i feel the love, and i feel it burn, down this river every turn

[oyashiromama]

[The trial, as usual, was taxing. It's for different reasons every week, but what it all comes down to is there are fewer of them than there were, and that keeps on happening. The note comes, as it always does, earlier than last week, but still with some delay. There's a note slipped under everyone's door. ...One under Gold's door because of course Silver will be staying there, she knows.]

Please come to the dining room, if you would like not to be alone. There will be food, and there will be some cards and board games if you need a distraction.

- Hanyuu & Elda

[True to that, there are a variety of foods. It's nothing too fancy. Rice, grilled fish, eggs in various styles. ...No creampuffs this time, it seems Hanyuu thought that would be a little in poor taste. Also a bunch of fries? ...Really spicy fries, like incredibly so.

On a far table, board games brought from the games room have been left out, along with many decks of cards.]

Comments

[oyashiromama]

[For someone with such a poor opinion of herself as Hanyuu, she can't quite imagine the thoughts going through Orihime's head, and how grateful she could possibly be. Yes, Shino was amazing, one of the most fantastic humans she'd had the honor to meet.

But how the honor ties to Hanyuu herself is lost on her.]

You do! Both of you... You, like her, would do whatever you could for those you care about...and not judge those who are different, but help them. I'm so very grateful to her...and to you too. Watanuki isn't the only one we'd be worse off without.

[introspects]

Ah...well...

[ she still can't process this?! she's not used to being thought of so highly like this, but...when she thinks about it, hanyuu reminds her...of someone she knows.

someone important. ]

You remind me, then, of my friend at home, too. She's graceful, kind, and strong...and she's one of the strongest people I know.

Her name is Kuchiki Rukia.

[oyashiromama]

[Just the way Orihime says this person's name, it sounds like this...is someone she holds in very high opinion. Missing context as she is, she's still touched.

She takes Orihime's hand.]

My friend was named Kimiyoshi Shino. What...is Rukia like?

[introspects]

[ orihime gladly takes her hand back, smiling fondly as she looks back on her memories with her friends. with rukia. one of the people she will always and forever hold dear to her heart. ]

Well, Kuchiki-san...she can wield ice, and her zanpakuto is the most beautiful of them all! She's small but elegant, powerful, and admirable...kind and understanding. Noble.

[oyashiromama]

She sounds like such a strong girl.

[...She does have to ask, though-]

What's a zanpakuto? I think...I can piece together what it means, but what...is it a special weapon?

[introspects]

It's a sword! And they have really cool powers, too, with spirits attached to them. Kind of like Munechika-san. They're sort of special like that, haha!

[oyashiromama]

So...they're like Mikazuki, just in his sword form! [She gets that, that's cool!] ...Heh, my sword...when I was alive, I had one sort of like that. It could shape-shift.

[introspects]

...

Eeeeeh?! Hanyuu--Hanyuu had a sword?!

[ YOU NEVER TOLD HER THIS ]

[oyashiromama]

[OH NO-]

A-a-aah...! Y-yes, I did, i-it's sealed away now, but- i-it was called Onigari-no-Ryuuou, and it looked like a willow branch most commonly- au, paper--

[She'll grab paper from the mail room and doodle something like the sword the girl in the center is holding!]

See?