maddest | IC Contact Post

You found it?

_{[Not displaying the usual amount of excitement here. In fact, there's a whole lotta caution.]}

Why aren't you kissing him right now? Go. Go.

It... would not be the first time I woke up from doing so.

He's real, you're real, I'm real. I know it hurts but you aren't the kind of man scared of taking chances. I know it's again and again, but it's Ukitake. He's worth it.

And how do I know it's real and not another dream?

Tell him I'm ordering him to slap you.

Ah... [Silence, the sound of a drawer sliding open and some rustling.] Does it come with instructions as to how hard?

I trust his judgement.

[Serene.]

Should I deliver the same instructions to Retsu-san then~?

_{[He's also pretty sure she can slap harder than Ukitake, and that she wasn't quite so happy with him having to take a few minutes to himself first.]}

Consult her if you find yourself in need of a second dose.

PCD me again when you're all ready for a visitor, all right?

Of course.

_{[There's a long, long moment of silence before he breaks it.]}

It's worth it, isn't it? Even if this just turns out to be some elaborate dream? [Because if there's one thing he learned from the event, it's that mere pain isn't enough to wake someone up.] You would take the chance?

_{[That, perhaps, says more about how carefully Urahara invests his heart, and just how deeply it gets invested when he does.]}

On just anyone? No, I wouldn't. But on him?

[A soft laugh.]

There are things I'm going to not make the mistake of not saying, this time.

_{[A deep breath, followed by a long exhale, in which the weight lifting could be heard. Or perhaps he was simply shrugging it off, having decided to refuse to let it crush him down into something smaller than he really was.]}

Then I shall look forward to your saying them.

Urahara? I'm happy for you. It's luck many people here would kill to have, don't throw it away.

I know, dearest. Besides, you wouldn't let me throw it away anyway.

Ah, that's what I'm here for. Beating sense into others.

Good, this city needs that.

Thank you, Xerxes-san.

The piece of paper is charred and singed at the edges, ash is caught in the folds and the whole things smells of smoke from being burnt into nothingness late one night, but it's whole once again...