. It's... well frankly it's terrifying but as long as you know in your heart that it is for the best everything will work out." She offered him a soft smile and placed her hand on the table, reaching out for his.
Byakuya's eyes widened with obvious releif, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Oh, would you?" he asked, slipping his hand in hers. "I had thought to ask but I was not sure..."
"Of course! What are friends for. You've been there for me when I needed it so the least I can do is to be there for you." Grinning she patted his hand and took a bite of her sorbet.
He nodded, taking another sip of his coffee. "Yes. That is true." His blunt honesty was back. "I still must locate her myself and find a way to arrange a meeting... hopefully, it would not be very hard." He said back, running fingertips over the smooth sides of his coffee mug. "How have you been? Is Toshiro-san still feigning autism?"
"Well when you have everything like that sorted out just let me know okay?" Rangiku decided to ignore the part about how she had been and instead concentrate on Shiro as she smiled around the spoon. "He's fine, still got out of his hermit hole. It's good to see him getting back to things. He even nags me like he used to do."
"That is very good... I suppose...?" He frowned slightly; she made nagging seem like a good thing.
"Yes, yes it is. As long as he's nagging on me I know everything is as it should be. He's been doing it as long as I've known him so when he stopped it felt odd, in a way."
"Ah... I see." He nodded. "And how are you?" he present the question again in a bit sterner voice.
"I.. I'm okay." Her tone dropped slightly as she turned her eyes down to stare at the sorbet as she stabbed at it.
"Simply ok?" He raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his coffee.
She shrugged.
The eyebrow remained raised. "Rangiku-chan..." he said in a slightly scolding voice.
Taking another bite from her ice cream she peered up at him with a vulnerable look. "...what?"
"How are you?"
"I'm okay..." Why was he pushing it so much? Couldn't he just.. Gin, where are you?!
"This is what friends are for, Rangiku-chan," he half-quoted, sitting back.
"I'm worried okay, I'm worried sick since Gin disappeared on me at the party and I haven't heard from him since. I'm worried the people he socialize with have gotten to him and that something has happened." frowning she sat back and crossed her arms
"I see." He thought for a moment; as a rule, he did not hold for Gin in the slightest, but he was important to Rangiku, and Rangiku was important to him, and so he felt compelled to question and possibly help. "Who was he last seen with?"
"Me. I went to get us a drink, Itachi asked me to dance to I gave Gin the drinks and the next time I looked over to where he was, well he wasn't there." It frustrated her almost as much as it worried her.
"The host?" He raised an eyebrow. "Right whe Gin disappeared? It is not at all possible that was an intervention?"
Rangiku blinked, and then blinked again. That had never crossed her mind but if it was so.. why would...? "I don't know that Gin disappeared right then. I had been dancing a while when I noticed he was gone. At first I thought he had just gone home but I haven't heard from him since and he hasn't been home yet."
"You danced with the host the entire time?"
"I...well yes..." She could feel her stomach drop at the implications. But still why, why Gin?
He leaned forward, resting elbows on the table surface and intwining his fingers together, hiding his mouth behind them as he thought. "The host had close friends at the party... correct?"
"I, I don't know. I don't even really know Itachi... but... why?" it couldn't be, after all there was no reason for Itachi to want anything with Gin, was there? Had the two even spoken to each other?
"It all appears very suspicious to me," he said slowly, brow furrowed in deep thought. "Simply ask yourself why. Has Gin ever acquainted himself with shady characters?"
"I...I.. Look I got to go.. I'm sorry. I'll call you." Rangiku felt panic grip her and she scrambled out of the seat, making her way out of the ice cream parlor. One name echoing in her mind. Aizen.
Byakuya's brow unfurrowed as he got up and followed her, reaching out for her arm. "Rangiku-chan...? What is it?"
Slapping his hand away she refused to look over at him as she could feel herself about to break down. "Look, just... I need to look into some thing. I'll call you. I just really have to go."
Byakuya blinked, looking down at his assaulted hand; it hadn't exactly hurt, it was more the fact that she had done it that surprised him. "...I am here," he said simply; more complicated things had run through his mind: 'come back here, I know you need to talk', or 'I will not let you run away like that', but in the end, what could he do when she obviously didn't want him then?
Rangiku exhaled and shook her head. "I know. I just have to do this, I don't want to drag you down with me." Now she did turn, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "I'll call."
He nodded, patting her back. "I know. Go." He gestured in the way she'd been going.
"Thanks." The instant dread and horror she felt still hung over her head but somehow it felt lighter and not nearly as pressing as before as she took off down the street. First she needed to get home and change, then... then she was going to face the devil himself.
Byakuya passed back and forth along the wrap-around porch in his aunt's house, arms crossed in his bare feet, deep in thought. Occasionally, he checked his watch to see if it was around the time that Rangiku would be home from work. He looked so stressed and unlike himself that his cousins, occasionally walking past him, skirted him by about three feet to avoid contact, but he barely noticed. When he deemed it late enough in the day for Rangiku to be home from work, he took his cell phone out--it was ready-set to her number, he just had to press call, which he did, and held it to his ear, his other hand in his pocket. Stepping off the porch, he walked along the loosely-rock-paved path through the garden for some privacy away from small eyes and ears.
Rangiku was just in the process of taking her cell out of her handbag as it rang and therefor she answered unusually fast. "Moshi moshi." she tossed the handbag down on the bed and sat down.
"Rangiku-chan?" he asked to be sure--he didn't know what Toshiro sounded like. He headed to a rather large fish pond and started looking for the fish food to feed the koi.
As soon as she was able to distinguish the voice she frowned. "Byakuya? Hey, are you okay?" there was a slightly worried tone in her voice as she pulled her feet up on the bed and she started to fiddle with one of her stuffed animals.
"Ah... I think so, yes." He seemed to be processing the thought himself as he started sprinkling the little flakes over the water's surface and watching the large fish snatch at it with their mouths, occasionally breaking the smooth surface of the water.
"...you think so? Look you said you wanted to meet to talk so how about I meet you down at the park in a few. I just need to check on Shiro a quicky and then I can be there in ten minutes." He had her worried even if he didn't know it, though part of her worry originated in not knowing where Gin was but it was best to not think about that cause then her nerves would just go berserk.
He nodded, setting the fish food back behind the little rock waterfall of the fishtank. "Right. The park. I will meet you there. See you in a few minutes." He headed back to the house to get his shoes and other outings' things, like a bepper, hand-held, etc.
Leaving the cell on the bed Rangiku gathered up her things and grabbed her coat, peaking into Shiro's room to let him know she'd be gone for a while and that dinner was on the table. From there she hurried out of the house and down towards the park not even sparing the people she passed a glance and missing quite a few of her friends by doing so. Once in the park she glanced around to see where Byakuya was at.
Byakuya took a little longer than normal to arrive--whereas normally he would strive to be the first to arrive, he somewhat took his time in getting his things together, to give himself time to think. When finally he was ready, he headed out of the Kuchiki district only to realize he'd forgotten his shoes, and hurried back to get them, so that by the time he arrived, Rangiku had been there for some minutes. "Ah... were you waiting long? I'm sorry," he said as he headed up the path to her. He wasn't aware of Gin's late absense, not being affiliated with the man himself other than through Rangiku, but if he had, he wouldn't have called her out when she would possibly be stressed and worried.
"Huh? What? No, no.. not at all." Giving him a small smile she stepped over and gave him a light hug, anything to calm her down was something to be thankful over and just seeing Byakuya had calmed her nerves some. "I was actually just thinking about getting an ice cream but that can wait. You said you had something you wanted to talk about?"
He nodded, giving her a hug as well and rubbing her back a bit. "We may talk over ice cream if you wish. I have nothing planned today." He gestured down the path he'd come, to the town; an ice cream parlour was nearby.
"Okay, if you insist." Hooking her arm with his she started off towards the ice cream parlor.
"I spoke with the head master of your school," he said as they almost strolled down the path. "As well as a private investigator. They know where Rukia is." His voice gained that tone he'd gotten when he first told Rangiku about Hisana and Rukia. "It has been almost a year searching for her... but now that it comes to the fact... I find myself scared."
Patting his arm with her other hand she just smiled up at him. "Well I'd be more surprised if you weren't, I'd be worried even. I mean you've been looking for her for a year now and suddenly she's there and you're not sure what to do anymore because it's new and it's scary."
He nodded slowly, opening the door to the parlor for her. "I also worry that perhaps she will not accept my invitation to be adopted as my sister. It would be a great change for her. It pulls at my conscious that I must lie to her for why I will extend this invitation, though Hisana implored me to do so... and even more, I worry that she will not like me.." The last was said as if it were the greater of the three ills.
"Thank you~" Walking inside Rangiku nodded at what he said as she ordered a strawberry sorbet and a coffee, paying the man as she got her orders and moved to sit down. She placed the cup of coffee in front of Byakuya. "Well I'm sure she'd be surprised and start questioning you're motives for doing what you are but I can't see why she wouldn't and I can't see why she wouldn't like you either. You're a great guy even if you're not the most social there is."
"Thank you," he mumbled for the coffee, taking a sip of it; it calmed his nerves a bit. "I do not know what she looks like... but should she look like Hisana, as I predict, I shall simply say I am adopting her for the fact that she so greatly reminds me of her... though... it would be almost painful to see someone who looked like Hisana, alive and in the flesh.."
"Look if you want me to come with you when you see her then I will. I know how scary things you're not used to are and taking someone in, even if you know them or not. It's... well frankly it's terrifying but as long as you know in your heart that it is for the best everything will work out." She offered him a soft smile and placed her hand on the table, reaching out for his.
Byakuya's eyes widened with obvious releif, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Oh, would you?" he asked, slipping his hand in hers. "I had thought to ask but I was not sure..."
"Of course! What are friends for. You've been there for me when I needed it so the least I can do is to be there for you." Grinning she patted his hand and took a bite of her sorbet.
He nodded, taking another sip of his coffee. "Yes. That is true." His blunt honesty was back. "I still must locate her myself and find a way to arrange a meeting... hopefully, it would not be very hard." He said back, running fingertips over the smooth sides of his coffee mug. "How have you been? Is Toshiro-san still feigning autism?"
"Well when you have everything like that sorted out just let me know okay?" Rangiku decided to ignore the part about how she had been and instead concentrate on Shiro as she smiled around the spoon. "He's fine, still got out of his hermit hole. It's good to see him getting back to things. He even nags me like he used to do."
"That is very good... I suppose...?" He frowned slightly; she made nagging seem like a good thing.
"Yes, yes it is. As long as he's nagging on me I know everything is as it should be. He's been doing it as long as I've known him so when he stopped it felt odd, in a way."
"Ah... I see." He nodded. "And how are you?" he present the question again in a bit sterner voice.
"I.. I'm okay." Her tone dropped slightly as she turned her eyes down to stare at the sorbet as she stabbed at it.
"Simply ok?" He raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his coffee.
She shrugged.
The eyebrow remained raised. "Rangiku-chan..." he said in a slightly scolding voice.
Taking another bite from her ice cream she peered up at him with a vulnerable look. "...what?"
"How are you?"
"I'm okay..." Why was he pushing it so much? Couldn't he just.. Gin, where are you?!
"This is what friends are for, Rangiku-chan," he half-quoted, sitting back.
"I'm worried okay, I'm worried sick since Gin disappeared on me at the party and I haven't heard from him since. I'm worried the people he socialize with have gotten to him and that something has happened." frowning she sat back and crossed her arms
"I see." He thought for a moment; as a rule, he did not hold for Gin in the slightest, but he was important to Rangiku, and Rangiku was important to him, and so he felt compelled to question and possibly help. "Who was he last seen with?"
"Me. I went to get us a drink, Itachi asked me to dance to I gave Gin the drinks and the next time I looked over to where he was, well he wasn't there." It frustrated her almost as much as it worried her.
"The host?" He raised an eyebrow. "Right whe Gin disappeared? It is not at all possible that was an intervention?"
Rangiku blinked, and then blinked again. That had never crossed her mind but if it was so.. why would...? "I don't know that Gin disappeared right then. I had been dancing a while when I noticed he was gone. At first I thought he had just gone home but I haven't heard from him since and he hasn't been home yet."
"You danced with the host the entire time?"
"I...well yes..." She could feel her stomach drop at the implications. But still why, why Gin?
He leaned forward, resting elbows on the table surface and intwining his fingers together, hiding his mouth behind them as he thought. "The host had close friends at the party... correct?"
"I, I don't know. I don't even really know Itachi... but... why?" it couldn't be, after all there was no reason for Itachi to want anything with Gin, was there? Had the two even spoken to each other?
"It all appears very suspicious to me," he said slowly, brow furrowed in deep thought. "Simply ask yourself why. Has Gin ever acquainted himself with shady characters?"
"I...I.. Look I got to go.. I'm sorry. I'll call you." Rangiku felt panic grip her and she scrambled out of the seat, making her way out of the ice cream parlor. One name echoing in her mind. Aizen.
Byakuya's brow unfurrowed as he got up and followed her, reaching out for her arm. "Rangiku-chan...? What is it?"
Slapping his hand away she refused to look over at him as she could feel herself about to break down. "Look, just... I need to look into some thing. I'll call you. I just really have to go."
Byakuya blinked, looking down at his assaulted hand; it hadn't exactly hurt, it was more the fact that she had done it that surprised him. "...I am here," he said simply; more complicated things had run through his mind: 'come back here, I know you need to talk', or 'I will not let you run away like that', but in the end, what could he do when she obviously didn't want him then?
Rangiku exhaled and shook her head. "I know. I just have to do this, I don't want to drag you down with me." Now she did turn, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "I'll call."
He nodded, patting her back. "I know. Go." He gestured in the way she'd been going.
"Thanks." The instant dread and horror she felt still hung over her head but somehow it felt lighter and not nearly as pressing as before as she took off down the street. First she needed to get home and change, then... then she was going to face the devil himself.