SPOILER: Click to show

note
The year was 1700 n.w. in the month of March

Hotaru stood leaning on the end of the hoe handle looking down the row of her latest experiment in horticulture; tobacco. Her long hair was tied up in a tight bun at the back, but that didn't keep stray tendrils from escaping and sticking to her face in the sweat she had worked up. She was clad in gray trousers that cinched at the waist and only came down to mid calf above feet that were bare and covered with dirt. Her short sleeved blouse of tan was tucked into her pants and was showing signs of her exertions through the presence of sweat beneath her arms and down her back. Not the most attractive picture in the world, but she was in her element. As she stood upon the rich dark earth, she curled her toes into the dirt and grinned.

Tobacco. She was certain there were medicinal properties. Already she had determined its benefits as a pesticide. For aphids she would used it dried with garlic to sprinkle round the base of the infected plant. She used it as a deterrent against peach tree borers, sans the garlic, in much the same manner. Garden centipedes, that ate up her precious plants with a voracious appetite, were no longer a problem for her due to the garlic and tobacco leachate with which she would drench the soil. Admittedly it was a bit foul smelling but so worth the rewards. And dumping some down gopher and mole holes had practically made her plots of land pest free.

But it was the potential medicinal uses that intrigued her most. She had stumbled upon the benefits in the treatment of skin rashes by accident. After mixing up the juices to soak the garden plot with, the bit of eczema upon her hands had cleared up. Still, she knew that rather than to soak in the leachate the application for a skin rash would be better suited for a poultice and so far her patients who suffered from various sorts of rashes had reported marked improvement; not only had their rash cleared up, but the tobacco had a soothing effect in alleviating pain associated with a bad outbreak of eczema. This got her to wondering what other pain alleviating effects tobacco might have.

Well the row had been hoed through and was looking well tended. She set the hoe aside and began cutting back dead leaves and tossing them into the path between rows. It would stimulate new growth and cause the plant to bush out more. Later she would burn the cuttings when she was done. Softly she began to hum a tune without words as she worked her way from plant to plant.

Two months had come and gone, yet Renkai found he was no closer to ending his grief than the day it had first begun. Word had gotten around, though, of a new plant which was causing a bit of a stir. Being the curious sort, this day had been dedicated to research. A lot of the rumors of the plant seemed quite interesting, though it was unknown to him whether these rumors could be taken as fact or not. Tobacco. Being grown for medicinal purposes. He had no interest in medicine. No, what he was after was something that could help him ease his mind. He had heard rumors of the plant being dried and smoked by ancient civilizations, used for several different things. One of them stood out to him.

Stress had caused him to lose quite a bit of sleep over the past couple of months, and it was starting to affect his work. As a member of the Fourth Division, he couldn't afford to be distant from the rest of the world, and each night without sleep seemed to distance him further and further.

Renkai stood from a distance and stared upon the plants he had come to inquire about. He saw the woman who was tending to them, the only person, man or woman, who could help him. Or at least he hoped. His hair had grown longer than he usually kept it, and he had to brush it out of his face as the breeze pushed it in front of his eyes. "Well," he said, "Here's to hoping." He started toward the woman, stopping short. His voice seemed devoid of emotion, though it could have been for several reasons, when he said to her, "I have come to ask you about these plants, ma'am."

His posture wasn't what it normally was, and he stood slouched. Just like his hair, his beard had gone without grooming for the past couple of months, and when she looked upon him, she would be able to see the bags under his eyes. A side effect of his sleep deprivation.

Hotaru had accumulated a nice pile of cuttings and was ready to rise from the ground so she could retrieve her basket and fill it with the refuse. That was when she heard a man's voice. Pivoting on her feet, she lowered her left knee to the ground and looked up at him as she listened to him speak. Her clinical nature was the first to take hold of her, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the slumping of his stance, but she could not immediately isolate a reason for this other than the obvious one of lack of sleep; that would take a full examination...then his words began to sink in.

Rising to her feet she dusted her hands off on the sides of her gray trousers and said, "What? Oh! Tobacco...well yes, I would be happy to discuss this with you. Are you a horticulturalist too?" She raised her left wrist to swipe a strand of her hair out of her face when she realized that she recognized him; he was the man who had lost his fiancee during the Hollow attack on New Year's Eve. It had been horrible. Nothing the medics did that night could save the woman from the deadly wounds she had received. Hotaru had witnessed the medics trying to restrain the grief stricken Shinigami when she was covering the body of the woman and preparing to remove her from the street. She didn't think he would remember her for he had been as one overcome by his emotions. Besides, she had not been the one to treat the woman but had only responded to assist in the removal of her body.

Later that evening as she washed the woman's body in preparation for burial, she tried to get the image of his bitter pain out of her mind. The night had been so beautiful, the sky clear and the air crisp as only it could be after a freshly fallen snow. A midst such beauty the sight of the blood upon the snow, the dead woman's ravaged body and her grief stricken lover was in jarring contract. There had been something bitterly beautiful in his pain cutting through the stillness of the pristine night that would stick with her far longer than she cared to admit. A night of rebirth and renewal and yet a night of such finality. She had chided herself for being an old fool. It certainly had not been the first such scene she had witnessed over the centuries. Death and grief were just another part of their world. And yet...

Such remembrances flitted through her mind with alarming rapidity once she realized who he was. And so as to not make him aware of her recollection, she put on her best bed side mannerisms keeping her features neutral and her voice business like in tonality. "Do you mind if I continue to work as we talk?" Busy hands were what she needed now and she gestured toward the basket at the end of the row shifting her weight to her forward leg as though about to begin walking.

As the woman looked up to him, he felt as though he had swallowed a large stone and now had it caught in his throat. His memory was as sharp as a blade, and though he had only seen her briefly, that night had played through his mind a million times. He recognized her as one of the EMTs that had responded to his cries of agony at the loss of his beloved. However, he choked down his emotions as he could feel the hot tears building up in his eyes. Instead, he turned his attention to the tobacco plant that he had been standing next to and began to delicately fondle the leaves. With a slight clearing of his throat, he said, "Yes... And no. I am not a horticulturist, though I have taken an interest in these... Tobacco plants you called them?" He paused for a moment, kneeling down to examine the rest of the plant. "I would like to know more of its properties, if you could be so kind as to divulge me..." His eyes shifted over to the woman for a moment, though the moment he looked to her, his memories of that night flooded his mind, and he quickly turned his head away once more.

She could not fail to recognize the pained expression that flitted across his features nor the averting of his eyes from her presence; he did recognize her too. But should she say something sympathetic? She thought not; certainly his discomfort hinted that he would rather not discuss his recent loss at this time.

Moving down to the end of the row, she began to speak in an instructional tone and her voice began to warm to the topic as she did. "Yes, tobacco. It is a most remarkable herb. You know the ancients knew quite a lot about it. Sadly much of that lore has long since been lost to us. It is my hope to rediscover all the used this miracle herb has to offer."

She continued down the row and bent to grasp hold of the basket with her left hand. Turning round, she up-swept the container to her front and grasped it with both hands. "So far I have found out that it is good to keep certain insects and rodents out of the garden and that it has topical uses for rashes as well as a mild pain killing effect."Hotaru began to walk back toward him, her destination being the pile of cuttings, and stopped to the ground once she arrived. As she began to fill the basket she asked him, her voice taking on a tone of curiosity. "May I inquire as to where your interest in the herb lies specifically?"

His response came as quickly as she had asked him the question, "I heard that an ancient people used to smoke the dried leaves of the plant..." he paused, "What might the effects of that be? I've heard several different theories and I have a mind to try it myself."

What he hadn't told her was that he was fully aware the damage that inhaling the smoke of burnt plant matter could incur to one's lungs. This in fact, was his goal. At this point he wanted to punish himself for allowing his fiancee to die. As far as he was concerned, it had been his fault. For not being there sooner, and for not getting her medical attention before it was too late.
Of course, these things wouldn't appear in his expression. He had always been good at putting up a front. He had no intention of deceiving this kind woman, but he also didn't want to walk away empty handed, either.

She paused after filling the basket and looked up at him. "Administering medications as inhalants is not unknown to me. Smoking the dried flowers of red clover is known to expand the bronchia and quite helpful in mild cases of asthma." She rose to her feet and placed the basket upon her left hip holding it with her hand and shifting her weight to accommodate its bulk.

She looked at him curiously and said, "So how is it that you know so much about ancient cultures and the use of Tobacco?" Her eyes widened as she then jumped to a conclusion, "did you find some ancient manuscripts or something?"

Despite his usual politeness, he could not bring himself to look upon the woman who stood before him. The wound was still too fresh. Instead, he looked off into the distance while he spoke to her, saying, "Word of mouth, ma'am. All I've heard are stories... That is why I've come to ask you what you know. I was told you are the only person anywhere near here that knows anything about tobacco, since you're the only one who grows it."

He shifted a bit. It made him feel awkward that he couldn't look the woman in the eyes as he talked to her. In his mind, it was disrespectful to do otherwise. What worsened his guilt was that he felt particularly bad about being rude to a lady. It wasn't in his character. But some things couldn't be helped.

However, after a few minutes of discomfort, his manners got the better of him, and he looked the woman directly in the eyes. He felt that familiar lump in his throat and swallowed it down. He was a soldier after all, and his emotions should work for him.

Upon seeing his continued discomfort in addressing her, she felt her sympathy stirring. And yet there was that peculiarity within her that saw beauty in such a thing. The day was not as that night, there was no snow and the world was alive with new growth...as his love was no longer. And yet the rawness of that moment was still crystalline as the snow upon which he body had once lain, she could see it in his eyes the instant he finally fixed them upon her own.

There was a perverse part within her that said, "My name is Hotaru...you should use it, Renkai." As though by uttering such words alone she could force him to at least face her reality and realize that she knew who he was too. Such things could be communicated without words if one were skilled enough. But why did she have the need to inflict that upon him when it was obvious that he so desperately wished to avoid even the sight of her? Wasn't her role as a healer to assuage pain? Somehow she felt there was more here than he was letting onto. Word of mouth? Please...she was more than twice his age and had never heard of smoking tobacco.

She pondered the effect it would have though, for once the notion had been placed in her mind she began to think of the possibilities. It did have a pain killing effect and such things as pain killer could be used as sedatives. Her eyes penetrated his thoughtfully. Sedation...yes. That would be so seductive in his position.

Looking into her eyes, he could practically see what she was thinking. About him, anyway. He could tell she felt bad for him. He was an intelligent man and already pieced together that if he recognized her from that night, she undoubtedly would know him as well. At the same time, he could practically see the cogs turning in her brain. Patiently, he waited for her response.

The warm spring sun shone down on his face, and the breeze continued to whip his bangs to and fro. The constant tickling of the hair on his skin was beginning to irritate him, and he brushed the hair out of his face completely, revealing his tired eyes to their fullest. The dark bags under his eyes showed not only that he was tired, but also of his anguish and self loathing. Had she known Renkai before his world was destroyed, she would think him to be an impostor standing before her now.
No, his eyes were not full of life and kindness as they once were.

Diagnosis? He didn't sleep and probably only ate sporadically due to his extreme grief. The shadows under his eyes and his unkempt appearance, the dullness of his gaze...those were testament to the greater grief she had witnessed outpouring from him the night his love lay dead in the snow. The night he had hacked away at the tree with his Zanpakutō...The night the medics had to restrain him...was it any wonder he came to her seeking sedation?

She shoved the basket toward him suddenly and said, "Here. Take this and come with me." She would show mercy and kill two birds with one stone; he would perhaps find what he wished and she would perhaps learn more about this ancient herb. He certainly was willing to be a test subject.

It was unorthodox, to say the least. Sometimes circumstances demanded risks. And by the looks of him if he didn't find some relief he would only spiral downward into his grief. Sometimes it was better to apologize later than to ask for permission beforehand. She felt now was such an occasion. And what her Taicho didn't know certainly couldn't hurt her.

It wasn't much of a choice. Before he could react, her basket was thrust into his hands and he was following her. What a kind woman, who would take him in and attempt to ease his suffering. Of course, he hadn't said anything about it to her, but he owed her his thanks nonetheless. Whether it brought him comfort or not, it didn't matter. The fact that he might have an outlet was enough to bring a bit of his old self back. Perhaps he didn't want to die, but rather continue to live so that he could make sure no one else had to suffer the way he had at the hands of the sinister hollows.

"Where are you leading me?" He only asked to end the silence. He spent most of his time in silence and for once wanted to speak. He wanted to know what was going on, but mostly just wanted to break the curse of silence his grief had stricken him with.

Hotaru released the basket and then turned and walked back up the pathway between the carefully cultivated rows of tobacco. When she reached the hoe she stooped to pick it up, using it then on out as a walking staff in her left hand upon rising. She would answer his question as they walked along.

"I am taking you to my potting shed. In all my years I have never heard whisper of the smoking of tobacco. However, I feel that it bares experimentation and if you are willing to give it a try, then so am I. I do not believe it will harm us, though benefit? Well that shall be seen, yes?"

She wondered what he would make of that and if he would still be willing to risk it. That he desired anything at all was promising though. It meant he had not given up and was seeking for something, whatever that was remained to be seen. Hotaru was willing to go on the venture with him to see what they could see.

With a nod of his head, he continued to follow her. Had his motives changed so easily? Perhaps it was because it was the first time he found himself with company for over two months. Whatever the case, he felt less cynical and was willing to help the woman, despite her doubts of any harm it might cause him. After all, he had originally come looking to cause harm to himself, hadn't he?

"How long have you been experimenting with these plants?" He asked with a genuine curiosity, though the roughness of his voice wouldn't help communicate that. The man was still hopeful for something, though. She had mentioned its usefulness as a pain killing agent. Perhaps it could dull the pain of his heart, though it was an emotional pain. It was at least worth a shot, or so he figured.

Upon leaving the garden she turned toward the right and began trailing along the small footpath worn into the ground from countless such treks. Her bare feet left small prints in the dry silt that were slightly pigeon toed.

Of all the questions he could have asked her, she was not expecting one that demonstrated curiosity about herself. "Hmmm, oh I don't know right off hand without some advanced mathematical formulas, but I would say well over a thousand years, give or take a few hundred." At times she could have a backhanded sense of humor when it came to aspects of her life, and her age was just one of those points.

Up ahead was the potting shed, not more than 20 yards or so removed from the field in which she cultivated her crop of tobacco. She had many such areas and would often go out into the Rukon districts to consult with farmers or have them try out an experimental growing technique or a new strain of resilient grain. "Long enough to have a somewhat educated guess about what we are about to do. That is not to say there are no risks involved. But I believe them not to be life threatening n any way."

Renkai walked directly behind Hotaru and smirked as soon as she mentioned that there could some sort of risk in his request. In his heart, he was a desperate man and would stop at nothing to be given relief from his wounds. Any notion that there may be a risk was irrelevant to him now. Regardless, there was no harm in knowing what might happen, right? "What sort of risks?" His voice was somewhat gruff. Restlessness had taken its toll on his vocal chords, though it wasn't to a high degree. Still, the fact remained that it was a clear indicator of his lack of sleep.

While awaiting Hotaru's response, Renkai looked ahead to see the potting shed. By now they were within 5 yards. Renkai had never been much of a farmer. His time was usually spent working, or sleeping. Working in the 4th Division had him on a tight schedule. Rarely did he have time to sit back and enjoy his passion for playing music.

She laughed and said nothing until she was close enough to the shed to open the door. She did so and turned to hold it for him with a smirk upon her face. "Experimental drugs...who can tell what may occur? But with Tobacco I suspect a bit of numbness of the mouth, and little else. I would hope that some sort of soothing effect would result. It is not a particularly potent pain killer, but such things are known to act as a sedative. Perhaps there maybe something like that, if we are lucky, along the same strength as say...oh, chamomile tea?"

Hotaru studied his expression as she spoke trying to gage just what it was he sought from her. And it was him, after all, who had asked about smoking it. He said his knowledge came through word of mouth but she felt that was too convenient an answer. Why was it she had never heard this self same lore if, as he said, she was reputed to be the local authority on Tobacco?

The shed was a domed shape structure, lie a Quonset hut, running in length approximately 36 yards and nearly 6 yards in width. Inside were two long rows of table situated back to back all the way down the middle with a single row of tables along the left and right sides. Upon the tables were many different variety of herbs, vegetables and grains as well as plants of a purely ornamental purpose. It was here that she would propagate seedlings and cuttings for later transplanting into the plots of land she allotted for each crop. She suddenly smiled and motioned for him to enter with the blade of the hoe before letting it sit back upon the ground again.

Given his tired state, Renkai's expression would show little of what his intentions were. At this point, he was hardly sure himself. "I suppose we will find out, won't we?" He forced a smile and a laugh, though it wasn't likely to be a convincing one. His eyes wandered along the length of the table, trying to take in the variety of plant matter that was lain upon it. Quite an impressive collection of specimens Hotaru had accumulated, and he didn't mind telling her. "I can't help but admire the extensive collection you have here. It's very impressive." He had been completely honest in his admittance, and he started to wander curiously toward the back of the table.

Hotaru shut the door behind her as she walked in after him to keep the warmth inside. This time of year it was still a bit chill for some of the species and she didn't wish to wilt anything prematurely by letting too much of the heat escape. She said, "Thank you Renkai. It has been a lifelong obsession I suppose you could say." She walked down the opposite side of the center tables resisting the urge to pinch off wilted leaves or pull a small sweet and sour shamrock that had sprouted in the basil bed; if she started weeding and such she might be too distracted from her main objective today.

So instead she meandered to the back wall where she had an cleared work bench. "Please, just place the basket on the table in the back. We can see about the Tobacco and choose wich leaves to dry for the experiment."

Giving nothing more than a nod, Renkai placed the basket on the table at the back of the hut. He had been hoping that she had some already dried out that he could get his hands on, and he had no idea how long it would take for the leaves she had just gathered to dry out. "How long do you suppose the leaves will take to dry out? He looked down at the basket full of leaves as he asked.

It was a slight inconvenience that he would have to continue to wait, but his hopes were set high, and he didn't mind waiting just a bit longer if there appeared to be a good end result. He suddenly realized he hadn't been wearing his glasses as he raised his hands to rub his tired eyes. It wasn't of much importance to him, but it was a bit of a shock.

Hotaru came to the end of the row and walked over to the table and pulled the basket close to her before dumping it out onto the table. As her hands worked to sort out the wilted leaves into one pile and the fresh cut leaves into another she replied to his question.

"Well I do have some dried tobacco but it is more ground up and such...really kind of dust-like. I suppose we could try to smoke that while I set these to dry. Let me see..." Turning from the table she looked about to the small brazier she had set up for creating a steam atmosphere in the potting shed upon occasion. She tapped her chin absentmindedly as she thought before turning her eyes to him and lowering her hand once more.

"I suppose I could speed the drying process up some by lighting the brazier and then placing a metal grill over top with the leaves upon that. The rising heat would greatly increase the drying." Curing leaves for smoking was not her forte and it didn't really occur to her that speed in the process would produce horrible results.

Renkai was about to reply when he remembered a previous appointment related to his division which had been forgotten due to the grief he was seeking to alleviate in any manner. "I... see. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll come back, perhaps they'll be dried by then." He then left, leaving Hotaru to either continue her work or cast it aside as the experiment had been by Renkai for the moment.

[Renkai exit/thread end]

SPOILER: Click to show

Renkai has been exited as per the activity rules. As such, his points will be docked accordingly. More information can be found here. [link] Since there were only two participants, the thread has ended.

Thread Rewards:

Hotaru - 11 RP

Renkai - 5 RP (10/2 for being exited)

Points added, thread locked.