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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 26, 2015 15:32:39 GMT -6
"Growth and Understanding":Ryo sat beside a small koi pond, baby Sakuma curled up in her lap. Sakuma took his appearance more from his father than his mother. His golden eyes gleamed as he looked up at his mother. His brown and blonde furred pointed ears twitching to Ryo's coos. Sakuma sat up on her lap, his brown haired tail swinging wildly in excitement. "Well, hello my baby puppy!" Sakuma purred and reached out, grabbing Ryo's hand with his tiny covered hands. He put one of his hands in his mouth, trying to chew off the little red mitten. "Now, Kuma." Ryo took his hand from his mouth, picking him up and turning him to face her. "We have to keep those little claws of yours covered. We don't want you hurting yourself or Shunsui." Ryo placed a kiss on his nosed, as Sajin sat down beside her. Ryo looked to Sajin, as he held baby Shunsui tenderly in his cupped hands. "You still look uncertain when you hold them. Why are you so afraid to hold or carry your own children?"
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Post by Captain Sajin Komamura on May 26, 2015 15:55:54 GMT -6
Sajin frowned, wrinkling his nose and exhaling loudly. "I'm not." he said softly, moving the sleeping Shunsui to the crook of his arm. Nuzzling the child against his chest, Sajin smiled warmly. "They are so small, Ryo. I am...Not." Looking to Ryo, he smiled.
Motherhood had changed her. She had become a slightly more cautious creature. But, had somehow remained the fun-loving woman she was before marriage and motherhood. Sajin reached over and pulled Sakuma's hand from his mouth. Only for the cub to grab his finger. He chuckled as the little beast tried to chew on the tip of his finger.
"Ryo Komamura..." he began. Sajin looked down as Shunsui let out a soft yawn and opened his eyes.
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 26, 2015 16:15:01 GMT -6
"I know, Sajin." Ryo held Sakuma up on shaky legs, as he continued to chew on his father's finger. "One year and many 'thank yous' later. Honey, I know. And, you are still welcome." He wiggled and bounced in her lap, he tail swinging with a mad determination. "He's going to eat your finger."
Sajin chuckled, pulling his finger the Sakuma's mouth. He ruffled the child's wild brown mane. "Then, he has quite the appetite."
Sakuma fell down into Ryo's lap and lifted her haori over his head. "Are you hiding, Sakuma?" His tail swung, showing his excitement. "Are you hiding?" asked Ryo, laughing at the poorly hiding puppy.
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Post by Captain Sajin Komamura on May 26, 2015 16:30:41 GMT -6
Sajin laughed loudly, grabbing the cub by the tail. He brought Sakuma close to his face and growled playfully at the cub. Sakuma giggled and squirmed in his father grasp. His laughter stirred his slightly younger twin brother into a laughing fit of his own.
He placed Sakuma next to Shunsui in the crook of his arm, and watched as the boys laughed and carried on.
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 26, 2015 17:07:57 GMT -6
Sakuma put his hands in his mouth, finally pulling his mittens off his tiny clawed hands. He crawled up his father's shoulder, only to fall back onto his brother. He slumped back into Sajin's arm and began to whimper. Shunsui giggled between his spit bubbles and his brother's antics.
"You can do it, Kuma." said Ryo, standing and walking over to Sajin. She picked up the puppy and placed him to his father's chest, where he began to climb again. She kept a hand beneath his back to keep him from falling. "You've got it, puppy." said Ryo, encouraging the climbing Sakuma.
Once on his father's shoulder, Sakuma let out a happy howl. Ryo and Sajin laughed as the happy cub rolled from Sajin's shoulder back into his arms. "Well, nice to know we have one calm child." Ryo took Shunsui from Sajin's arm, and kissed his cheek. "Unless this is all an act Shunsui Komamura. If it is, you tell me know." she whispered to the giggling child. "So, I can give you back to your father."
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 26, 2015 17:30:49 GMT -6
“Now, now, Ryo-chan, if you’re not going to take my namesake, I most definitely will,” the commander called from the other side of the garden, accompanied by Juushiro. He tipped his hat at the happy couple in front of him. “After all, if he has my name, he is bound to be as great as I." He waved away Sajin and Ryo's attempts to bow and continued his walk over towards them.
"Congratulations, captains. I hope they grow tall and mischievous." He paused with a chuckle, looking down at them from beneath his hat. "And one's already trying to be great, judging from his howl of triumph. I wonder, was he trying to climb his father?"
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 26, 2015 17:41:01 GMT -6
Ryo nodded, presenting the Commander with his namesake. "That, he was." Ryo looked over her shoulder, to see Sajin standing with Sakuma. The puppies hands had been covered again. Turning back to the Commander and Ukitake, Ryo smiled. "So, what brings two of you by?"
"They've come to take these two off of our hands." laughed Sajin, handing Sakuma to Ukitake. "Two of the finest babysitters the Gotei 13 has to offer."
Ryo laughed taking Sakuma's hand from his mouth again. "I don't think babysitting is in a Captain's job description, dear."
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Post by Captain Juushiro Ukitake on May 27, 2015 10:15:06 GMT -6
Juushiro chuckled as Sajin replied and wrapped his arm around the curious pup. "I see nothing wrong with being called that as I do love kids." While Shunsui responded, he reaching into his kimono and pulled out two balls covered in bright squares squares of fabric. Smiling, he gave one to the little one in his arms, smile growing as the puppy squirmed and and held the ball close. He tossed the second one to Shunsui, who caught it with his free hand.
"That's a sweet gift, Ukitake, but I don't think balls will last with these two biting everything. Especially this one." Ryo murmured, walking over and double-checking Sakuma's gloves. "This one has fangs sharper than his father's. Don't you, puppy?"
Juushiro chuckled. "They're made of many layers of cloth, Ryo. It will take a while to destroy them. And if they are, there's no harm done."
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 27, 2015 17:25:53 GMT -6
Ryo smiled as Sakuma grew angry at the tiny ball of fabric. He chewed away angrily, growling in between his chews and gasps for breath. "I don't think this one will last long at all. Sakuma is his father's child. More wolf, right now, than anything." Sakuma briefly stopped his assualt on the ball at the sound of his name.
"If Sakuma is my child, Shunsui is most certainly yours." huffed Sajin. "Not an ounce of wolf in him...Thankfully."
Shaking her head, Ryo looked to the Commander and his namesake. "Come to see your namesake? Or, is there more to this visit? Usually, when there is news worth hearing or talking about, I get the pair of you. Is there something Sajin and I should know?"
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 28, 2015 12:47:23 GMT -6
The Captain Commander rubbed at his chin. “Can’t I visit two of my captains without an ulterior motive besides cute puppies?” he retorted, lifting Shunsui up in his arms and watching the little boy giggle before squirming and fussing to snuggle again. The first Shunsui obliged, and then, he sighed. “But you are right. Juu-chan, do you mind watching them for a while on your own?”
Juushiro nodded.
Shunsui set his sleepy namesake down into the nest of pillows and blankets on the ground as his friend neared with the more lively wolf pup.
Chuckling and tipping his hat, he looked to the now nervous parents. “Let’s take this conversation away from the children, Ryo, Sajin. And please don’t worry too much.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and led the way deeper into the garden.
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Post by Captain Sajin Komamura on May 28, 2015 20:46:01 GMT -6
Placing around Ryo, Sajin picked up his wife and placed her on her shoulder. He chuckled and patted her leg, as she looked back at Juushiro and the kids. "What are we not to worry about, Captain Commander?"
"Shunsui..." whispered Ryo, looking down with narrowed eyes at the Commander. "Sajin, I have a feeling that I know what this is about." Hopping down from his shoulder, Ryo gently caressed Sajin's hand and smiled.
Sajin and nodded, leaving Ryo and the Captain alone on their walk through the garden.
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 29, 2015 0:55:05 GMT -6
Shunsui led Ryo into the wooded area of the garden, his eyes shaded, his back turned, as he considered how to approach this subject. As they neared a wall, he sighed. “You said you had an idea what this is about, Ryo. Will you enlighten the spirits around us or shall I?”
He paused and tipped his hat up. “And no you aren’t in trouble for falling in love with a puppy. I think it is rather late for that, don’t you think?”
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 29, 2015 4:36:44 GMT -6
Ryo smiled. "No. Falling in love with Sajin isn't what has brought you here. But, now you have two Captain Komamura's in your ranks. Not that it is a problem." Ryo looked to the Commander. He wore a smile, slightly making his concern.
"The problem is, now we have children." added Ryo. "You wish for me to step down." She paused with a heavy sigh. "Am I correct?"
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 29, 2015 10:03:33 GMT -6
Shunsui folded his arms as he turned to face her. “I am put in an unusual position. Soul reapers have much lower fertility rates than most creatures of creation, and it is rare for a captain to become a father or a mother.” He looked away. “Their higher fertility rate is another reason that the nobles maintain their power.”
He returned his gaze to Ryo. “You have two people who will need to rely on you for at least a decade and will still wish to have your support for decades to come. Sajin and yourself are the only people that can completely fulfill that wish of theirs. Yet, if you remain a captain, you could die and leave them alone - with an emptiness in their hearts - abandonment in other words.” He lowered his head. “Even if Aizen is gone, other wars will come. It is our lot in life. However, a mother holds the strongest ties to a young mind. I do not wish to be the tool that breaks that. Your most important duty is to those children not the Realms."
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Post by Captain Ryo Hirabayashi on May 29, 2015 10:36:50 GMT -6
"You're right, Captain." began Ryo. She turned head back to the Commander, hiding the tears that were falling. "But, to ask me to step down...I've tried to prepare myself for this conversation." she chuckled, wipping her tears away with the edge of her kimono. "I can't, Captain. I can't just...leave."
The Commander's face was unreadable. "May I ask your reasoning for this?"
"Captain...This is like asking me to be without my zanpakuto." stated Ryo. She turned and faced the Commander. "Another thing I will not do."
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