#asktastic

From a young age, whenever Rukia went to visit her grandfather in the summer, she knew never to go to the Urahara Manor. It was just something that you didn’t do. When she was allowed out to play with the other children, they would always dare each other to go and touch the front gate of the Urahara Manor, and some would report back saying they heard a noise or saw a figure, and that would cement Rukia’s fear even more.

There was something about that place that made her senses act up. And it was on her way home, so she would pass by it. Normally, she would uphold the Kuchiki Ideals. Walk, not run, through anything that scared you. But now, she only ran. She knew Renji wouldn’t tell on her. They would make a game of it—whoever ran past the Manor the fastest had to by the other ice cream next time.

Rukia hadn’t bought Renji one single ice cream.

But today, Renji and the other kids couldn’t play something about summer homework. And Grandpa Ginrei had given Rukia money to buy ice cream on that hot summer day for them both, hoping that she’d hurry before his son got back and scolded them for not doing any of Rukia’s extravagant list of activities. Rukia had the two ice creams—an ice cream sandwich for her grandfather and a weird looking character ice cream for herself—in hand as she walked by the house, excited to eat, when she heard it.

“I-I-Is someone there?” Her little voice quaked with fear. She was across the street, but the cries sounded like they were only a foot or so away from her. Despite everything, Rukia took slow steps across the empty street and stood in front of the house. “H-H-Hello?”

The street in front of the Urahara Manor was mostly deserted. The town was about a mile in the direction Rukia came and her own home was about a quarter mile away from this place. All the other houses were rundown around it.

“Why won’t anybody play with me?” The voice, much clearer, cried. Rukia peered in through the gates. A young girl, about her age stood there, hands rubbing against her eyes as she cried.

“You have a scary house.” Rukia blurted out before she could stop herself, then slapped her hand against her mouth. The girl pauses, looking up at Rukia. Her eyes are red and puffy, but lighter than her bright red hair. “U-Uh, I’m… I gotta go.”

“Wait!” The girl reaches out, running towards the gate and slams into it. The look on her face is pleading. “Y-You can hear me?”

Rukia tilts her head. “Y-Yeah?” She says, blinking. “You’re talkin’ real loud. Crying loud too.”

“D-Do you wanna play with me?” The girl asks, hope filling her silver eyes and Rukia almost says yes, then she feels the ice cream dripping down her hand.

“I can’t!” She yelps, which startles the girl into falling back. “B-But, tomorrow! Tomorrow I’ll come back!”

“You promise?” The girl stands again. Rukia nods, sticking her pinky through the bars of the gate.

“Yeah, pinky promise. You do it like this.” Rukia gestures for the girl to copy her, which she does, “I pinky promise to come back tomorrow or I’ll stick a thousand needles in my armpits! Or that’s what Renji says anyway.” The girl giggles, wiping excess tears from her eyes.

“Then it’s a promise.” The girl grins.

“I’m Rukia.” Rukia finally says, pulling away.

“Hoshiko.”

Rukia awakes with a jolt, sitting up and startling her maid. Momo jumps, almost dropping the tea tray she had been carrying. “L-Lady Rukia!” She yelps, her eyes wide, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Rukia replies, her voice breathless, “I just… I had a dream—more like a memory, I guess.”

“Oh?” Momo puts the tea try down on the cart, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Is it the nerves?”

“Maybe,” She replies, “I dreamt about the summer home, when we would visit Grandfather Ginrei. And my friends from that town.”

“Hm,” Momo hummed, “Your husband-to-be is from that town, so maybe it resurfaced some memories. It has been some time since you’ve been there, right?”

“Yes,” Rukia finally pushed back the duvet and swung her feet over the edge, “Grandfather became too sick to live on his own when I turned sixteen. We haven’t been there since, now I am twenty-one.”

Momo pours Rukia’s tea while Rukia herself moves around the room, opening the curtains and windows, letting in the fresh air. “Well, today is a happy day, is it not?”

“It’s certainly a sunny one.” Rukia replies. Her fingers pause on the back of her sitting chair. “Momo,” Momo looks up, setting down the tea pot. “Do you think I’ll like him?”

“He seems very likable.” Momo replied, “From all the stories I’ve heard… it seems he has an easy time befriending people.”

Rukia feels a ghost of a touch on her skin, and in her mind, she sees red hair and a bright smile. Somehow, she doesn’t think she’ll like her suitor much.

Her dress is large, nearly taking up more room than it should as she stares out the window for the tenth time. Her grandfather chuckles, sipping at his mid-morning tea while Rukia huffs, sitting down on the sofa. “Are you hoping, perhaps, they’ve gotten lost?”

“If I said that, Byakuya-nii-sama would surely had my head.” Rukia replies, “So instead of saying it, I shall think it and think it loudly.” At this, Ginrei laughs, and one of the attendants enters the room, “They’re pulling their carriage around to the front!”

Rukia tenses, her hands freezing where they are and her eyes go wide. “I was just as nervous,” Ginrei says, “Meeting your grandmother. Though, we did come to love each other.”

“I’m already in love.” Rukia blurts out, then slaps her hands against her mouth. Ginrei chuckles.

“I know. As was I, at that time.” Ginrei sounds wistful, and the look on his face is far off. “Maybe you should make yours eternal.”

Byakuya is already outside when Ginrei and Rukia arrive. The carriage pulls to a stop and it’s quiet for a moment, before the door is slammed open and a boy flies out, landing right at Rukia’s feet.

“Guys, we’re supposed to be making a good first impression.” Another voice says. Rukia notes that the horses aren’t startled and the driver looks bored.

“My son should be more prepared to meet his new fiancé! Instead he’s playing around!” At this, two more people come falling out of the carriage. A large man with facial hair and a much younger man with glasses, dressed in white. Two girls follow him, then another man, much larger and tanner than the rest. And then finally, another girl.

Before she can get a clear look at the girl, the boy on the ground finally stands up, blocking Rukia’s view of her. He is tall and well-built and his bright orange hair is exactly as she’d imagined it and Rukia blinks. He acts as if he hadn’t been tossed five feet from a carriage. Really, the only thing noting he had been tossed was probably the dirt marks on his clothing. “Sorry about this lot. I’m Ichigo Kurosaki. You’re Rukia?”

“Yes.” Rukia finally says, “R-Rukia…. Um, Kuchiki. Please to make your acquaintance.” She bows and he laughs.

“We’re to be married, but you act so distant. I hope we’ll be good friends.” Ichigo then says, “I brought my entourage, I hope this is alright?” He turns to Byakuya who merely nods. “That’s my dad and sisters, that’s Uryu, and that’s Sado, and the girl is—“

“Hoshiko.” Rukia breathes out, startling Ichigo.

“Er, yeah, do you know each other?” He steps out of the way when Hoshiko comes barreling towards them and slams into Rukia, sending them both to the ground.

“Rukia! Rukia! I was so worried when you didn’t come back! I thought you hated me!” The girl cries, hands gripping onto Rukia’s dress.

“Of course I don’t hate you!” Rukia yelps back, “I could never! I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you when we left.”

“I’m so glad we’re reunited!” Hoshiko cries, sitting up and pulling Rukia with her. She then hugs Rukia around the neck, “Don’t leave like that again!”

“Not to, um, break this up,” Ichigo cuts in, “But, Hoshiko, how do you know Rukia—er, Lady Rukia?” Hoshiko pulls away for a moment, standing and pulling Rukia with her, though she doesn’t let go of the girl at all.

‘Rukia’s a friend of mine from childhood. I met you guys the summer she stopped coming to Karakura Town.’ Rukia watched, puzzled at the hand movements Hoshiko made.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lady Rukia, friend of Hoshiko.” Ichigo finally says, though it sounds a little odd to Rukia. Hoshiko looks at him, and Ichigo nods, “Let us have fun tonight.”

“I’m confused.” Rukia says at the banquet that night. She and Ichigo are dancing across the ballroom floor. “What was Hoshiko doing with her hands? All that.. stuff, and how you guys did it back or... just spoke.=”

“You don’t know?” Ichigo raises an eyebrow. “She was signing. It’s what people who can’t hear or speak—or don’t want to speak—do to communicate.”

“Hoshiko can speak just fine.” Rukia argues, her eyes gliding across the room to where Hoshiko dances with Ichigo’s father. The two laugh as he spins her around much more aggressively than any other dancing pair. “I’ve heard her voice, it’s lovely. She can sing as well, and that’s divine.”

“She can’t.” Ichigo says, “She had a disease at birth, which muted her for life. I don’t know how you manage to figure out everything she’s saying when she doesn’t speak.”

“Because she is speaking.” Rukia gets a little louder, before coughing and lowering her voice. Her cheeks tinge pink and she looks down.

“They say,” Ichigo changes the subject, “That how you know someone is your soulmate… you’re able to hear their voice even when they don’t speak. Like some kind of mind connection or something.”

Rukia hums, but Ichigo continues speaking, “When I saw you two in the garden earlier, all I heard was you speaking—and Hoshiko wasn’t signing. She was just sitting there, listening and nodding and making wild gestures. It made me really think about my decision tonight. I knew there was nothing else I could do.”

“Decision?” Rukia echoes. Ichigo nods and they stop near the middle of the dance floor, coincidentally near Hoshiko and Ichigo’s father. “What do you mean?”

“I’m breaking off the engagement.” Ichigo says loudly, and without preamble. The look of shock on Rukia’s face is enough to make Ichigo laugh. He motions Hoshiko over and breaks away from Rukia. “I’d very much rather not fight Hoshiko for your hand in marriage. So, it was nice meeting you, Lady Rukia, but I’ll take my chances elsewhere.”

Ichigo bows to her, before signing at Hoshiko and then walking away with his father. Hoshiko takes Rukia’s hands and they begin dancing as if they had never stopped. “Ichigo’s always like that, don’t mind him.” Hoshiko grins, “He’ll find someone someday. Did you know this was his third broken engagement? That’s why I was surprised when such a noble house sent a letter.”

“To be honest, it’s because I’ve had just as many broken engagements.” Rukia replies, “I must confess, Hoshiko, I have often thought about you and longed to return to you.” The words make both of the girls blush and Hoshiko looks away.

“I was supposed to be the one laying down all of these cheesy lines.” Hoshiko pouts, then laughs. “I wonder if your brother will allow this. If he is looking for benefits, House Urahara has much to offer. I handle business with many people from different lands and my father is a very bright inventor. We have many allies and much to offer.”

“I don’t care if he doesn’t.” Rukia surprised herself. What surprised her even more was that she meant it. “I want to be with you, I… I love you, Hoshiko.”