Waterfall Eclipse

Patrol and Dinner With the Kurosakis

Chapter Eighty-Eight:

Patrol and Dinner With the Kurosakis

It was only a week later when everything had calmed down that none other than the Captain Commander himself assigned Rani a two-week patrol in the Living World. With her captain's nod of approval she left immediately and headed to Karakura Town after picking up her Gigai from her place and some necessities. After she talked with Urahara about crashing at his store, she perched herself on a high-rise's roof and watched the skies and town below for any Hollow disturbances.

Her patrol was lacking any action during the first couple of days, but she did keep herself busy relocating herself throughout the town. On one such relocation, she saw Karin with a few of her friends, which she was grateful for. Rani decided to quietly make her way down to the street and wait for Karin to notice her.

"OH MY! RANI! IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU!" Karin yelled as she approached Rani. "How are you?" She asked as she embraced Rani in a hug.

"I am fine Karin. I am alive."

"Ichigo heard and told me that you were attacked. When he left the Soul Society, you were still under the care of Squad Four."

"Yeah, well, a lot has happened since the last time I saw you. You have time?"

"You want dinner?" Karin retorted back. "My sister is cooking up something now, and I am due home. You are more than welcome to join us. My father won't mind at all."

Rani pursed her lips as she thought.

"Well, I am here for another ten days. I guess I should eat something other than what Urahara makes me." She answered with a grin. "Let me meet you at your place. I want to get my Gigai from Urahara's shop so your sister can see me."

"I am okay with that. I will make it a surprise that you are coming. See you in a few."

Karin quickly ran off and once Rani could sense her closer to her brother, she made her way to Urahara's shop to morph into her Gigai.

"Ah, Miss Tómasu. I made the necessary changes to your Gigai finally, as per the note from the Captain Commander. It took longer than I had hoped it to."

"Thank you." Rani replied confused. "But what changes?"

"You'll see. It's in your room. Are you going out somewhere?"

Rani smiled.

"Yes. Kurosaki Karin invited me to have dinner with her and her family. I hope you don't mind."

"Nah, just tell Ichigo to come and visit me. I haven't seen him since this whole Quincy War was over."

"Sure thing!"

Moments later, Rani was out the door and had decided to walk to the Kurosaki residence. She made her way to the door, and before she knocked she heard footsteps from behind her. Rani quickly turned around and saw Inoue Orihime before her.

"You're Ichigo's friend, Inoue, right?"

"Yes. He invited me over, along with Chad. Who are you?"

"Oh, I am Tómasu Rani. I'm actually a Shinigami."

"Oh! He's told us about you! Of course, he didn't know much, but he did say you were badly hurt with the war that just happened."

"Yeah, in Squad Four for three days, two of them in a coma." Rani said embarrassed. "Shall we?" She asked as she motioned to the door.

"Yes! Let's!" Inoue agreed. "And you can call me Orihime."

"In that case, you can call me Rani." Rani replied as she knocked on the door.

Karin came and answered it smiling.

"Ah, so you've met Orihime. Come on in! He has no idea you're here Rani." Karin said extraordinarily excited.

Rani and Orihime followed Karin into the house and saw Ichigo helping Yuzu with dinner while Isshin, their father, was seated already at the table.

"Who else is coming, Karin?" Orihime inquired.

"Chad, of course, and Rukia, I believe." Karin replied and then looked at the table. "And we decided to set a place for Uryu."

"Oh, I do not think he will come." Orihime replied sadly.

"We know." Ichigo said as he started to turn around, but abruptly stopped at the sight of Rani. "Well, I'll be damned." He said as the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Chad and Rukia." Orihime replied cheerfully. "I'll get it for you, Ichigo."

Orihime quickly turned around and headed for the door leaving Rani with the family.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Patrol duty and Karin invited me." Rani replied with a smile.

"Rani?" Rukia questioned. "I guess Orihime was right. Although, I guess I should have known better. You were friendly with Karin a while back."

"Hi Cap-"

"Just call me Rukia. I thought I told you that before."

Rani sheepishly smiled as Rukia nudged her to the table. Rani sat in between Karin and Yuzu. It wasn't long before Isshin and Ichigo started to bombard her with questions about what happened to her, but Karin's question on what had happened since the last time she saw her took priority.

So after Rani told the family about her change into Squad Six, her promotions and the parties, Lily, and the events of the war, she was flat out exhausted. She had never talked so much about herself before, and she was not comfortable with it at all.

"I think, Rani, you left out one major point of information." Rukia said as she glared at her.

"Did I?" Rani questioned causing Rukia to make a face at her. "Oh, right! And if you care to know, and Ichigo you can keep your thoughts to yourself," She started and then spoke in a low tone, "I am now dating Hitsugaya."

"Seriously!?" Karin yelled and asked at the same time. "That's great! Congratulations!"

"Thank you Karin."

"So the youngest captain now has a significant other. Good." Isshin commented with a grin. "He's always so serious. I hope you give him a run for his money, for lack of a better phrase."

"Um, well, I can say I have been a witness to his extremely dry sense of humor, so he's not always so serious." Rani stated causing Isshin to spit out his drink and start laughing.

"Good. Have you met his grandmother yet?"

"No. I am supposed to go see her with him when I get back. Our plans to go see her always get diverted due to one emergency or event. Captain Kuchiki, uh, not Rukia, has made it abundantly clear that he cleared my schedule so I could."

"She's a nice woman. She'll love you if you stay the way you are."

"Headstrong and blunt?" Ichigo teased.

"As headstrong as she is, she still has manners, Ichigo." Rukia interjected.

"I know she does. And you know I really don't." He retorted and then turned to Rani. "Is it true Toshiro got turned into a zombie?"

"Yes. Captain Kurotsuchi was able to fix him, and Rangiku, as well as everyone else who was turned into one. Although, I will admit, it was really scary seeing him as one." She added and shuddered at the same time.

The rest of the dinner went by nicely, and Rani walked back to the Senkaimon with Rukia before she headed back to the Soul Society and Kuchiki Manor. Rani was left with another evening of her solo patrol.