Orihime's House.

After a long, full day of school, Orihime had set out on the long, lonely trip home.

She wasn't sure, really, why the quiet bothered her so much. She had wonderful friends who cared for her, she did well in school, and she even had a rather busy life outside of the house.

Maybe it was contrast of the solitude, then.

If you were to look at Orihime's apartment, one almost wouldn't recognize it as her own. The main room of the flat was almost empty, a bookshelf lined with stuffed animals and books taking up the western wall, with a small table and a series of comfy padded sitting mats serving as her primary functional furniture. Of course, this was inconsequential to her compared to what she had along her northern wall.

The cabinet that served as her shrine to her departed older brother Sora housed a large, prominently framed photograph, and beneath it was a much smaller object from another important person in her life... A second hand television that was near-inaudibly baubling on Animal Planet, left over from Tatsuki-chan's left visit. To be honest, she'd almost been kind of afraid of turning it off, fearing that she might've ruined the thoughtful gift.

As Orihime arrived at her apartment, she slipped inside of the dark building and closed the door after herself without even turning the lights on.

Quiet as a mouse, she tiptoed over to the window and opened the shutters, letting in a dappled pattern of fresh sunlight into the room. While it brightened it enough to easily see and read by, it still wasn't very bright in the majority of the room.

Once this was done, she plopped down on one of the mats and began digging out the books she would need to begin working on her homework, stacking them neatly on the table before finding the work itself. Upon seeing it all laid out like this, Orihime blinked for a few moments in surprise. For anyone else, it would've been quite a bit of work... But it was a surprisingly light load for today.

"Hehe, I guess Sensei's been lightening the homeworks because I've been hurt so much lately. She's so kind!"

Much to her surprise, Orihime managed to get much of her own comment out sounding happy. Maybe she was starting to feel better after all. Either way, she opened the first book with one hand and began searching through the questions as she dug around for a pen with the other.

Rangiku knocked on Orihime's door. Spinning around in circles, watching the schoolgirl outfit stretch and twirl with her. They always made these things so small. She shrugged it off and knocked louder.

"ORIHIME-CHAN OPEN UP"

Rangiku wanted to have something to eat and hang with Orihime-chan while she was here, maybe even get her drunk like last time. That was fun, she spiked orihime's tea with sake. A drunk Orihime, was a fun Orihime.

"Huh?"

Orihime's head bobbed up from her homework at what sounded like a loud knocking on a door. Was it hers? No way! It must've been the neighbor's son agai... Was that Matsumoto-san's voice!?

"One moment! I'll be right there!"

Orihime was on her feet a moment later, rushing over towards the door to answer it... So quickly, in fact, that she forgot to turn the light on - Or remember to watch where she was going. Matsumoto's knocking would be met with a loud thud as she landed face first on the floor, her eyes watering at the sudden pain. Owwy!

Getting back up on her feet, she finally made it to the door and opened it, waving shyly with her free hand to her guest as she held it open for her to enter.

"Umm.. Hi, Matsumoto-san. It's nice to see you! Do you have more work here in Karakura?"

"Hehe. I'm glad you're doing okay! It's been really quiet here in Karakura... Well, other than some stuff that happened yesterday. Anyways, come in, come in!"

Orihime ushered Matsumoto in as she spoke with big, sweeping motions. Once she was inside, she closed the door again and (almost as an oversight) flipped the light switch on before heading off to the kitchen to see what there was there.

"Umm... I just went shopping the day before last, so there must be sooomething in here. Oh, here's something!"

Orihime beamed as she set the kettle to boiling for tea (though not before nearly catching her sleeve on fire with the boiler) and produced a plate with assorted veggies and, of course, a slice of sweet red bean loaf. Orihime never failed to be amazed with what the wundercooks of the world could do these days with sweet red beans!

"Drinking is bad for you, Matsumoto-san! And besides, I'm still too young."

Orihime chided light-heartedly, feeling considerably better already now that she had someone over to break the silence of the apartment.

"Umm... The other day. Oh, yeah! There was something big going down in the park, with tons of spiritual pressure... And then when I went to check it out, Mira-chan was there with some people with broken hollow masks... And she could see them for some reason, even though she doesn't seem to have any spiritual pressure! And then one of them almost attacked me, but they decided not to, so we left."

Orihime nodded fervently for emphasis at this point, looking over at Matsumoto and wondering if she would even pay attention, or if she'd just asked to distract her like last time.

"And then I went to... one of the local candy-shops and there was an injured lady there, so I helped her get better. She was really pretty."

Orihime spluttered at Matsumoto's 'mistake', but swallowed it by reflex before she could think to spit it out. Tricksy Matsumoto-san!

"Keigo-san? He has a veeerry little spiritual pressure. I guess it's harder to feel little people like us when you're as strong as you are, Matsumoto-san. Anyways... As I was saying... Uh... What was I saying again?"

Orihime scratched behind her head for a moment, confused and trying to figure out exactly what she been discussing. Then, like a bolt of lightning...

"Oh, yeah! The pretty lady. She said her name was Shihoin-san or something like that, and the candy shop owner seemed to know her from somewhere..."

Orihime shrugged, then picked up a carrot and began munching on it alternatingly with a piece of the bean loaf. Unlike in school, she seemed more comfortable eating here and even had a few crumbs at the side of her mouth as she went along.

Matsumoto wondered how long it would take for Orihime to get a bit tipsy, after all, she had accidently spilt Sake over all the bean paste and vegetables aswell. She slowly nibbled on a carrot covered in paste and thought, so it was the second squad Captain. That would get her introuble, and candy shop owner must have meant Kisuke.

"Hmm... Sorry Orihime, I really didnt think he had any power. Ill check Mira out, If I ever get to see her. Will that make you feel better."

"We agreed to go visit her parent's graves today and go for tea... But she wasn't there after school. Maybe she'll call or something... I -think- my name's in the phone book."

Orihime blushed fervently for some reason that not even she was sure of, her heading bobbing to the side as she looked over at Matsumoto... She'd done something funny again, Orihime was sure of it. But what?

"Oooh... I think the carrots might be bad, Matsumoto-san, you don't want to eat those... They even look kinda funny, really. Smell funny, too."

She said this last bit as she held a carrot up to her nose before putting it back on the plate in favour of finishing her piece of sweet red bean loaf, which, of course, always tasted a little funny. That was why she liked them so much! It was like eating something new every time!

Just as Orihime was about to begin a tirade about the evils of underage drinking, the doorbell rang. Twice in one day? Who could it be?

Getting to her feet a little slower than the time before, Orihime was glad the light was on as she made her way over to the door as it rang again, causing her to wince at the loud noise - The closer to the door you got, the harder it was on the ears.

A moment later, she opened the door to find...

"Chido-san! I was wondering why you didn't come back to school. Are you okay? Did something happen? Did aliens really come after you said they wouldn't?"

"Fukutaicho... Vizard..."

Orihime stepped back out of the way, blinking furiously as her eyes swivelled back and forth between Mira-chan and Matsumoto-san. Even now, she could feel an uncomfortable stirring of reiatsu, not unlike that which had occurred in Kurosaki-kun once or twice in the past. What was this? Was this... A Vizard's reiatsu?

Then again, Matsumoto-san's own unconsciously escaping reiatsu was beginning to be a little smothering as well... She'd forgotten for a moment just how strong the lieutenant was when she'd been joking about it earlier.

"Oh, bother... You know each other? Can you at least try to get along for today at least...? For me...?"

Matsumoto sat down on the ground and took a swig from a small flask of sake. She needed it to get through this, her old Squadmate a Vizard and now a random and chance meeting, perhaps this is why Her Captain had left without informing her.

"Ey.... Its not like im gonna kill you or anything relax Mira, I wont even report you. Its too bothersome, and I'm having to much fun getting drunk."

She sipped the sake again, entirely too drunk and too loyal to her squad mates to care about this meeting, she was too suprised that Mira was alive afterall. Mira could have been a seated member had she stayed in soul society, and not.. unfortantly gone Vizard.

Having held her breath while the two 'sorted out their differences', so to speak, it escaped in a relieved little whisper as she slipped off to check on the water - The kettle had been whistling merrily while the two spoke.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she was amazed to find that... well, it wasn't a disaster...! Yet.

Taking the kettle off the element, she managed to turn it off without any significant mishap (a few sparks did seem to be trailing after the kettle for a moment, but they went away almost immediately) and she set about making some tea, crushing up a few fresh tea leaves that she had managed to find into the kettle and collecting some cups for everyone to drink from.

When she came back into the flat's main room, Orihime looked pretty ridiculous. Wearing an oversized apron so she wouldn't get anything on her clothes, she cradled the kettle, a small little cardboard cutout to protect the table from the kettle's heat, and three orange-glazed pottery teacups, all in all just a little bit wide for her hands, even cradled in her arm as they were.

"The tea'll just be a minute here... Mira-chan, keep an eye on it for me, will you? Matsumoto-san tends to be pretty clumsy with her drinks."

With great care - And only a little bit of spilt tea, which got whicked away by her thick apron a moment later - Orihime managed to set up the tea around the table so that everyone would have a cup, with the pot centered in the middle.

When this was done, she slipped off into the kitchen in search of... well, something. Whatever it was, the search was pretty noisy.

Orihime's eyes rose quizzically at Matsumoto's comment, as if not quite believing her, but she shrugged it off and quietly drank her tea.

Inwardly, she sighed. She'd so been looking forward to company, and it was just her luck that her unexpected guest clashed with the sensibilities of her planned one. Oh well...

"Well, we should probably join her, Matsumoto-san. It's been getting kind of cold outside lately."

Orihime made this last comment with a strange look in Matsumoto's direction, as if it was somehow her... or the Shinigami's?... fault. After all, it seemed plausible. Her captain's Zanpakuto had a habit of messing with the weather as a side-effect of it's other powers.

Orihime nodded towards Matsumoto before gathering up the things from their tea, carrying them (a little more easily, now, as the tea pot wasn't as dangerous) back into the kitchen to clean up.

"She's always seemed like that, Matsumoto-san. I guess it's just who she is..."

Once all of the dishes were properly taken care of in the kitchen, Orihime ditched the apron she had been wearing in exchange for a light coat and a scarf, which she wrapped snugly around her as she made her way to the door to join Rangiku.