Flowers: Life or Death! (Akatsuki)

Gaen was a very rational and, some could argue, level headed man. He could always be relied upon to give a predictable and reasonable response to most situations. For instance, if somebody snuck up on him while he was nervously jittering and suddenly proclaimed their name, he would behave as follows:

Gah! Gaen called out in surprise, jumping forward in a very ‘fight or flight’ sort of manner. He managed to land unceremoniously upon his face, his feet getting a little confused about the whole run for your life concept his brain was trying to get across. After a second Gaen managed to realize that there were relatively few enemies within the walls of Seireitei that actually wanted to kill him, lying flat on his face for a moment. He reflected upon the oddly frequent number of times that he’d jump from somebody spooking him, and the equally frequent times he managed to fall over due to being spooked. With a sigh and sore nose, he rolled over to see who he should be apologizing to.

In all honesty, Gaen didn’t really know what to make of the mask clad man who stood in front of him. He seemed… nice enough, though it was hard to tell with the stark lack of facial expression. He also didn’t sound particularly healthy, but Gaen could potentially talk to him about that on the trip (they had a bit of a walk ahead of them).

Hello… Akatsuki? He said, sounding a little stuffed up as he instinctively brought his hand up to his nose, a green aura of light glowing brightly over his face for a moment or two. Ah, -sniff-, sorry for being so jumpy, I uh, I’m pretty nervous. This is my first mission outside of the hospital… he said sheepishly before walking over to his escort and giving the cursory bow. I’m Gaen, thanks for coming out to help! He said before swinging his medical bag around to the front and rifling through it for a moment. He produced a little book and a small folded piece of paper. He managed to fumble the book open and held it in his teeth as he unfolded the paper to reveal a small map. He laid the map on the ground before taking his little book to explain the whole ordeal. So, uh, we’re looking for this particular flower. Pointing to a picture in his book of a purple, bell shaped flower with thistle like thorns. And it’s in this area of Rukongai. He pointed at the map this time, which showed a route from the north gate of Seireitei up into the 47th district. Now, I’m not that great with shunpo yet, so with some rest and no interruptions, we should be able to make it there and back in maybe eight hours? He said as he collected up the map and book back into his bag. So, uh, should we go? Do you need to brief me on anything or do anything before we set out? I’m new to all of this so… ya… He really didn’t know what to say or do at this point. He had heard that on missions like this it wasn’t uncommon for the escort (usually an eleventh divisioner) to just pick up the medic and run the whole way. Gaen could appreciate the efficiency of such a method, but he liked to talk to people when he went on long walks. Maybe this guy was more pleasant?

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Gaen had to admit that as far as social graces went, his new companion seemed a little on the shy side. With the rather keen diagnostic mind that rattled around in his head, Gaen could tell that this man had some sort of trauma done to his throat. Honestly anybody who had ears could probably tell that. This was a little disappointing to the smaller man, hoping he would have the chance to have a nice conversation to pass the time of the trip. He knew some people in his own division who could talk for the entire 8 hours, allowing Gaen to do what he usually did: listen. Being in a position where he was probably the more talkative one was both rare and uncomfortable for him. He wasn’t the best at breaking the ice, often opting to ask a question and letting his conversational partner ramble on for a few hours.

He let out a sigh as they walked in silence, leaving the Seireitei behind and entering the vaguely busy streets of the Rukongai districts. Most people stayed out of their way, which Gaen thought was both convenient and sad. How many times had a Shinigami come through this way and lost it on a resident that avoiding the robe clad officers had become second nature? While a part of Gaen hoped that perhaps it was just a very firm culture of respect among the people, he couldn’t mistake the mixture of fear and concern in the eyes of those who dared steal a glance as the pair walked by.

Mr. Akatsuki, I hope that talking isn’t too difficult for you, and I’d presume you’ve spent more time out here than I have. He said as they walked to a less densely populated portion of the town. Why are they afraid of us? He asked, a clear tone of concern in his voice. As a healer, Gaen had very little experience ‘being feared’ in any regard, and what little experience he had was thoroughly unpleasant.

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The answers Akatsuki provided seemed right on the mark as far as Gaen had guessed for how they were treated walking through town. He didn’t like that there was a ‘reputation’ as far as Shinigami were concerned, because so far it seemed the reputation wasn’t a good one. Now, Gaen wasn’t completely clueless, he knew that there were plenty of Shinigami who either didn’t care that they were feared or even those who revelled in it.

It’s a shame; Shinigami are supposed to be protectors and peacekeepers. He grumbled as they made their way into the forest beyond the first district. I think we should do something to fix the way people see us! I could probably get a few more fourth divisioners together and we could do medical runs! It would be good practice and a good deed for us. Gaen mused, already starting to put together a quick list of things they could do and who he could ask. He wondered briefly if putting up fliers would be helpful at all, drum up some support from other divisions.

I could start with you by the way, help with your throat. He said, bringing his medical bag around. Looking at the man he obviously had the chance to come to Fourth division before now and get good and proper surgery. It wasn’t entirely rare for members of combat divisions to come in and get their scars removed either. If Akatsuki still felt the need to hide his face and speak in such a laboured way, he probably had his reasons. Gaen rifled through his bag for a few seconds before pulling out his target: a small red candy in a little plastic wrapper. It’s a lozenge, should help a bit. Tastes pretty decent so long as you like strawberry. He said, holding the little candy up for Akatsuki to take. So, if I may ask, why don’t you go to the hospital and get your voice looked at? He asked, genuinely curious. Loads of people had asked about his arm, why he didn’t have an officer in his own division regrow the thing. Turns out that not having a particular limb when you die makes it hard as heck to regrow. It was pretty frustrating actually, he would love to try knitting.

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Gaen was actually quite happy that Akatsuki had taken the little medicinal candy from him. He knew far, far too many people who considered taking medicine of almost any variety a sign of weakness! It was actually pretty aggravating having to convince people that proper medical care was a combat advantage, or that being uncomfortable doesn't prove you're 'strong' just that you're stubborn.

When Akatsuki lifted his mask, Gaen had to admit he was curious to see what was under there. When the rather horrific scarring was made apparent, Gaen probably didn't do as good a job as he would have liked in hiding his surprise. That much damage, and this man just... walked around like that? Not to mention his throat probably had something similar going on, what with the strained vocals and all.

I... I can't understand what you've been through, or why you keep those scars. Gaen said, reminded briefly of his own scars and how little he appreciates them. To me, killing somebody is such a foreign concept. I don't even know what would drive me to want somebody else dead, and I hope I never find out. He said solemnly, knowing full well the violent world that they lived in. Shinigami killed hollows regularly, it was part of the spiritual cycle, returning those gathered and tortured souls to be reborn. It was more like recycling than anything else honestly. At the same time however, shinigami also killed Quincy, living people who have a full right to live their lives. Powered humans, the bount, even the artificial souls that shinigami originally created, all of them were at the tip of a sword, waiting to be cut down at the briefest of notice. There are so many people who have been the cause of cruelty, sorrow and death, and I want to believe that if it came down to it, I'd have the strength of will to forgive them. He didn't want it to come across like he was saying that Akatsuki was weak for pursuing revenge, this man had the character to wear his scars like a post-it note. If anything, as much as Gaen wanted to think that he didn't kill out of compassion, reverence for life or just stubbornness, in the truest part of his heart he knew he was afraid of killing. It meant that he was capable of taking a life, and that no amount of reparations would ever make it right.

Word Count: 410

Gaen was glad that Akatsuki didn’t take what he said negatively, and was a bit surprised that he had such a similar regard. It was very pleasant to find somebody in the combat trades that didn’t practice killing with the some cavalier attitude. As for the peaceful sleep, the young medic still couldn’t understand. He doubted he would ever get a good night’s sleep after killing somebody. One of his friends in the academy tricked him into eating some chicken once and he didn’t sleep well for a week (that could have been in some part due to indigestion). In Gaen’s opinion, Akatsuki had decided that he wasn’t getting sleep because whoever he had his vendetta with was still breathing, and he literally wouldn’t rest until that man was dead. It was a link that was completely fabricated on Akatsuki’s end, and with meditation, and maybe a little counselling, he may be able to push past it. This being the opinion of an anesthesiologist and not a psychologist, Gaen decided to keep it to himself. He didn’t want to insult or make light of his new friends problems, so he decided to switch gears into something more pleasant as a conversational topic.

You know, there are a few teas I could point you to that may help with the throat a little better than that candy. He said, noting again how strained Akatuki’s voice was getting. There’s a tea club in Fourth division, everybody comes in, suggests new teas, some benefits, stuff like that. I’ve only been to the meetings a few times myself- Gaen was cut off when an arrow came whizzing out of the woods and speared him in his left thigh, going deep enough to bury the head and nearly touch the bone. The one armed medic dropped like a sack of potatos, grabbing the arrow with his free hand and casting his rietsu sense out into the woods. He could feel a dozen or so people, but was too distracted by the arrow in his leg to figure out how powerful any of them were or their locations. With a bit of a grunt and a quick yank, Gaen pulled the arrow free and set his softly glowing hand on the wound. He rolled up to his feet, and while he’d have a limp until his leg was done he figured being mobile would be the best option.

Word count: 402

Gaen sunk into a lower stance when Akatsuki mentioned for him to stay down, taking a moment to check on a few things. His leg was the first big thing on his list to demand his immediate attention. It was fixing up relatively nicely, though a quick look at the arrow Gaen had tossed to the ground told him it could have been much worse. The arrowhead was broad and metal, but jagged, clearly used and re-used a few times. He would probably have to get himself a tetanus shot later on when they got back. As far as his leg was concerned it would be good enough to use properly in a little while, though as far as healing went this was the quick and dirty version Gaen wasn’t fond of performing.

He heard rustling in the woods as a figure came from the tree line and onto the road. He was a bald man, a little on the heavy set side but clearly physically strong. Scars decorated his face and arms, and he walked with a smug gate, sure of his footsteps and secure in his own power.

Hey there Shinigami, sorry about the leg, needed to get you guys to stop somehow. He said with a chuckle, as if making pleasant conversation. So, here’s the situation. I’ve got about a dozen or so men in the woods here, just itching to come in and wail on you guys some. I’m the civilized sort though, so I figure I give you this opportunity to just fork over your supplies and those fancy dancy swords of yours so that nobody has to get hurt. ‘Sides the little guy anyway. He said with a confident nod, like he were a salesman giving an undeniable bargain. Gaen wasn’t particularly keen on giving up his supplies, his medical bag was fairly well stocked and pretty personalized. His sword he had… odd feelings about. On one hand, he hadn’t discovered his shikai nor did he know for sure that he ever would, and otherwise the thing was just a cumbersome annoyance he had at his waist every day. On the other, he had been told that an asauchi was ludicrously valuable and from the moment he put his hand on that hilt, it was imprinted with his spirit. To give up his sword would be tantamount to giving up a portion of his soul. That didn’t sit terribly well with him, and for the definitely more combat oriented Akatsuki, Gaen doubted the idea of parting ways with his sword would be something that would fly at all. Gaen didn’t actually know if Akatsuki had his shikai, or what it did if he had accomplished that particular milestone in a shinigami’s career.

I’d probably end up deferring to my friend here on the specifics, but I don’t think giving up our swords is on the table. Gaen said, trying to mirror the friendly (sorta?) attitude that the man was conveying in his ultimatum. I’d also be looking to him on the yes or no for if he wants to actually fight all of you, I mean, I could handle a few as well, but we’ll call a spade a spade in that he’s definitely the ‘fightier’ of the two of us. It is definitely my preference that we all part ways as unlikely friends, no fighting or extortion actually happening, but that’s entirely up to you. Gaen said, doing his level best to sound confident, perhaps make them reconsider the wisdom of fighting two Shinigami (creatures known to have supernatural powers, strength, military training etc) despite his superior numbers.

Word count: 605

Gaen listened to Akatsuki, hoping that the man who was acting as his body guard was merely bluffing their attacker. The one armed man had no doubt that his friend could handle ten of these bandits without breaking a sweat, it was only the mention of killing them that sent a chill down Gaen’s spine. If Akatsuki was bluffing, it was a very solid bluff and Gaen didn’t know how he felt about the end results if it weren’t.

I guess he’s all for fighting all of---- Gaen was interrupted by the large bandit putting up his hand and coughing loudly.

Ya, listen, I’m going to stop you there before we waste much more time. I know you guys aren’t the type to be messed with by the rabble, I know full well what you guys are capable of. He said as he reached behind his back, slowly drawing out a very familiar looking blade. See, we go after guys like you all the time, and I know enough about you guys to know the little guy’s a healer which puts my entire group against you. I mean, the ten against one idea is cute, but I didn’t survive out here this long by letting my opponents dictate the terms of my fights. He said, more or less ignoring Gaen, and bringing his sword into a guarded stance which seemed to signal the rest of them to start coming from the woods. They seemed to be a pretty diverse group, some large with hammers or pikes, others smaller, holding either normal katanas or Asauchi like their leader. Gaen counted twelve around them, but he could sense a few more in the woods, probably with bows and arrows. I’d give you guys a second chance and such, but I’m already know the answer, so let’s see what you guys can do. He said with a chuckle, the group charging in at once.

Word Count: 332

Gaen was honestly a little too surprised to do much for the first second or two of the masses charging in. He watched as Akatsuki vanished from view before assaulting a man with a pike and in a mere moment later flooring another of the attackers. The whole thing wouldn’t have been so eerie if the masked man had made any sound at all, but Gaen figured it may be the adrenaline or the shouting that had ‘masked’ his new friends’ noises. After the moment of being awed by the tactical efficiency of a combat squad member, Gaen found himself more or less surrounded by a dizzying plethora of people who were more than up to the task of stabbing him with pointy things. While the one armed man didn’t personally appreciate confrontation of that variety, he figured that a little confrontation now meant a lot less blood loss later.

Gaen got into a low stance, swinging quickly from side to side, his footwork shifting as he moved. When the first of the attackers came in swinging range, he sidestepped to narrowly evade the incoming sword swing. The momentum carried him into a strangely angled backbend wherein he planted his hand and came up off his feet, surprising the man who had been trying to spear him through the chest but now only struck open air. Gaen managed to hook his knee around the outstretched arm of a third bandit, swinging his weight to bring the one armed man up while simultaneously bringing the bandit to the ground. At the end of the flurry of motion, Gaen stood atop a kneeling bandit’s shoulders, though he leapt from there soon enough as well. He had jumped up and grabbed hold of yet another incoming assailants head, pulling himself up to basically have a seat upon his new perch to launch one last time though this time into the tree line. He grabbed hold of a branch and scurried his way into the leafy green canopy, holing up well away from the brigands below.

Way more exercise than I was expecting today… He grumbled to himself as he hung up his medical bag (it was rather cumbersome to cartwheel around with afterall) before climbing to where he could see the ‘fight’ go on. He looked at the bandits apparent leader, seeing how he hadn’t moved and that he seemed to be following Akatsuki as the masked man darted around his troops. It was then that Gaen got a bit of a shock as the large, balding bandit vanished before coming down behind Akatsuki! It was clearly shunpo of some kind, but Gaen could tell that it was somehow clumsy, almost like it was self-taught. Gaen jumped from the tree, launching himself into the bandit leader like a missile. Now, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe Gaen as an unimposing physical creature, but even the tiny mass that Gaen pulled around was enough to force the attacking bandit off course.

The two tumbled to the ground amidst the busy fray, Gaen rolling to his feet in time avoid being stepped on while the bandit leader came to his feet in time to try and decapitate the one armed medic with a side swing.

Word Count: 540

There were many things that Gaen had not experienced in his afterlife. Thankfully and unfortunately, he had never been on the receiving end of somebody trying to decapitate him. Thankfully because, well, who really wanted to have that sort of experience? And unfortunately, because he had no idea what to do. The common sense approach would be to duck, perhaps move backwards to outstrip their reach or if one had a weapon of their own, parry the blow. None of these things came to the one armed medics’ mind as the sharpened edge came in to give him the most severe haircut ever.

It was really a good thing that Gaen had somebody whose job it was to make sure things like this didn’t happen. Gaen felt himself pushed back quickly, finding himself well out of the way of danger. He managed to get back to his senses enough to visit upon yet another experience he had never been witness to. He watched as somebody died. The small man couldn’t be certain exactly how long it took, everything seemed to slow down while his brain tried to process this thing that was so alien a concept to him. He was thinking of so many things in the back of his mind, it almost seemed like white noise to him. He saw the blade, mentally going through the damage that was there and estimating likeliness of survival should they be able to get the bandit to the hospital. He was cycling through the moves and parries that he or Akatsuki could have implemented that would have only injured or disarmed. He was debating the thought that even killing somebody here was immoral because it simply meant that their soul was being reincarnated on the human plane and that he was clinging to an antiquated sense of morality that had no hold in this context. While all of this and more was rattling around in the back of his head, the forefront of his mind seemed muffled, stuck watching in slow motion as the bandit was stabbed, died, and dropped lifelessly to the ground as a useless sack of bones.

His mind eventually caught up with the regular flow of time, seeing the still charging bandits and their desire to avenge their fallen leader. He couldn’t hear Akatsuki’s question regarding his wellbeing, his head was too busy and muffled, like trying to hear underwater. It was about this point when the small man pitch forward and fell flat on his face, literally fainting from the scene before him.

Word Count: 426