Mist Weaver

Hachikuchi (Ch.1)

    ...

Among the hundreds of districts full of drifting souls, stands the 12th district of Hachikuchi (八口 - Eight Mouths). A somewhat more fortunate district for the commonfolk, it has benefited from some agricultural activity as it's near a large open land and meadow, and has 8 ponds in it's area, hence the name Hachikuchi.

    An aroma fills the air, the cool breeze carrying it through the district. The children halt their fun and games, sniffing the air before sprinting down the streets in excitement.

"Yūko-san is bringing something!", "Yūko onē-san is coming with food again!" the children yell. Nearby dwellers watch the children as they run and surround a known soul, carrying a large pot of freshly made stew of some sort.

Yūko was a dainty young woman, pale as a ghost, but her palms were glowing white for her kindness and generosity. Despite theincreasing poverty in Rukongai's districts, Yūko still worked to share with the other district dwellers, no matter how little the resources had become. She'd also act as a nurse at times, relieving the villagers of any injuries or fatigue, while allowing them proper shelter in her little house. They'd never had much, but it was always just enough. That was the mindset for the people of Hachikuchi, owing to Yūko's infectious optimism.

...

  A somewhat cool and misty morning comes to pass, and Yūko's harvesting simple taproots from her small garden to make something warm for today. The vegetation is carried in a basket into the house, and she starts preparing them to be cooked into a shared meal. She hums to herself, but her humming is interrupted by the sound of trotting feet and rattling weapons. She went by her window to see what was going on, and it seemed that the other villagers had cleared the way and cautiously watched by their homes, too.

A small group of Soul Reapers jogged into the district, armed and vigilant. It was clear that they were prepared for a fight, but the supposed danger wasn't visible to any of the dwellers. It didn't sit right with Yūko. She opened the door and a few children ran for shelter in her house, but she walked outside to see what the Soul Reapers were doing and possibly searching for. Before she could reach any of them, the distinct sound of a Hollow's roar echoed by, not too far from their location. The Soul Reapers quickly rushed by Yūko, immediately alerted by the sound and ready to neutralize the source. Yūko walked behind the battle-ready Soul Reapers, then they hesitated.

The Hollow, from which the roar had came from, was stampeding right towards them, in pursuit of a child holding a strange looking heirloom. The Soul Reapers yelled and tried to quickly find a swift way to rescue the child and prevent the Hollow from doing any sort of damage, but their focus shifted to Yūko, who was running directly towards the child.

"Hey! Get back! What do you think you're doing!?" The Soul Reapers yelled as one attempted to pull her back. She paid no mind, and took the Heirloom out of the child's hand, and threw them over to the Soul Reaper that was after her. "Are you crazy!? Get out of the way!!" The Soul Reapers yelled about and went after her, looking for an angle to exterminate the Hollow without harming her. But she had already gotten too close, and their hope was but a sliver.

Yūko shut her eyes and braced herself for the incoming pain, cowering on the ground. She held her head in her hands and awaited the end, but it felt like the end was taking a bit... long?

She felt a hand on her back, and her eyes snapped open. One of the Soul Reapers was kneeling before her, his katana dripping a small amount of blood. It took her a moment to realize she had been saved. The man looked at her with kind eyes, such a soft expression seemed unusual for a person with such status.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

His concerned eyes studied her briefly for any injuries, while she just stared at him with her mouth agape.

"Hey? Can you hear me?"

He lifted her up to her feet, taking a second glance for any injuries. The way he was gentle with her was shocking to her, for whatever reason. She cleared her throat and gave him the heirloom, dusting herself off.

"I'm fine, sir. I... don't know why I did that." Her voice quivered slightly from the adrenaline still coursing through her body. "I-"

"Shhh" He hushed her, calmly. "There is no need to explain. I understand very well what you felt in that moment." He smiled at her. "You're safe now, so don't worry about it."

Yūko was stunned by the man's immediate understanding. She never expected the likes of a Soul Reaper to treat anyone nicely or even fairly, in her previous experiences.

"What's your name, miss?" His soft eyes were strangely mesmerizing to her.

"Hasegawa Yūko."

"Kawamura Kenji. 5th Seat 8th division." He patted her back for extra comfort. She watched as he grouped up with the other Reapers. They discussed the next steps, but Kenji stole a few glances at her. They started to chuckle every time it happened.

They didn't realize it in that moment, but a flicker of love sparked between them that day. He felt oddly drawn to Hachikuchi and Yūko. The atmosphere just felt right for him. Simple, but a closely knit community it was for sure.

Kenji ended up visiting the district often with any excuse to be there, solely to be around Yūko and help her with harvesting and cooking for the district inhabitants. And even though she was just a commoner to Seireitei, they decided to get married out of love. Yūko chose to remain in Hachikuchi, using the new income and status from Kenji to improve the district's state and to make her house a little more homey, and the villagers a little more comfortable. He rose in the ranks of his division and gained better pay, and a stronger ambition: to help his wife and the people of Hachikuchi, as he considered them all a big found family.

Then the Kawamura twins were born.

...