A Brother Lost [Mia]

"I keep doing weird things..." Mia muttered, frustrated as she couldn't even explain anything or tell him what was going on. Kaimu was just accepting it though... She supposed that was enough.

She could see her Papa at work though and maybe if she stayed long enough Uncle and auntie and her cousin! Though...it would be sad but...she bet seeing their smiling faces would help!

"It's fine."

Kaimu headed back into his division's grounds soon after saying that, feeling the ghost woman would follow him since she apparently needed to.

Entering the building he received few greetings, but when he did he really only responded with a nod of acknowledgement or a wave as he continued going on his way back to his work space to check on things.

Other than those greetings there wasn't much interaction with him, this was normal though, he didn't hold many close work relationships...

As Kaimu said it was fine, Mia just nodded as she followed him. Floating through things and people, she kept to his side as she looked around curiously. It was similar to parts of the Library and yet different...

She peered at everything, fluttering around like a happy little flying cheetah, bounding around the areas after a bit. Papa wasn't social....but she knew that much from seeing him in Lakshmi's work area. "I wonder if Norma will take me to see how it looks..."

When she got back, she'd have to visit! Norma could give her a tour, maybe after tea sometimes?

Kaimu made a straight walk to his spot, where the papers that needed checking on waited for him as Mia fluttered around and looked at everything. Did it not look like this in the future? Well...she had said she was in the Tenth so she might not even come here often in her time...

...Future...The concept she was actually from there still hadn't connected fully with him yet, but he didn't question it further.

"I might be here awhile, it won't really be entertaining...." Might as well let her know...

"Its not like I have a choice... I'll be fine..." It definitely wasn't as fun as spending time with Baby Masa, but Mia was fine with spending time just being around Papa. Floating back to his side, Mia peered at his spot and works with more than a bit of interest. This was probably a lot different from what he did with Lakshmi's division.

Maybe this Papa wouldn't steal her very precious hair clips from Captain and wear them...

Without thinking, her cheek puffed up very slightly in a pout as she grumped.

It was a shame at her lack of choice, but there wasn't anything he could do to change that; he had no idea what had even brought her here in the first place. If she was from the future shouldn't she be there? She had said she was a lieutenant...and they were usually busy...

He shifted through his work as he usually did, checking over things and making sure they were all properly signed as they should be.

Glancing over at the woman, he noticed her pouted expression, and he blinked.

"Something wrong?" He questioned.

Mia was definitely interested in the paperwork, smiling as she saw what Kaimu did here in ninth. It was boring for him maybe, but he seemed okay with it... Definitely a lot less active than his work in Fourth and especially his rogue life.

His question caught her off guard and she murmured a response. "J-Just thinking about my...Father..."

Hah! She could say that! It seemed she just needed to respond in a way that said her father wasn't this man.

"Ah..."

He supposed if she was from the future and something odd had happened to cause this...that it was only right to be concerned over family. He would be, he knew. If he were in her position he didn't doubt he'd worry about Tatsu and Haruki and Shiori and wonder if they're worried or alright...

"If I were in your position, I'm sure I'd be worried about my family as well..."

"Mm... I'm trying not to...s-since.. it'd just worry them too... I-I hope...they aren't worried..." Mia had been mostly pushing away those thoughts, keeping from being too worried by focusing entirely on her present.

She had been with her father and then wasn't... Was he okay? Her expression fell quite a bit, those worries catching up to her. "M-Masa and Papa and Norma...and even Captain and Lakshmi are probably worried... I-I can't think something has happened to them... It'd...it'd make this horrible..."

There were good things about this! Don't think about the fact that you are cut off from everyone you know and love! Don't do it! Don't think about all the awful things that could have happened to cause this and that may have happened to them...

She whimpered lightly, curling up midair much like a worried little kitten.

She had a lot of people to worry over worrying about her... If she was thrown here from...the future as she put it though... "Even if it feels like you're gone awhile...you might return home only minutes after you disappeared...if...this future concept is correct..."

He had no way of really knowing how it worked, but...this was...something about time so if she returned she could likely return at any point after her disappearance.

It was...possibly a weak reassurance, but he'd meant to reassure her nonetheless.

"I...hope so. Its true! I know I am from it... I...really know. This...definitely is the past..." Mia nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes as she glanced up at the younger papa. He didn't...look that much younger though, but he felt younger. Her papa had seen a lot of bad things and it showed in his mismatched eyes at times. This one...seemed more innocent in some ways...

It did reassure her a bit even if she cried and she uncurled. Her eyes became curious as she decided to focus on Kaimu to help get rid of her worries... or at least bury them. "So what else do you do? Do you have someone special? Do you have hobbies? What about... family?"

She wondered how far back this was, had Uncle married Haruki?

"Ah..." Kaimu gave a nod; hopefully she'd return in a suitable time frame...it seemed possible anyway. That way there would hardly be any worry.

When she questioned him about his own life, his eyes returned to his work though he wasn't really shifting through the papers as much anymore, having slowed down. "I'm not involved with anyone, I mostly spend time with my brother and his family. We occasionally go out when we all have the time."

Recently Tatsu had taught Shiori how to skip rocks in a pond, she had said she wanted to learn how to fish too even if she wouldn't really have to do that herself to get food. She'd thought it fun.

Mia's attention focused on Kaimu's words, nodding slowly. "I see! So that means..."

Uncle Tatsuo must have married Haruki and they must have Shiori! Mia smiled softly, floating behind Kaimu. Looking at the tiny little ponytail in back, she had to giggle. It was so short compared to how he had it later! But he still grew it out... "If you are so serious about work, why grow out your hair then? What year is it anyway?"

He seemed so subdued, was there a reason he allowed it to get long? She'd never asked her Papa this, but she just assumed he liked the style. Lakshmi seemed to... Don't think about that! Nope!

Her smile froze into place.

Kaimu blinked, waiting to see what Mia had to say as she trailed off but nothing really came directly after, instead she asked more questions.

His hair?

Bringing a hand up, he looked to inspect one of the longer locks before letting it drop; "I'm not suited for shorter hair..."

Other than that he had no real reason, he kept it tied back so it didn't get in the way but overall he just didn't believe short hair suited him.

The year? "Ahh...It's..."

The calendar system wasn't exactly easy to keep up with in this era, and as Kaimu thought he rattled off what he knew such as the season and era, that time period being centuries from Mia's time.

Mia watched him reach up and touch his hair with a tiny bit of amusement... It seems her Papa still had some of his vanity then. It couldn't hurt to agree. "Mm, long hair suits you much better. Its a pretty color too."

If she told her Papa this now his ego would grow! Her papa had enough ego to go around, Mia had to be careful with her looks compliments. Very careful.

Pondering the date, Mia hmmed to herself. The year and season were...familiar. Very familiar... Why though... Sighing a bit, she let it go for the moment. Instead she peered at his work carefully and trying to hide a bit of excitement. "So...done yet? Can I see....Tatsuo and Haruki now?"

It'd stopped her from saying Uncle! She'd have to recover by saying their names, how mean!

Kaimu gave a nod, he liked his hair so he could agree; he hadn't ever put much thought towards the color though but...he liked it as well, even if it wasn't exactly common around Soul Society.

"Hm? Almost...though Tatsu's on a mission right now...He should be back soon, as for Haruki, her and Shiori probably just got back from a family meeting, so they might be taking a nap or resting."

He planned on going later though...

Yep! At least it wasn't as bad as in the future, Papa's ego then was too big! All those ladies and men who threw themselves at him probably didn't help.

Mia would make it her solemn duty to destroy it whenever she was around. Calling him old seemed to work...

Hearing about them, Mia had to nod enthusiastically before reaching out and tugging his sleeve with puppydog eyes. "Please? Pleaaase? I'm stuck near you until...it lets me go I think... So I can't just go..."

She really really wanted to see them though... really really!

"I plan on going as soon as I'm done..." There wasn't much left, but it wasn't like he could just leave it unchecked. He'd said it would be boring...

Whatever "it" was that was keeping her here decided when she left? Weird...Why stick her to him then? It wasn't like anything that interesting happened. It was just a normal life...

Unknown to Kaimu though, there was a bit of a stir that was beginning to spread outside, which had yet to reach word of the still working shinigami indoors.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm just...r-really...excited..." Mia instantly turned contrite, her eyes closing as she curled up on herself again much like a dog swatted with a newspaper. She played with her hair, pulling it up to her lips as she floated in her curled up and nervous manner.

Papa...had...seemed a bit annoyed? Was he annoyed...

"It's fine, I'm almost done..." She was excited to meet others from the past? It was almost as if she knew them...though, he supposed it wasn't entirely impossible. She'd called them by their names yet he hadn't remembered referring to them as such...

So perhaps she knew them in the future, and had been curious on what they were like...

"You don't need to apologize." He added, though he wasn't sure what more he could do in his position in terms of reassuring his statement.

Eventually, there was shuffling in the halls, the sounds of people hurrying around, but it could be excused as any usual workday, so to Kaimu...right now it didn't seem very unusual. The Ninth could be busy as well, after all...

"Mm..." Mia uncurled slightly, Kaimu's words a bit reassuring even though he was still that odd calm. It was weird, his happy and playful words gone for now and she was left with this... odd father. He wasn't papa at all...

Would he have been like this had his brother and sister in law and niece survived? Papa wouldn't have had her at all had that happened, but that didn't bother her one bit. She was more sad for people like Lakshmi and Norma... They would miss their Kaimu...

Hearing commotion in the corridor, Mia blinked and went to stick her head outside as this distracted her from her thoughts before the year...and season...hit her. It had been floating in her head for a bit, at the back and unaware.

The date Uncle had died... was in this year...and season... The color drained from her face. Letting out a shriek, she dove for Kaimu and began pushing him out of his chair. She couldn't say anything, though she desperately wanted to. Her mouth opened and nothing came out, but fear...fear and despair shined in her eyes. He had to go. He had to go NOW! Now now now. Maybe it wasn't the day...but it...was too much of a coincidence for her taste.

Could she stop this? It was time to find out...

At Mia's shriek Kaimu looked up from his work and blinked though he wasn't sure what to do was she began pushing him, trying to get him to get up. "Wha-? What is it? It's normal for it to get this busy from time to time-! I'm getting up, alright..."

He moved to stand, a hand moving to his the side of his mouth to lightly scratch at his cheek; this wasn't anything to worry about...

"I'll go and see what's going on..." Really...it was probably nothing like usual.

Mia didn't listen, though as he stood she moved to his back and pushed with all of her ghostly might towards the door. It...probably wasn't! He had to move! Kaimu had to go! He had to hurry...hurry...

Mia felt like crying, her face twisted in fear and despair still. She hoped she was wrong but... Pushing more she let out a frustrated sound. She was unable to speak! This was horrible! Go go go!

Urging him in her head, hoping father daughter telepathy really worked, she pushed and pushed.

He was going to check it out, there wasn't a need to rush! Mia seemed so panicked, what was she worrying about? Kaimu's attention went to the door as they neared it, but before he could open he could open it it was slid open from the other side by another officer.

"Miura, we need an extra hand! Head outside!" Before Kaimu could answer the other officer had run off, leaving Kaimu to stand there and blink. Outside?

That in mind he hurried out, the shinigami still shuffling about hurriedly in the halls...some of them seem quite on edge but he needed to be outside, so he didn't have time to stop and listen to what any of them were saying...their words were coming out rather quick anyway...

Something about some shinigami?

Mia let out a sound that was half frustrated and half just impossibly pained. She couldn't say anything, she couldn't say anything as she followed Kaimu... Finally though it seemed her trapped voice let up and she forced out one word. "Hurry!"

She could hear them...it was...why was this...what was happening?! Why had she appeared for this, why?! Crying in her silent way, a few sobs broke through. She couldn't speak, only hurry alongside Kaimu... Poor Papa...