No Smoking Allowed! [Closed, Watari]

He was starting to calm. This was good! But this addiction was really stuck in his head. Still, baby steps. Perhaps that was how they would conquer this.

A few more strawberries were picked and placed into the basket. Was it really that impressive? She didn't really think so. It was just a relaxing, nostalgic hobby. Wait. Speaking of hobbies!

"I wouldn't know much about wine, but most of it is in the smell. You can detect when they are ripe enough. Also the feel. They feel a bit squishier. If they are really firm then they'll have juice, but it's not going to be as sweet. Too squishy and they are sweet but not quite as juicy. It's a delicate balance."

It didn't really take her too long to gather a fair supply, at least not when she put her mind to it. Already her basket was nearly a quarter full, but then it wasn't a large one either. "You said you draw. I might have some supplies in my study. Would that help?"

Watari tilted his head to the side, she cared about his drawing? She cared about his drawing. Having somebody actually care about his hobbies more than just being a servant of him, was well, bizarre. It was also liberating. Finally somebody cared enough to just ask what Watari liked outside of wanting to fight or wanting him to make a decision about something.

He raised a hand to her to take, he didn’t quite feel like trailing her so he would rather they walked together. Soul King knew he needed the stability to walk right now as waves of pain were starting to dominate his thoughts as the withdrawals became more natural, but with them becoming more natural the pain itself to just have one, seemed to become easier.

“Lead the way, thank you for sharing this with me” Watari said as he popped another one of the strawberries into his mouth. He could make a habit of this, they were quite good, how hard would it be to bulk buy them from the Rukon? In fact all dishes should have strawberries in them! In fact it was now a crime for strawberries to not! Watari silenced his thoughts. He was overthinking again was this what being stress free felt like? Watari could grow to like this.

Outside of the pain that was.

For a couple moments she stared at the hand. What did he want? A handshake? Wait. Maybe he needed help? Or maybe he just wanted the contact.

With a shrug she slid one of her hands into his, turning to lead the way to her study. It wasn't really a romantic gesture to her, after all such ideas were pretty foreign to the little wolf. A helping hand. That's what it was. Between two friends.

"Of course. What other hobbies do you have?"

It wasn't long before they'd departed from the garden, once more traversing the extended hallways which snaked through the house. They were to be used by servants and by guests to swiftly move throughout the three main buildings and, of course, to the baths. Not that she'd had any servants before Watari assigned her the five, but her parents had apparently been preparing for them.

As was typical her study was very plain. There were a couple of couches seated around a small circular table. A wooden desk with a chair. She also had a cabinet, currently shut, with basic writing supplies. Ink. Scrolls. Pen. Paper. Even pencils.

Releasing her grip upon the man's hand Yuki moved over, taking a seat upon her knees on one of the couches. The basket was settled upon the table. "Feel free to look through the cabinet there. It should have some basic supplies. Choose whichever you favor most."

Just one.
Just one.
Just one.
Just one.
Just one.

“Hobbies? I just draw, I have no idea what other hobbies would exist for a Shinigami outside of reading and I’m not subscribing myself to the Hatayama libraries for that” Watari joked as he fought the compulsion, he gripped Yuki’s hand just a little tighter. She was his lifeline, a rock in the raging storm that she’d started. Yes! She’d started this, he hated her - no he didn’t - yes he did- no he didn’t.

After what felt like a small eternity she brought them to a study. A small circular table, a wooden desk, those sorts of things. Everything maintained the plain decor he sought to expect from Yuki’s lodgings which was comforting in a way. He let her go and felt like he might fall, but he was okay, the pain was manageable right? The hate was not. How he hated her. But he’d keep going.

Watari opened the cupboard and retrieved a pencil and a stack of paper and then made his way to sit next to Yuki at the table. Watari did the only thing he knew how to do - he drew, long strokes, wide strokes, a skeleton and then a figure. He sketched and he weaved, he shaded and he filled in. The pain was an intoxicant, a fuel for the flames of creation.

He drew himself, an almost identical replica, standing on the sokyoku hill sword ablaze and dome of shadow imprisoning the Soul Society. He drew the faceless captains and their commander lined in the meeting room, the news of their downfall having just arrived to their ears. He drew fantasy and dream, he drew wish and he drew desire.

He drew Yuki and himself, standing in a noble garden, his hand wrapped around her neck.

He drew her that first time he’d seen her, weaving through the crowds.

He drew her as she’d stood in the bath.

Finally he drew himself, alone in a room, a long shadow cast across his body, his eyes ablaze and a body in front of him. Fingers like claws, spiritual energy burning from his fingertips. The body had a prominent burnt hole through its chest. His face was obscured by shadow outside of his eyes. . . those eyes. . .

Watari crumpled that piece of paper up and tossed it across the room.

"I rather enjoy the library he has. But I will admit to having but one hobby as well. Outside of the usual combat and hunting, of course."

Her tail settled within her lap, hands stroking gently upon it. She watched him, silent, peeking over his arms while he worked. He was quite talented. Quick too!

Victory?

Defeat.

Hah! Almost.

Did I really look like that?

Huh. Quite detailed.

She watched the final drawing as it was tossed. Had he made some mistake he couldn't correct? Or was it something deeply personal? Perhaps it might be better if she didn't bring it up.

"What sort of things do you enjoy drawing the most? It might be good to focus on those."

It was strange speaking like this to someone. No aggression. Just a nice, peaceful chat. Neither of them seemed to have any sort of objective. There wasn't any business in it. And she felt like she was helping him. With words. Was it really this easy? Or was she making a terrible mistake here?

“According to these . . . “ Watari murmured between the aching of his body and the encouragement of Yuki Kameko. She had become his muse, his friend and much more. Did she really know how much significance she had in the pain? How was she the only rock that kept him from succumbing to the ocean of addiction he could feel under his skin’s surface. Watari would look at her for a great while.

“Apparently right now it’s you” but it was a good question, what else did he want to draw? He tapped the pencil on another blank piece of paper for a time and then began sketching a strawberry that she’d eaten from memory and then of the garden with the strawberries sitting within it. But these weren’t things Watari enjoyed, but maybe in his life he enjoyed very little? For somebody who lived as much as Watari Suzumei did, he sure enjoyed very little.

The Shinigami began to sketch his zanpakuto spirit, a grim figure in a red robe with two bony protrusions pointing from either side of his head. He’d always remember Bezaliel now that he knew what the Zanpakuto truly looked like. Watari felt like if he survived this it was time. He would make preparations and he would confront his Zanpakuto but tonight was most definitely not that night.

“Do you have somewhere where I can rest? I don’t think it’s a smart idea to be alone tonight” Watari murmured as he defaulted to drawing his old barracks with boys inside of it playing with invisible swords and drawing on walls.

I should get out more. Not to hunt, but to try new things. I wonder if it'll be easier with friends.

She did enjoy watching the man draw. It was neat seeing how a few lines transformed over time into something complex, something real. Little marks evolving into a snapshot of reality. How much work had gone into mastering this skill? Perhaps she could give it a shot herself some time.

"Ah."

How else did she answer that? She really didn't comprehend the fascination that he had with her. Okay sure, she wasn't like most Shinigami. Her ears and her eye were weird and she had a tail and claws. An oddity certainly. But there were far more interesting people within their ranks.

Zenji. Meili. Helena is probably more interesting. The sixer. The mute? Shimazu perhaps? Wow I really don't know that many people. I need to get out more.

Now that was a pretty interesting image! It certainly didn't appear to be a Shinigami and she doubted it was a Hollow. Then again it might have been a new type. Or maybe he just made it up from scratch! Now that would be impressive!

"Yes. You can take one of the guest houses if you so desire. And you may bring these supplies with you if you wish" answered Yuki, focus mostly settled upon the newer picture. He did say that he had siblings. Were these boys it? Hell he should just draw pictures of his own life! They were far more interesting than she was.

“Oh” Watari mused as he continued his sketch. He remembered these boys like it was yesterday, who they were to him - who they still were to him. If he focussed he could hear their laughter and the stories they told. How’d they were going to be captains and slay Hollow. How the Suzumei name would be something to respect rather than be something to be feared. He remembered.

“Yes I guess that’s fine, thank you” Watari murmured his skin still clammy, his head still pounding but less? Was he getting used to it? The cravings were still there. He could always escape later and go get more cigarettes - but no he wasn’t like that. He needed this to be better, he needed this to remember. Watari drew the same room again, but this time it was empty, just him sitting in a corner sketching on the walls, his brothers were gone in this sketch, they’d been gone a while - he’d been alone a while.

Next sketch. Watari slid the page onto the pile of completed drawings and then finally looked up at Yuki. Watari had always strove to be better, it wasn’t easy, but it was getting easier and he supposed he could thank her for that. He could thank her for a great many things, but at the end of it all, he was still a monster. What if she ever found out about the truth of Raphael’s snapping? A thought for another day.

“I think I may sleep now,” Watari said, leaning forward and pecking Yuki on the cheek.

His next sketch was a little depressing. The same thing really, only he was alone. But he had at least one friend now, right? That had to count for something. The other nobles he'd included into his little group could also theoretically count. But then she hadn't spent enough time with them to know for certain.

Except Meili. She is pretty cool.

She glanced over towards the man finally. He did look better. Certainly not back to normal, but better. As far as she was aware this sort of change was both physical and mental. She was trusting him not to lie to her, or to sneak in cigarettes behind her back. But she believed in him. At least as far as this thing went.

You are growing soft.

Maybe you're supposed to if you want friends.

It's going to end up hurting you.

Perhaps. I'm used to it. Being hurt. Rather that than being lonely.

For a moment her pupil restricted, tail raised behind her. Was he going to try and kiss her again? Her entire body tensed briefly, however it relaxed when he diverted it to her cheek. That was acceptable. It was a friends did. At least, she believed so.

Fine.

"Very well. Enjoy your rest. I'll have a retainer present in case you need anything."

With that she stood, lowered her head, and then turned to take her leave. It had certainly been an interesting day, hadn't it? A potential enemy turned into a friend. Was it really this easy? All this time she just needed to sit down and talk to people?

I should try that more often.



/THREAD END