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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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We were..at one point.

[Angeal wondered if they would ever get back to the way that they were. But Sephiroth was here, so maybe there would be second chances. He wasn't exactly sure, but he really wanted it to be so again.

Nodding at her question was easy.]

Yes, one is here.

[At one point? ...Should she...ask about it? She's curious, but it sounds like she's getting close to something personal. Maybe she should refrain for now, they still don't know each other that well just yet. She looks back at her apple and resumes peeling.]

Have you resumed training together?

Not yet, but I'm hoping to.

[Angeal had glanced at Rukia because his eyes matched his tone. Both were sincere and full of wanting things to work out. But Angeal knew far too well what the issues were and wasn't sure how to gauge anything yet.]

Then I shall add my hopes to yours.

[There's not much more she can say without asking probing questions, so she turns the topic to lighter things. She'll talk of her training with other Heroes, of the things she's learned while studying with her new friend Robin, and asking plenty of questions when she's allowed a chance to do so. Those apples wind up getting peeled pretty fast. After quartering each apple, Rukia uses a paring knife to slip out the core and shuck off thin slices into a bowl. She's amazed to learn that lemon juice prevents an apple from browning, and becomes an attentive student once more.]

[When she folds the final crust over the bed of apples, she looks immensely satisfied.]

That didn't take much effort, but it certainly appears as if it did. I'll be glad to see what it looks like once it has been baked.

[Silently Angeal wondered if that would be a futile hope or not but he still didn't want to ruin anything by saying a word. He did miss Sephiroth, missed Genesis and his pup, but only one of them was in this world, and that's who he had to focus on. Privately he wondered and hoped things could be reconciled, but he had no real idea.

Once he put the pies in the oven he nodded at Rukia.]

I'm sure they're fine, but we'll certainly find out.

[She likes this meal idea. Minimal preparation, long baking time. The house is going to smell wonderful. In the meantime, they'll have a long wait, so she figures that's a good opportunity to get to know one another better.]

[Once Rukia has finished cleaning up the flour, scraps, and dishes, she can at last relax and enjoy the tea he made.]

Tell me of yourself and your world. What made you decide to pursue a military career?

[Knowing to stay out of Rukia's way, Angeal helped clean up and swept the floor. He was just finishing that task up when he heard the question.]

It was really something to do. Where I'm from there's not much to do unless you're a farmer. So a friend of mine wanted to join the military and again being nothing much else to do I went with him.

[It was nice to think of Genesis and a small smile tugged at his lips for a moment.]

He wanted to be a hero and we both became First Class along with our other friend.

[Here Angeal paused and started on something else.]

What's your story?

[He joined out of boredom? ...Ah, friendship. That seems far more like the Angeal she's coming to know. She smiles, and now that things are clean, she'll find a barstool to perch on. If there aren't any of those, then she's on the countertop once more, ankles crossed, relaxed and comfortable.]

I have no memory of my human existence. From what I understand, I likely died as an infant along with my sister. She could not care for the both of us and hope to survive, so she left me to be raised by another.

[There's no resentment or wistfulness in her voice. That's just how it was for them.]

I grew up in the slums of the Rukongai, and became friends with a small group of boys. When Renji and I were of age, we decided we would become soul reapers, and find a better way of life for ourselves.

[Even if Rukia didn't feel bad being left as an infant, Angeal felt bad for her though he didn't voice the sentiment. He couldn't imagine leaving even one of his troops behind if he was in charge of them and they were grown. It sickened his heart a little at the thought of leaving a baby.]

So you decided to be soul reapers?

[This surprised him a little but really it was more curiousity.]

Why would you choose to do that?

As I said, we wanted a better life for ourselves.

[She smiles serenely, sipping from her tea.]

One by one, Renji and I watched our childhood friends pass away. Hunger, sickness, violence... It was a harsh place, unsuitable for children. We were the only ones with a degree of spiritual power, so we took the opportunity. It was difficult; most students are enrolled through family connections, and did not come from the Rukongai as we did.

[The second half of what she said was what Angeal had been looking for as a reason. But as usual, he listened and didn't interrupt.]

That must've been hard on you, to watch your friends pass away.

[And privately the guilt he carried of Zack being forced to kill him seemed to wash over him in a wave.]

It was. But if anything, it was the motivation we needed to leave. Neither of us would ever have abandoned them while they still lived.

[Rukia leans on the countertop. That was so many years ago, but it's a moment she can't fail to remember. She even remembers the color of the sky when they made that decision together.]

After some years in the Academy, I was adopted into the noble Kuchiki family. My sister had married the last surviving heir. She had grown ill, and as her dying wish, she begged her husband to find and care for me. So my graduation was rushed, and I was placed into the 13th Division of the Soul Society.

[From rags to riches, she'd never really known a life in between these two extremes until recently. Rukia smiles and finishes her cup.]

Is that a satisfactory summary?

[Of course he never interrupted but he tried to memorize some of the things that she was saying because they were important to her.]

If that's all you want to report, that's all there is to it.

[There was a light tone used here and it was half serious and half teasing. Sure he wanted to know anything she wanted to tell him, but that was at Rukia's discretion.]

Oh? Was there something you wanted to ask?

[Of course there's more, but there are just some things you don't dump on the shoulders of someone you're just getting to know. Kaien, her mended relationship with Byakuya, the feelings of friendship and gratitude she developed for Ichigo and the others... It's all important to her, and something she doesn't share casually. But perhaps someday.]

[He shook his head.]

Nothing you wouldn't want to tell me.

[This had him get up and get some more tea or he might ask the wrong question or something. Angeal always exercised caution and this was definitely one of those times.]

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