soul_logs | Teatime

Entry tags:

Teatime | Closed

Characters: Rhode Kamelot & Hitsugaya Toushirou
Location: ~~Casa Mukulot~~ Rhode & Mukuro's appartamenti.
Rating: G
Time: February 16, after training
Description: Rhode has invited one of her white-haired friends over for some tarts and tea. Sitting on the grass at training to eat just wouldn't do, after all.

Rhode was humming to herself as they made their way up the stairs to her home, a little bit of pounce in her step that she normally didn't have at this time of day. Her key fit right into the lock when they reached the apartment door, and she swung it open to let her guest in first (for once), flashing a smile at Hitsugaya before she glanced along the hall. It was a casual motion, something from habit, but it was apparent that she was checking for anything dangerous lurking about.

"Put your things down!" She chirped once she'd stepped inside, slipping off her shoes in the entryway. "Then tell me what kind of teas you like. And pastries."

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Hitsugaya felt out of his element, to say the least. Agreeing to come over after training had been a reluctant decision on his part, since he was apt to go back to his place and spend most of the day alone. He was moving tomorrow, and while he didn't dislike Mitsuba, living with two people was something he'd have to get used to; it probably meant he had to appreciate the alone time he had right now.

But for some reason, he'd agreed to Rhode's invitation. Slipping off his waraji at the door, he followed her in, looking around a little as he went. He was aware that her partner might be around as well, but now there was slight relief that he didn't appear to be.

"Just tea is fine for me. Any kind of green," he replied, standing near the doorway to the living room and crossing his arms across his chest. It was a struggle not to look as awkward as he felt; it wasn't that he and Rhode didn't get along alright, but he didn't really socialize.

Rhode was already making her way into the kitchen, standing on tiptoe to reach the stash of teabags they kept on the counter. From what she could find, they only had black teas- All very European, but she didn't want to disappoint her guest. She'd bought some green tea back in the day, when she'd started exploring the grocery shelves for the sake of buying things randomly... Ah, there it was! She pulled it out of the cupboard under the counter, setting the box down and tearing at the flimsy cardboard a bit violently.

"We have something called Chinese green tips. It's the same brand as the Earl Grey I like, so it should be fine." She was oblivious to his discomfort, pulling out two of the tea bags and setting them down as she went to turn on the kettle. Her moves were overly cautious, as if she were afraid she'd set something on fire or break it just by using it- The way someone handled things that they weren't quite used to doing for themselves.

Once it was set to boil, she turned to her guest, brushing her hands off on the front of her skirt. "You can sit down, you know. That's what all the stools and chairs and couche are for."

There was a long moment of hesitation as Hitsugaya looked around at the available seating. He supposed the table would be best, since they'd be having tea, so he sat down there and continued to look around the apartment, stealing glances back at her.

It wasn't that he'd never met anyone like Rhode in his life; he'd known quite a few spoiled, egocentric people in fact. But he'd usually been quite good at ignoring them or just having nothing to do with them whatsoever; it was another thing entirely to have tea with someone like that.

But there was something distinctly different about her. Something clever, something bloodthirsty... she was like some strange puzzle that he actually was curious to put together.

"So did your partner actually make you train this morning then?" he asked after another sweeping glance around the kitchen.

"Yes," she replied, with no small amount of annoyance in her tone. "He dragged me out of bed before the sun was really up."

Rhode sniffed indignantly, as if being awakened from her beauty sleep was something immensely offensive for her. The irritation faded after a moment, though, as she perked up- remembering the better part of her week.

"But yesterday, we went on a mission! We've got thirty of those kishin souls now."

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows. He'd know that Rhode and Mukuro were pretty far along with getting kishin eggs, but it was a little surprising to hear that she had about double what he and Sougo had.

"That's pretty good. You've been working for a while to get that many, haven't you?"

He couldn't really recall how long Rhode had said she'd been stuck in this place. Long enough. When Hitsugaya thought about it, it was discouraging to think of anyone being in this place long enough to obtain that many kishin eggs.

"Not too long..." Rhode frowned, silently counting something in her head. "We've been partners since August. Seven months?"

That was a long time, and the silence after she said it aloud made it apparent that she hadn't quite realized how long until she heard it. She recovered quickly, though, glancing to the kettle as the water began steaming.

"We're going to get all of them. One hundred, so I can be a Death Scythe."

"Hmh..." he mused, watching her and resting his chin on his hand thoughtfully. He vaguely knew of other partnerships that were getting close, Cloud and Sephiroth for one. It was such a strange goal, to attain a power level in this place with powers that weren't even theirs. It reminded him of trying to achieve Bankai, which his partner seemed to associate with Death Scythe status. Yes, they were going for it too, even if it was a fleeting level of power.

"We're going to get it as well," he said then, sitting back and cocking a small, arrogant smile at her, "we're behind you guys, but we'll catch up. What if we beat you to it?"

His cocky smile seemed to surprise her; despite their continued association, he hadn't really seemed to have any feelings besides boredom, disinterest, confusion, or disdain when he was around her. After a moment, she returned his smile, that nasty little edge on her sweet expression.

"We'd have to be out of the fight for months for you to come close. And that just won't happen."

Making a soft 'tsk' sound,, he crossed his arms over his chest, the soft smile remaining on his lips.

"You underestimate how determined my partner tends to be. If we could, he'd have us out on missions every day."

That may have been true a week or so ago, but in all actuality, the appearance of Sougo's sister had certainly set him back a few notches. He was more reluctant to leave her alone while they went on missions, his purpose of gaining the status of Death Scythe status for Hitsugaya muddled among all his other concerns. The shinigami maybe should not have been making such bets when his partner was like this, but it didn't stop him.

"Well, perhaps you should let him." She turned to the kettle as it started to whistle, picking up a potholder and pouring the water into their cups. "If you want to catch up so badly, at least."

Rhode hummed quietly, picking up the saucers and carrying them over the table. She sat down as she set it in front of her guest, crossing her legs neatly.

"Of course, by the time that happens, Mukuro and I will probably have fifty."

The smile on his face slowly faded to a calm expression as he seized her up. Her confidence wasn't ill-founded, he could tell that. However strange the relationship between Rhode and her partner was, they evidently worked well together enough to get that many souls without training.

"Maybe I will," he shrugged. "It's not like there's much more to do in this city besides train and go on missions."

Rhode leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin on her laced-together fingers as she grinned at him.

"I'll believe it when I see it." If her hair was long enough, she would have flipped it back; instead, she just tilted her head to one side. "Until then, we'll just be better than you. Do you put sugar or cream into your tea?"

His eyebrow twitched slightly at her challenge, but he let it go and shook his head. "Just black is fine with me."

The situation was strange, but he didn't dislike it. Since coming to this place, he could count the number of people he'd idly "socialized" with on one hand--just as it always had been. And while there may have been little to do in this city that interested him, this wasn't the worst way he could be spending his time.

Rhode took a ginger sip of her own tea, nose wrinkling a bit at it being just a bit hot and the odd taste of it.

"It wouldn't taste very good with anything, really... It's a bit grassy."

She was rather oblivious to his thoughts, though she had a rare little smile on her face as she looked down at the tea and complained about it. Despite herself, she enjoyed having company. She hadn't ever been a solitary creature, and for the last seven months, her partner and Kuroro had been her only true company, with a few exceptions- Exceptions who had all vanished into the air, just the way BREW had made them appear.

Even now, she spent most of her time sitting alone in the apartment watching television and playing video games- Not that she would tell anyone except her partner that.

The thing that had brought them a little closer was their lives back home and the similarities there, so he dwelt on that now as a short silence filled the room between them. She was the same as him--older than their appearances let on, different from the humans. But she came from a very different world than him.

"Your powers back home... what were they?"

"My powers?"

It was a stall tactic, of course, but she was always so convincing when she looked up with those big, blue eyes. She hadn't been expecting the question, and the slightly dimwitted innocent act gave her a moment to consider what sort of answer would be most suitable.

"Well, there were several, I suppose. Mostly I could just walk into people's hearts."

Rhode glanced down to her tea, picking up the string of the bag and stirring it around slowly.

"I'd make all sorts of dreams for them, depending on what I needed or wanted. And I could make little worlds like that, and take people's bodies into them, too."

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Teatime | Closed

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yes, Rhode, this is all a compliment to your company.

but everything is a compliment to Rhode's company... and existence...

ahaha is that so

there are billions of planets circling billions of suns circling one single point in the universe...