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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 23, 2015 13:59:19 GMT -6
Yumiko paled and then narrowed her eyes. “You can’t decide that!” she hissed. She took a breath to calm down, recalling that she was in the presence of a god. “It’s wrong that you’re deciding something for me so far in the future. That’s like taking away my free will. That’s influencing my whole life. And the war is over. It’s the scars that remain - that we have to surpass. The Seventh was seeing another future, not this one.”
She paused. "I didn't name a price to avoid the question. I didn't know what I had that you would want. So I said there was little I wouldn't give, but I never said I would accept the first price offered. I can't take that one."
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Post by Alister on May 23, 2015 14:07:24 GMT -6
The god shrugged and turned away from the Soul Reaper woman. "Then, you get nothing. What is it that you Soul Reaper fail to understand? I do not work on your terms. You work on mine."
The god picked up a small grey covered book and looked it over before dropping it to the floor. "Good bye, Ryouma."
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 23, 2015 14:15:21 GMT -6
Yumiko's heart tightened. Surely there was a way to save the situation without bringing about his anger or that price. She thought back to something she had read in Kisuke's book about Kita and the seraph. She smiled as something caught in her mind. It was risky to call him out on it..... but she had to try.
"I understand that the prices are at your level, not ours, but the price you mentioned this time, there is no way I can promise it will happen. Not unless you are going to influence my time. But that would be meddling with the future, wouldn't it?"
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Post by Alister on May 23, 2015 14:26:18 GMT -6
The god turned around slowly, his brow furrowed and his eyes sharp. "You misunderstand, Ryouma. This would not be by my hand. You claim to not love this man. You refuse to give all of yourself to a man who has given all of his last to you. Your price is not one by my hand, but by nature."
The god smiled, bowing slightly to the noble. "You are quite familiar with the ways of the god's. What knowledge has the seraph given?"
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 23, 2015 14:57:44 GMT -6
Yumiko gave a glimmer of a smirk. “If you want to know more, I ask that you change the price.”
Her hands fidgeted for a few moments then calmed. She regarded Allister steadily. “I am not refusing to give all of myself to Vale. It’s my subconscious trying to protect me from being hurt again. It will happen…. but I won’t accept a price that forces my love to happen. That would hurt Vale. And you don’t know if he will stay interesting if he grows to hate everything again.”
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Post by Alister on May 23, 2015 15:03:41 GMT -6
"This is not a bargain, Ryouma!" stated the god, raising a brow. "As I have already said, you give nothing and I will give you nothing." The god turned from her and begin to fade from the room. "His pain will only get worse. You had the opportunity to spare him. You chose not to." He bowed again, and faded from the room.
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 23, 2015 16:14:05 GMT -6
Yumiko sighed as the god faded, partly glad she hadn’t bargained anything to him, partly disappointed she hadn’t agreed. She sat on the couch again, picking up the grey book Vale had discarded. “I want to protect you but I can’t give up everything yet. I want to keep the freedom I gain… not fall into another predestined path…. Is that too selfish of me? Is it something that will make it worse for you?"
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Post by Seto Tetsuya on May 23, 2015 16:37:53 GMT -6
Vale opened the door to his apartment to see Yumiko sitting on the couch. He walked over and took the book from her hands. Looking around the apartment, he sighed. "What did you ask him for?" he questioned, sitting next to her. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed gently. "Yumiko..." Vale sighed again. "I don't want to know what you asked for. Love, when it comes to Alister, please...ask for nothing. Besides," He smiled weakly at her. "One bad bump isn't going to turn me from you."
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 23, 2015 19:03:57 GMT -6
Yumiko nodded and wrapped her arms around him. “I know it won’t,” she whispered in turn, “and I will try not to.” She looked into his eyes. “Vale, please don’t let what Kisuke said take away the peace you’ve been building here. It’s not worth it.” Vale smiled, kissing Yumiko on the forehead. "I'll try. I can't promise that I'll always be okay with it. But, I'll try." He tilted his head toward his bedroom. "We still have time for lunch, I think." Yumiko laughed lightly at that and let him pull her up. Leaning into him, she kissed him slowly, not breaking the kiss until after her lover had carried her to the bedroom, kicked the door closed, and laid her on the bed. She could fight the pull to change from his pain without tricks.
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Jun 5, 2015 13:53:51 GMT -6
"Stepping Away" (continued):Yumiko returned shortly, her arms full of boxes. She opened the apartment yet again and started in the kitchen. Pulling out the cooking books from against the fridge, she set three boxes on the other side of the counter, purposefully hiding the newest bouquet of flowers Vale had brought in for them that past morning, wildflowers from an overgrown lot nearby. A new place they had found while walking. The cookbooks went to one of three destinations, to be given away, locked up, or moved back to wherever she lived now. Soul Society or Urahara’s shop. She didn’t know and didn’t want to think about it. She just wanted to end this part of her life. She wiped at her eyes, taking a breath after going through the two dozen cookbooks. Most of the pastry books with the exception of a few had ended up in the going away pile, and only a total of five cookbooks had made it to the moving box. Leaving the first box to be taped and hidden away on the counter - also blocking the gift - she moved two lighter boxes to the couch, For a few moments, she couldn’t bear to turn around. But she did. She stomped over to one bookcase, her personal one and scooped out the first shelf. All of it went into a new box. She did the same with the second. By the third, her tears were back. Silently hiccuping as her heart twisted, she fell to the couch and removed a few poetry books to the moving box with the handful of cookbooks. Combing her hand through the group, a couple choice books found their way into that box as well. Finished with her bookcase, she sighed deeply and turned to the next two, the one nearly overflowing with books they had purchased out of curiosity. Half of which they had never read all the way through but would. She moved over and pulled out the titles she had purchased, setting them in a third new box - another one to be locked away. And then returned again for the best looking volumes. She set those in the going away pile. And then drew Mizue no Kagami. A whiplash of Tenran rushed through the shelves before her, tearing books off and ripping pages out of more. Eyes narrowed, tears pouring more fire down her cheeks, she thrust her hand out to explode certain volumes. Watching the fire light and then die in midair at her command. Again and again. Then she drew Mizue back and slashed through the bookcase, Timpers creaked and split as her sword continued to pound through the boards. Tearing into it in order to no destroy his. Clouds of feathers rose up as she stabbed the couch to halt her spiral of rage, and her reiatsu fell down again. She looked up at the last bookcase standing, over to the kitchen clock, and then pulled herself to her feet, grabbing another set of boxes. The mattress was flung off the bed and all the bedding shredded by the time she had finished there. She hadn’t kept many pieces of clothing. Most were in the give away pile. Unlike the books, they would always remind her of him. Most of what stayed had been from before - when Kita had taken her shopping. Even a deep blue kimono with golden fish dancing among the stars would be ripped from her life. She’d torn through everything she could find - trying to find a reason to what had happened. And had finally found something. Deep in the back of the closet. An old book with yellowed pages and tied with string, it seemed to be a journal. She’d slammed it shut after seeing the first words. They had to die. They were all liars, but no one could see that but me.
It was a record of Vale’s life since he had destroyed his division. If she turned to the back, she probably would find some answers for herself. But she no longer wanted to know. She wanted no more promises or vows. Signs that she was right. It didn't matter. Walking back out into the room, she looked towards the last bookcase and then pushed aside a bunch of paperbacks. Aeronite winked at her. His protection from Alister. She sat on the couch, amongst the destruction, with the book and stone in hand. No longer crying. The pounding in her head had stopped as she stopped pushing him backwards....
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Jun 8, 2015 21:28:47 GMT -6
"Closure":The sun had just begun to set, warming her knees through the curtains when she felt another presence in the apartment. She was too weary to reach out and find out who, but a moment later, she didn’t need to. She knew the hand that settled on her arm. “Yumiko,” Ukitake whispered. He held up a wrapped onigiri ball and then gently pressed and folded her fingers around it. “Please eat. You’ve been gone from the shop for nearly a whole day.” Yumiko took the treat automatically. Had it really been that long? Her stomach rumbled in stark agreement with her guardian. Sighing, she looked upwards, first to the journal and the rock on the coffee table and then further - to the still intact bookshelf that held their photograph at a winter festival. She lowered her head and took a bite. It tasted like sawdust and salt. One tear fell unbidden down her cheek as her throat closed up. Yet again. But she stopped more before they could fall.
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Post by Captain Juushiro Ukitake on Jun 8, 2015 21:49:55 GMT -6
Juushiro coaxed her to take a couple more bites as he considered yet again how to start this discussion with her. To say that he hadn’t been shocked when he’d entered the apartment would be a blatant lie. It worried him, deeply, how easily Yumiko could be hurt or cornered. And there was no way this was not going to hurt.
He looked to the items set on the table set aside from the many boxes scattered throughout the house and reached for the book. A journal. Feeling Yumiko’s eyes lift from the food, he opened the cover.
And sighed.
“Yumiko….”
“Was it real, Ukitake?” she croaked. “Was any of it - or was it another trap - just another cage to mold me into a weapon that could be controlled?”
Juushiro let the journal fall to the ground as he pulled Yumiko into his arms, holding her tightly as she started to tremble. When he realized she had locked her tears away, his heart tightened.
He had to end this.
And that meant he had to be honest.
He pushed her back just enough to look into her haggard eyes and reached into his kimono sleeve. One object he left in his hand. The other he pressed into her own.
Vale’s ring.
Her eyes widened and blue eyes ringed in lavender met his own.
“Vale is dead,” he stated, “but his feelings for you were real.”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Jun 10, 2015 11:34:33 GMT -6
Only that second phrase kept Yumiko from falling apart again, and gripping the ring in between her fingers, she listened as her guardian explained further. About the layers his confession had brought out. Both in the letter to Kyoraku and what Kisuke had pulled from him using her visit as bait. How he knew about Aizen but stayed silent to protect his world with her.
Was he as scared to lose me as I was about his love at first? she wondered to herself. And why did that fear never abate?
The ring sparkled in in the darkening room.
I'll never have those answers... but.....
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Post by Captain Juushiro Ukitake on Jun 10, 2015 11:46:04 GMT -6
As Yumiko remained silent, Juushiro squeezed her hand. “I know this is difficult to hear, Yumiko, but I hope it is helping with your sense of betrayal." Still holding the ring, she nodded. "I don't know what he was planning when Aizen returned - what path he wanted. There are too many contradictory statements in the whole picture. But one thing remains clear. He still wanted to be with you, and he was very upset when he learned you had bargained with Alsiter.”
He paused.
“Vale has often been described as the worst of traitors, but whatever those faults, whatever his crimes, you can be assured that he loved you. That was the truth - maybe the only truth Vale had.”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Jun 11, 2015 12:04:36 GMT -6
Yumiko nodded. She hesitated and then raised her head. “Ukitake, did he-” she lowered it again, “do you know how long he had this?”
Juushiro placed the worn rope onto her knee.
She chuckled, a wry smile flashing across her face. “Vale….” She ran her fingers over the worn material and sighed. She started asking questions. “Was it always meant to end, Ukitake?”
“I don’t know.”
“He knew about Aizen. He knew that man would come back to torment us.”
“He did.”
“But he stayed silent. He apologized yet stayed silent.” She clutched the ring to herself, starting to shake again. Her eyes flashed violet and she stood up, beginning to pace, to keep herself thinking. “He bargained for this peace but gave it a time limit.” The ring bit into her clenched hand. “Why didn’t he say something?”
“I don’t know, Yumiko,” her guardian murmured.
Yumiko sighed again and looked to the rope and ring in her hand- to the imprint left behind. “How much of him did I win over? Was there a part of him I never touched? Is that why?” She paused. “Were we fooling ourselves? And…." She slumped to the floor by the coffee table. “Is it my fault he’s dead?”
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