Open The Sky

Never mind Lingqi’s widened eyes—the body language she was displaying was enough of a clue by itself for Yoruichi as to the other’s overawed response. She found it a sufficiently real and amusing reward for her earlier efforts, and so decided that her acting had been satisfactory as a result.

Rather than immediately carry on, she glanced down and lifted her left hand, poking her pointer finger into the collar of her kosode and shitagi alike. She then pulled down mildly, opening her shihakushō up a degree—not nearly to the extent of say, Rangiku, but enough that she could breathe easier. This particular uniform only sort of properly fit her overall; it was tight at the bust and hips. With that done, she returned her attention to Lingqi, smiling at the continued subtle shock.

“Well, seems like you know who I am,” she supposed, seeing no great need to belabor the reveal or introduce herself. She drew her left hand away from her clavicles and—rather ironically and hypocritically given the dramatic nature of the earlier moment—kind of waved the matter aside like it was no big deal. “I happened to see you while dressed like that and thought I recognized you,” she explained, moving on rather than acknowledging that probably didn’t actually explain much of anything.

Without really skipping a beat, she crossed her arms under her chest and tilted her head to one side, assessing Lingqi somewhat. “Since you were a good sport about lunch—” for a noble, anyway; she’d noticed the woman’s aloofness and distance, but it wasn’t so bad as the outright hostility that many might evince toward those they thought of as commoners, “—the earlier offer still stands, if you’re up for it.”

She had a feeling questions were coming instead of an immediate agreement, but figured she might as well be upfront about their agreement.

Her fingers gently caressed Lingqi’s cheeks. “Shorter is better for now. I like the way your hair frames your face when you lean down to kiss me.” She leaned closer to kiss her forehead. “Our bath is done, my lady. Unfortunately, my arms aren’t strong enough to carry you.”

She wrapped a thick towel around her and she did the same for herself. Together, they headed straight to her room. Inside was a large bed, vanity table littered with small pots of makeup, small chests filled with her accessories and a closet for her clothes.

“Here, sit here for a while.“, she motioned her to sit on the bed. “Will you let me dress you up for just one day? I want us to wear matching outfits~.“

“Ah, there you are!” Yoruichi greeted cheerily, still using her Yōko voice. She entered sight with a happy wave and an interestingly-cut orange jacket draped over the shoulders of her shihakushō. Her eyes were shut as she started to approach, pleasant amusement written on her face as though she were a kitsune, only to abruptly stop outside of conversational distance with a final, audible footfall.

In that moment, her whole affect and attitude seemed to change. It wasn’t just her facial expression, or even her body language, but her whole energy—everything about her presence shifted. Her hands came up to precisely and efficiently undo the ties at the end of her braids with no effort, before her fingers elegantly slid up into her hair. She ran them through her mane, breaking up those braids and buns and snatching the little caps and ribbons for the later between them. “Unfortunately…” she began.

With a shake of her head like a model, her stubborn locks fell into proper form in a splash, the sides returning right back to their usual curls as though in earnest rebellion. Her hands slipped into the jacket and the accessories disappeared from them to be replaced by a different set altogether, which she smoothly fastened to create a ponytail.

Her voice was notably different when she continued, deeper and smoldering; not just huskier or smokier, but charged in a commanding and authoritative way. “… Yōko won’t be making it this evening.” With that statement, she finally opened her eyes, revealing that the hazel irises had been replaced by bright, arresting golds. At the same time, the hold she’d been placing on her reiatsu—so very low—fell away partially as she permitted it to radiate at the level of a fukutaichō.

“I didn’t set out to fool you, in particular, but it was an interesting way of seeing how you’d grown up, Lingqi.”

Yoruichi’s only reply to the confirmation of the time when Lingqi would be getting off of her shift was a big, somewhat goofy smile. She could entertain herself until then, surely. She internally finalized her plans regarding how to reveal that this was a disguise. While it’d be most dramatic to slide the contacts out right in front of Lingqi, unless she intended to throw them away, there’d be an awkward pause caused by putting them into their case.

No, probably best to just remove them and the makeup beforehand, but leave her hair as it was. The lack of the freckles wouldn’t be notable while closing from a distance, and she could just close her eyes and seem to idle. Then all she’d have to do would be pitch her voice back down to its usual timbre, open her eyes, and reach up to undo the ties and covers. Should she wear her jacket, or would that be too much of a tell right off the bat?…

Maybe go have coffee with Shinji and bother some other people while in disguise the meantime? Could keep Shigeru from getting suspicious… She set all that aside as Lingqi answered her questions, and laughed playfully at the remarks regarding the urchin. She clicked the tips of her chopsticks together and then expertly reached in to snatch up a bite of the tuna, rice, and veggies, popping it into her mouth.

“Subarashii,” she judged with a smile, “Give her my thanks!” With that said, she focused on her food more properly, diligently and efficiently making her way through the gyoza and soba (and three more bites of the offered chirashi), only pausing to drink tea or water and to move the bowl or plate closer if and when Lingqi decided to sample her own dishes.

“That’s a good question.” She gave a few firm strokes before pulling back. ”I’ve been keeping this desire to keep your hair as long as mine. I know that it’s going to be a hindrance to your job so this is the first time that I spoke about it.“

Yueliang stood beside her, reaching out to touch the tips of Lingqi’s short hair. “Perhaps once I go in retirement from performing, we can both grow our hair together. What do you think? Being with me until my hair turns grey too? I’m sure that it won’t be as beautiful as yours.”

Having by this point fairly conclusively discerned that Lingqi’s focus wasn’t very intently upon her—and was now in particular quite averted as she focused on her own food—Yoruichi allowed herself to break character for a split second with a smirk. Oh, is that so? Such confidence.

Just as quick as it’d appeared, however, it was gone, replaced by Yokō’s bubbly optimism again. “Here sounds good then! There a particular time you get off shift?” She prepped her chopsticks in record time as she spoke and snatched up one of the gyoza with them, dunking it in the provided sauce and starting to happily munch on it.

The table manners she displayed were rather more refined than the ones she usually evinced—she had learned etiquette back in the day, she just didn’t much care for it—but perhaps still a bit sloppy by the standards of nobles as part of the act. She’d finished chewing a bite of her soba when she then gestured at Lingqi’s bentō box with the chopsticks before pointing at her own plate and bowl. “Wanna trade any? These are pretty good, but I’m happy to share! And you never did answer if you’d made that yourself!”

With Lingqi’s acceptance of the proposal, Yoruichi adopted a very pleased smile and reclined back in her chair once again, picking up her Oolong tea and sipping at it with evident satisfaction.

The question which followed made her stop and blink, however.“Ara..? I told you when I introduced myself: 7th Division!” she chimed, before giving another mild but energetic laugh.“How embarrassing, to be forgotten halfway through a conversation,” she observed—but her own tone was if anything playful and amused, as though she only found it funny.

She didn’t seem to ruminate on it for long and pivoted, soon regarding Lingqi directly again. “Where’d be a good place to meet up? Around your division’s headquarters?” she asked, batting her eyelashes once in a way that looked young and innocent. “Or the barracks, or back around here? I don’t have any great preference!”

Just then her attention diverted to one side from the other woman as she spotted the server once again returning with her food, a beaming and hungry smile taking hold of her mouth as she watched him coming closer.

“Oh, that sounds nice! I don’t remember much—” because her past didn’t exist, “—and I mostly just punch things,” Yoruichi said with a disarmingly girlish giggle. At the same time, she lifted her right hand, showing off how lithe it and her fingers were, before curling it into a fist. What had seemed to be a rather delicate appendage suddenly took on an air of menace as all of her knuckles cracked simultaneously from the compression. The juxtaposition was odd.

But just like that, she released it again, making a rapid shooing motion with the once more open hand. “I still haven’t even figured out my shikai and my Fukutaichō is always on my case about it,” she said, sounding more tired and resigned about it than self-pitying. But all the same she perked up a bit, setting her cup down and putting up both fists before her like a boxer, puffing herself up some. “But I never ran into a problem I couldn’t sort out, hehe!”

She then blinked quite dramatically, refocusing on Lingqi. “Ah, of course! You’re a prestigious warrior! I was thinking earlier when you gave your surname: I once heard about your dad when I was at the Academy. Mmm, mhm! Something about a battle he was in where he showed everyone he was a real badass! Ah, pardon my language, but it was really cool! So maybe this really is my good fortune! Maybe I could learn some of his Zanjutsu from you, Lingqi-sama, in exchange for me giving some pointers on fisticuffs!?”

She clapped her hands together twice excitedly. “What do you say? It’d sure make you even stronger in tight spaces! Isn’t that a fair deal? Maybe we could start after you get off shift?”

Yoruichi reclined back in her chair, getting her arms behind her head to cushion it and kicking one leg over the other, adopting a very insouciant and lackadaisical pose, although she didn’t deign to put her feet or legs upon the table—that would probably be a step too far. “Ah, sō desu ka,” she affirmed respectfully, her sight fixating on some point above.

“So, you must do a lot of patrols around the Seireitei and such besides just training, huh?” she mused aloud. She sat upright again suddenly, as though abruptly startled or recalling something, and partially leaned over the table. “Hey, did you guys ever take to patrolling the tunnels after the Ryoka Invasion?” she inquired, her voice hushed and very serious, as though it were an immediate and urgently pressing concern.

Before she could press the point, the server was back with their tea and her change. She thanked the man and hurriedly pocketed the change before setting about pouring for them both with surprising precision and deftness. With a cup of Oolong in hand, she reclined in her chair again, that prior outburst seemingly forgotten.

“What’s your specialty? I’m not so hot at Zanjutsu; like Hakuda plenty though!” she asked and said, before taking a sip.

That momentary hesitation when it came to the matter of alcohol during the day made the corners of Yoruichi’s mouth tick slightly upward. How interesting. It seemed that perhaps Lingqi wasn’t quite so duty-bound as she might appear. She adjusted her own short internal assessment to ‘proud but adventurous’.

“A very responsible decision!” she declared. Did Yokō mean abstaining or the tea? Who could say? Not bothering to explain, she rummaged around in the hakama of her shihakushō without any apparent sense of impropriety or shame, and withdrew a stack of kan, deciding to pay upfront. She seemed to hesitate as though trying to do the math, only to declare, “I have no idea as to the prices, so I’ll trust in you!” and hand the stack of coins to the server. It should be about right, anyway—the Seireitei hardly experienced monetary inflation.

Appearing to dismiss the matter with a winsome smile, she solidly returned her attention to her… Host? Guest? Who was in charge or leading here? Ah, but that was the delight of ‘being Yokō’, wasn’t it? Yoruichi inwardly laughed, but pressed on.

“You’re with the 9th Division? What’s that like? Do you work on the Seireitei Communication?” she inquired breathlessly, before adding, “Do you make your own lunches? That one looks pretty.”

The name-drop caused Yoruichi to give the act a moment’s respite, her brows raising faintly in reaction. Ah, so that’s it… Yes, she’d met the man several times at various functions back before she’d had to depart Soul Society. The Lu Clan were obviously not retainers of the Shihōin Clan, but she was familiar with them and their history all the same.

So, the memory which had caught her attention… She glanced aside in thought. She’d probably met Lingqi in passing at some point before back then. That’d explain why it was vague—lots of faces came and went at such venues, and it’d been a long time ago. Even her memory wasn’t perfect. Her gaze presently returned to Lingqi. “Ah, I see! Such a storied family, how prestigious!” she praised.

She could hardly claim she hadn’t heard of them now, so might as well be positive about it. By this time the server had appeared, and she rapidly placed her own order for food—some wakame soba and gyoza—before turning to refreshments. She gave Lingqi a smile. “The least I could do is get you something to drink with that in exchange for your kindness, Lingqi-sama!” It was overly familiar to address her by her given name, but to attach the honorific was respectful enough.

Her gaze returned to the server. “Could we get some water and tea?” She looked back to the woman opposite her. “Do you have a preference? Green, black, Oolong, herbal, white? Or would you like some plum wine or sake? It’s my good fortune to get to meet an impressive warrior today, so think nothing of it!”

Yoruichi laughed pleasantly in response, bowing a bit (more of a wobble) before standing proudly upright, grinning and flashing a peace sign with her right hand, and introducing herself with, “Atai no namae wa Kisaragi Yokō desu! I’m from 7th Division! I’d heard that there were some really nice places to eat around 9th Division, so I came to see for myself on my lunch break today!” She was being loud enough that others could easily overhear, so given she was basically announcing herself as an outsider, might as well flatter the locals too. Yokō was supposed to be usually well-meaning, just clueless.

With that introduction made, she leaned over the table a bit to inspect the bentō box before the other woman. Prepared, huh? That was unusual. Was this one perhaps a member of the nobility? This was quickly becoming an interesting diversion. “That looks really tasty too! If only I could be so lucky! It’s rare to find someone so agreeable—do you mind if I sit with you?” she inquired. One might wonder how or why she thought this meeting was agreeable.

Without waiting for a response, she took a seat and immediately raised a hand, calling out “Sumimasen!” to draw over a server, seemingly without a second thought.

Only then did she blink, as though remembering something, and turn her attention back to the other. “Oh, right! What’s your name? Ara, it’s so impolite of me to introduce myself and not ask!”

Closed Starter for @heavenssoaringwings:

Yoruichi’s maneuverings about the Seireitei as Kisaragi Yōko (nominally) of the 7th Division had become a bit less frequent as of late, as she had to try and duck the attention of both Ryōhei Kōtarō and Gushiken Shigeru, in addition to all the many others who’d probably see through her disguise. Fortunately, ordinary Shinigami didn’t try to conceal their reiatsu much, or keep too close a track of unseated rank and file, so ducking out at opportune moments and going missing for (very) long stretches didn’t pose much of an issue for her.

On this day, she happened to be in disguise and in the vicinity of 9th Division, contemplating getting something for lunch. She’d already discerned that she was fine with having something traditional, and was contemplating getting it locally. Surveying the locally available restaurants, stands, and cantinas, she caught sight of a particular Shinigami who piqued her interest.

Unusual hair colors were nothing truly special in the Seireitei, but something about the shade she saw stirred her memory. Scrutinizing the rest of the woman a bit more carefully brought back the vaguest recollection, although she couldn’t quite place it other than that it’d been long ago. Curious… well, if she couldn’t remember this woman well, the odds of her being discerned in kind were low, and that seemed interesting enough for lunch. She made her way over to the table the other woman was at, stopping beside the empty chair opposite her.

“Hiya! Excuse me for interrupting your meal, but I’ve never been around this area before and you looked like a friendly face! Girls gotta stick together and all, hahaha! Is this place any good? Anything you’d recommend?”

“Well said.“, she praised as she gave another brief kiss as a reward. “Since my lady had the courage to click her tongue at me~, might as well continue with the rest of the bath.“

Yueliang rose and stepped out from the tub. Still naked, she went to her shelf to choose a good oil to finish off their pampering session. She held out her hand to help Lingqi step out and made her sit on the same chair as before. A warm robe was also draped across her shoulders, making sure that she would dry off while wearing it.

“This will help your hair feel much more silky and healthy. I know that you don’t care about your appearance a lot but I like to personally take care of your silver hair. It complements well with mine.“ She took a few drops on her palm and rubbed them together before massaging Lingqi’s scalp with it. “I have a different oil to help you sleep but I don’t think you’ll need help with that area now that you’re with me.“

Her slender fingers ran through her hair, giving the right amount of pressure needed, even giving a bit of attention to her temples and neck. “How is it? Feels good?”, she said as her thumb was drawing circles around the nape of her neck.