Stairwell up to the 2nd floor - Late Morning

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

Little did Ichigo know that he wouldn't be the only one hauling around luggage up the stairs that day. He hadn't really been paying much attention to dates since he'd been in Japan (not that he would have paid attention if he hadn't been there). So up the stairs he went, only to the 2nd floor but it felt higher when your head was pounding. Headaches apparently didn't so much like travelling through portals. He supposed he should just be grateful he managed to get the last-minute spot that opened up there.

He wasn't very good at feeling grateful right now.

[[Open as a stairwell is open.]]

Comments

[intraspective]

Victory! She shouldered the bag easily. "A rescue party," Ino drawled, "how'd that turn out?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

The were right at the second floor anyway, so she didn't have to haul it much further. "We won. Sort of. Rukia was saved, but the guy who was behind it managed to escape."

[intraspective]

"You're emo-ing on the floor," she said, looping her arm through his. "Clearly you need me around more. How'd he get away?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Am not!" he protested. "He was stronger. Not even the Shinigami captains could stop him."

[intraspective]

"You are," she assured him. "And your emo is pink."

Because distracting him was totally a useful plan.

"And the Shinigami captains are badass?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He threw her a look for the pink remark. "They're powerful. I fought two of them before."

[intraspective]

Diluted blood could be pinkish. Pink didn't have to be girly!

"Won or lost?" Ino asked, ignoring the look. "What were you doing, fighting them anyway?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Won," he said. Sort of, the hollow had won against Byakuya. He knew that more than anything now. "The bad guy? Aizen. He was a captain too, he'd deceived them all and had them ready to kill Rukia for giving her powers to a human."

They were at his door now and he didn't much feel like going inside.

[intraspective]

She glanced up at him. "What a crappy vacation," Ino said lightly. "Did you get time with your family, at least?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Oh," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "That um... was last year."

[intraspective]

"In," she said, making a face at him now. "And let me deal with your injuries, geez. And then you get to tell me what happened this time around."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"Hat-n-clogs looked at them," he defended. "Can we just go up to your room?"

[intraspective]

"What's wrong with your room?" she asked, already moving to start heading up the three extra flights of stairs. "And I don't care--who is hat-n-clogs?--I want to look at them."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"I just don't want any more questions," he said, quickly taking his bag from her before she could get to far so he could dump those inside. "Hat-n-clogs is... complicated." He didn't know people who weren't.

[intraspective]

"He's probably not even there," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "People are moving back to the dorms today--we were out in the cabins. Does complicated have a real name?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He could be later and Ichigo decided to lead up the stairs. She would follow. "Kisuke Urahara," he said. "He used to be a captain."

[intraspective]

It would serve him right if she didn't and he was locked out of her room. Hmph.

But, yeah, she followed. "Why isn't he anymore? Retired?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I told you it's complicated," he said with half a grin.

[intraspective]

She nudged him as she caught up. "That's not an answer," Ino said, slipping her hand over his arm.

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He caught her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. "I honestly don't know the entire story," he said, "and I'm not sure what I do know is mine to tell. He didn't see eye to eye with the rest of the shinigami."

[intraspective]

She hummed slightly. "Why's he helping you, then?"

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

He really should consider these things, but somehow he'd just taken it for granted that despite everything, he could rely on Urahara. "Because he still fights the good fight."

[intraspective]

"You're very trusting," she observed. "In really weird ways."

[first-guardian.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't be a shinigami without him," Ichigo defended. "And Rukia might be dead."

[intraspective]

She tightened her hand in his. "I wasn't saying he wasn't a good guy," Ino said soothingly. "Just that you don't know why."