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[The following letter arrives early in the afternoon. The penmanship is neat and elegant, and it's clear that the writer took her time to appear as formal and professional as possible. And for the most part it does seem professional...save for the little cartoonish bunny face she drew in the bottom right corner that's smiling happily up at you.]

To Those Who Reside in Aqures Ixen,

Greetings. I hope the day finds you well. I find myself in need of an instructor in the way of cooking and preparing meals, as my skills are relatively undeveloped. In return for your time and patience, I will purchase the ingredients, and I will also be willing to teach you a skill of my own if I am able. I reside in the house marked as B-03, but if you prefer, I will go to you for lessons as I am unsure what utensils we currently possess for culinary purposes. Please respond at your earliest convenience. I would be most grateful.

Regards,
Rukia Kuchiki

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[Rukia sighs with playful excess drama.]

I wish I knew. I think it requires sweet rice flour, but I don't know if they sell it here.

[She glances over her shoulder at him with a smile before returning to her work.]

I'll see if any of the restaurants here have shiratama on the menu. I'll ask for the recipe if that's the case.

[Following a written recipe is harder than learning in person, but it'll be good practice for her at least. She pats the stuffing down on top of the flattened meat, spreading it evenly with her fingers. What is Soul Society?]

It is where spirits are guided after they die. I suppose some would call it 'Heaven.'

I'll see if I can find it.

[Crouching Soldier, hidden gourmand.]

Let me know what you find.

[But once she has the roast in hand, he can't stop but stare.]

Do you guide them there?

That's kind of you.

[She grins at him, daring to feel a little hopeful. She'd love to eat shiratama again, but she doesn't think she'll be too disappointed if they come up empty-handed. She asks for the next step, and upon receiving it, she carefully rolls up the roast with the stuffing into a spiral before tying it with string.]

I do. Performing the soul burial ritual is one of two duties expected of a shinigami. The other is to exorcise negative spirits, what we refer to as Hollows.

[If the grin was any indication Angeal had guessed he had said the right thing. So he made a mental note to try and locate this ingredient.

And after hearing what she did back home, Angeal wondered if he'd died where she was, if she would've been the one to find him. It gave him something to ponder as she busied herself with the roast.]

Sounds like you were kept busy.

[If he had died in her world, it was possible. Instead he got the boring Lifestream where nothing fun ever happens. ~~It's actually much safer there than Soul Society, though.~~ His comment earns a chuckle before she smirks over her shoulder.]

I was proud to perform my duties.

[She still is. When she returns home, she'll return to her job and her friends. But for now, her duties are here to protect this world, and possibly her own by extension. She takes a step back, then carries the roast to the oven.]

What of yourself? You claimed to be part of a military. Did you engage in field combat often?

I was in the military, and yes I went on missions often.

[He was the type to make sure all of the boys under his command came back alive even if he had to risk his own life to do so and had done so. Angeal simply saw it as his responsibility as a First Class.

Turning away, he busied himself with making tea, because he wasn't sure what else to say. His next words were to tell Rukia that he was dead back home but he stopped himself.]

[She thought he would say more. But as she waited patiently, nothing seemed to be forthcoming. Hm? Had she asked about something too personal? Perhaps she had overestimated her boundaries and trespassed in uncomfortable territory. She wanted to ask, but she was loathe to pry too.]

For how many years?

[That much, at least, was probably safe enough.]

A long time.

[Angeal shook his head.]

I was in the military until a friend left, and then I tried to get him to come back. I went back to work until..

[He half laughed, unwilling to ruin her visit.]

Until I passed away.

[Given what Rukia was, he would be hard-pressed to ruin a visit with talk of death. It was something she was accustomed to. Technically speaking, she was very dead herself. It's the uncomfortable nature of his posture and the lack of humor in his laugh that gives her pause far more than the status of his mortality.]

Oi...

[Rukia turns to better face him.]

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

[This was Angeal speak for 'don't worry about me'. He was used to being the one that worried about others. If others worried about him that..wasn't the way it was suppose to go.]

There has to be a reason I'm here, I just have to find it.

[And he believed there was a reason, he just didn't know what exactly it was. He knew what he'd been told, but he wanted to believe there was more to it. So he would seek a path of redemption and repentance.]

[Tch... Liar. It was clear to her that he was shaken. But instead of pressing the issue to force him to admit it, Rukia took a mental step back. A man's pride could be just as valuable as his life. Sometimes more. Was she to rob him of the first when he'd already lost the second?]

[Rukia looks away for a moment, uncertain as to what she could say to ease his discomfort.]

I believe there is. A reason for all of us. ...Maybe multiple reasons.

[For a moment she remains silent. Then her dark-eyed gaze returns to Angeal's face.]

Whatever that reason may be, I am glad that you are here now.

[Their friendship is a new, budding thing, but she still treasures it.]

[Not shaken so much as didn't want to admit it. But he looked over at her when she concurred with his theory. It gave him hope and that was what he needed.

And she floored him with what she said next, because it wasn't something that he was looking to hear. But that too was something that he needed to hear though he didn't realize it until he actually heard it. And it meant the world to him honestly. But all he could do was acknowledge.]

Thank you,

[Rukia smiles. Really, thanking her for that... Doesn't he know it isn't necessary? Rather than respond aloud, she reaches up and presses her thumb to his chin, returning the gesture he gave to her when she was confessing her frustrations.]

[With that, she feels that they are truly friends.]

[Then she turns away with one last grin over her shoulder before she dutifully starts to clean up, carrying the utensils to the sink for a good washing.]

[Angeal is confused by the gesture at first but then realizes what she did and why by that grin on her face. He can't help but laugh and help get everything ready for making dessert once the table has been wiped down.]

I can wash those in a few minutes.

[Really he doesn't expect her to do anything.]

Allow me to do my part.

[Which means she isn't stopping, nor is she slowing down. She intends to leave his kitchen just as clean as she found it, if not better.]

You bought the groceries with your own stipend, didn't you? Then you've already done more than enough. You're my teacher, not my servant. And I know how to do this.

[She smiles as she says it, but she's not backing down on this.]

[He held up his hands in mock surrender and there was a tone of mirth underlying his words.]

Far be it from me to get in your way. But you're right I did get them..

[Angeal's voice trailed off as Rukia insisted on doing the dishes. So he shook his head with a smile and continued working.]

Heh!

[They're in agreement. Good. If ever she does get orders to act as a Hero of Light, she'd certainly consider Angeal as an acceptable partner for a tough job. It feels like they work well together, and she appreciates that.]

[It doesn't take her long to rinse off the cutting board, knife, and meat mallet. The bowl used for the stuffing is turned upside down to dry as well. Rukia runs her damp hands over a hand towel, prepared for the next step. She knows there's more; she can see the groceries they haven't yet used set out on the counter.]

So! What else are we preparing?

[He chuckled silently and continued working until he heard Rukia's question. Lifting his head, he searched for his paring knife.]

An apple pie. They're not the apples I'm used to but they'll work.

[He's referring to the dumb apples of course but these will do for what he intends them for.]

If I can somehow find strawberries and cheesecake ingredients, that's my favourite.

So that's what they were for.

[She looks at the remaining ingredients as she says it. Rukia hasn't eaten apple pie before, but she's curious. And yet his favorite dessert...it's...a cake made of cheese. She can't say that it sounds appetizing. With strawberries, no less. She shouldn't judge it until she tries it for herself, but...]

It sounds...unique.

[Why would that be his favorite? Does he have strange tastes?]

That's a kind way to put it.

[Angeal smirked and continued working, starting to get the crust together. He's going to make one for now and make a few others later. One will be for Sephiroth though, because Angeal isn't sure how well that man eats.]

So what kinds of things do you eat for dessert?

[She watches him for a moment to see how it's done before finding a small knife of her own. Then she hoists herself up onto the countertop to peel apples as well.]

Dessert is fairly rare. We don't need to eat as much in Soul Society. Those without spiritual powers never feel hunger at all.

[It happens on occasion, though.]

A piece of fruit, or maybe a sack of candies, I suppose?

[He doesn't outwardly smile, but when she gets to peeling and coring the apples, there's a smile inside.]

But that's changed now that you're here?

[Really food is a great conversation starter with this one, or plants, but right now he's cooking so food it is.]

What kind of fruit?

It seems so, yes.

[She places a long section of peel to the side, comfortable with their conversation.]

Most anything you might see in the Living World. My brother has a fondness for bananas in particular.

[Mentioning Byakuya brings a calm smile to her face.]

How long have you known how to cook anyway? You seem to be rather knowledgable.

Living has a way of shifting priorities around.

[He listens to what she says about the bananas and nods.]

Those weren't all that hard to come by, it depends on how they're made.

[And at her question he shrugged.]

It's been awhile..I used to cook for some of the other members of the military that were my friends. We all had huge appetites, so there was plenty of food to go around.

You must have been close.

[The apple she had is peeled, so she sets it aside and picks up another.]

I've found that most squads where I'm from become fairly tight knit as well. Are any of your squad mates present in this place?

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