Soi sat motionless on the large woven chair next to the sliding doors leading onto the deck of Yoruichi's room. It had been two weeks since they have walked in on the semi conscious woman. Her condition had improved immensely and despite the constant inquiry about her health and the many scientific protests from Uruhara the dark skinned woman was working daily. It distracted her from the events and kept her occupied enough not to make too much contact with Soi. The slight woman felt grateful for this, her mind still trying to wrap around all that has transpired. So much has happened. Too much perhaps.

Tatsuki showed up for her shift more sombre than usual four days late and had a particularly nasty cut on the nape of her neck what the fuck is happening to everyone? Soi wanted to scream and throw something, anything really just as long as it afforded her answers to the thousands of questions she had in her mind. Uruhara had been milling about, checking up on Yorouchi, but mainly checking up on her to see if she needed anything. Kuukaku had been livid and cancelled a whole week's worth of appointments. Leaving Soi to wonder if this was the beginning of a very dark spiral in her life and the foreboding feeling blooming in her chest did not help matters much either.

"Soi...why are you still sitting there?"

Kisuke was padding around the room, making coffee and looking worse for wear in crumpled clothes and carrying a tired expression. Soi simply tipped her head slightly, acknowledging his presence, but not quite sure how to answer him. She had been coming here to do what exactly? This was the only place that she could come to since Kuukaku has gone off on what she deemed "a fucking debt that has come due" and her apartment was too quiet to just be in.

"Did you hear from Kuukaku yet?"

She was hopeful however that Kuukaku would be coming round soon, with news on how to or at least whom to be on the look-out for. She could see the woman connecting the dots in her mind when Tatsuki told them about her encounter with the tall slimy character in the bar. There was a flash on recognition in both Kuukaku and Kisuke's faces as she told them the details of that night. Soi remembered vaguely that Gin and Matsumoto always drifted around high school together. If they were correct in thinking that he assaulted Tatsuki then who was pulling the strings? She swept a palm over her face, trying in vain to calm her racing thoughts. She sighed when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see the cocoa skinned woman leaning with her backside against an armrest.

"She hasn't called you?"

Yoruichi was concerned. Even though she knew that Kuukaku was exceptionally stubborn and could take in her stride most of what life handed her, she could not quite say the same for the younger woman in obvious distress next to her. Soi had become mute for the majority of her time spent at the resort. This in itself was a concern, but she knew better than to press the woman too hard on matters she deemed too personal. Kuukaku damn it, call your woman for goodness sakes. Kisuke and Yoruichi shared a pained look over Soi's back and the blond man excused himself from their company. She wanted to offer words of comfort, but found that she had none. The darker woman knew that whatever the proud Shiba woman had set herself out to do would not be left halfway done. She would rather not return than get her hands around whomever's neck caused this. Soi had not been privy to the sight of an enraged Kuukaku, at least she hoped she was not.

"Soi, listen..."

The sound of Yorouichi's voice seemed so far away that Soi had to shake her head to clear her mind. She tried to pay attention to the woman next to her and attempted eye contact. She expected to see a playful albeit slightly unwelcomed expression, but when she was met with sadness she had not realised she had held her breath until Yoruichi continued, placing a hand on her shoulder.

" I don't know if you know how she gets when she is this upset, but please don't feel like it has anything to do with you..."

Anger flashed in her grey orbs and she drew in a shaky breath, Yoruichi watched, expecting to hear a growl escape her mouth, but none came so she sighed, partially in relief.

"Kuukaku is stubborn as I am sure you are aware. She is pissed that someone like Gin would openly attack Tatsuki in a dive like that, whom was wearing her family jacket if I heard 'em correctly."

Soi's eyes widened at this new information. She didn't know that Tatsuki was remotely this close to her lover. It never dawned on her that Kuukaku would give her jacket to someone like her though the resemblance of wild hair and facial features was somewhat similar.

"Why the hell...why would Tatsuki even go to a place like that to begin with? Wearing that jacket none the less?!"

The older woman had no answers for this; she only knew about the introductions between people being made, but never heard the outcome of any of them this is what you get for running. Rising from the armrest she did what she knew she was best at and threw her hands in the air, letting go of the breath she took with a puff and a grin.

"Why don't we visit Tatsuki?" Winking at Soi she could see the smaller woman visibly calming.

"Yes. Perhaps we should."

Kuukaku knew this part of town well. The broken windows, rats running across the street whom were the size of dogs. The smell of vomit and stale beer. She knew this side not because she wanted to, no she knew it because years ago when Kaien left them she had to battle down here for scraps of food and a bed to sleep in. She had to fight for Ganju as well, blowing shit up to make a living. To live another day.

She rubbed at the back of her eyes as the scent of something too sharp, too brash filled her nose and she avoided looking into the direction it came from. Voices of women and men crying and groaning in pain filled her ears and she nearly crushed the palms of her hands into her eyes. The crying dulled after three blocks down and she could see the old neon sign with its grotesquely overinflated sense of self Dean's. it use to be just a gambling house, then the strippers came and now? Well now it's paradise for anyone with a sharp knife and quick reflexes. Titties galore too, if you want to see 'em. She lit a cigarette and stood still for a while, thinking of the people she had crippled both inside and outside of this place. As if on cue a drunk woman with her barely there attire waddled past her and leered at her. She let out a low whistle and then what sounded like a sucking sound. Her head snapped up and she seemed sober in the moment she met the Shiba woman's eyes.

"Damn, honey had you been here an hour earlier...your legs would good around my neck."

Kuukaku stared her down. And the seeming sobriety disappeared. A roar of laughter tore from the woman as she waved her hand in front of her face and scrunched her nose. She took a deep breath and peered over her shoulder.

"Have...a good time in there Sugar."

Taking a deep drag of her cigarette Kuukaku watched the woman slink off into the car park. Shaking her head and running a hand through her hair she steeled herself and let her gaze turn to stone.

"This ought to be fun."