Alexis landed lightly behind the bathhouse and folded her wings away. A blink, a breath, and a cloak settled across her shoulders in place of her wings. She ran her tongue over blunt human teeth and arched into a stretch, settling into human limbs and human balance and human everything; it felt strange to shed all things swan and stand as a human after so long.

(Decades since she and her mate had let their human identities die.)

(Decades since she’d dropped the glamours of old age and retaken her true appearance.)

“Need us still?” Briar asked as he landed with a flutter of wings, the rest of her Flight landing around the two of them and watching with sharp, inhuman eyes.

She hummed and glanced towards the house, reaching out with her senses towards her mate. He felt… annoyed but otherwise fine, which meant it was unlikely that their guest had came awake swinging. “I should be fine. The rest of you can return to the flock.”

They all bobbed their heads in acceptance and let their human-like forms fade. Seven swans lifted into the air, leaving behind the trappings of war, and flew away.

Alexis huffed her amusement and gathered up their weapons and bits of armor, tucking it all away in the shed built for the purpose. They’d come back and tidy it up later she knew, they were just… disinterested in being seen unless necessary. And who knew when the stranger would decide to wander around outside despite his injuries?

She leaned the sword-cane she’d found against the bathhouse wall and went inside, intending on a quick wash to remove the dust and sweat from her skin. Ren and Mami would never let her sit at their table in the state she was in and she knew it.

(Not that she blamed them.)

(She wouldn’t let herself at the table if it was her home.)

Not bothering to heat anything up, she just dumped a bucket of water over her body, scrubbed herself down, then sluiced all the soap and grime away. Clean once more, Alexis snatched up a towel to dry herself off, then twisted her damp hair up out of the way and pulled on a spare set of clothes left out for her.

Alexis strode from the bathhouse, swept up the sword-cane as she went past, and headed straight for Ren and Mami’s home. “Tadaima!” she called out as she slid the door open and stepped in, wiping her still-damp feet on the towel Mami kept in the entryway before continuing on. “I return victorious!”

Erich’s newest charity case stared up at her in surprise as she entered the room. He looked much better than when she’d last seen him; then again, any improvement was a step up from when she’d last seen him. She hadn’t quite expected ‘awake and aware’ just yet, but it was a good sign that they’d done enough to save him.

“Here, pretty sure this is yours,” Alexis announced as she dropped the cane-sword in the man’s lap and breezed past him to sit at Erich’s side. “You held onto it longer than I expected, when I saw how far away from here the signs of combat were.”

“I… err… thank you?” the man half-asked, half-said, hands tightening convulsively over the weapon as if he wanted to make sure he could never drop it again. Clearly something of import to him beyond just a favored weapon, which explained the traces of spiritual power she could pick up from it.

“You’re welcome! Quite an interesting blade you have there.” She leaned against Erich’s side and slid her hands beneath his kimono, pressing cold fingers against his soft, warm skin.

“You are cold!” Erich protested, batting at her arms as his muscles tensed beneath her hands. “Lexi!”

Alexis laughed and pressed closer, propping her chin on his shoulder and rubbing her nose against his cheek. “Is my darling husband denying me? After all I’ve done to protect our lands today?”

“Your darling husband wishes you would take the ten minutes necessary to heat the water up before you use it,” Erich grumbled even as he turned his head to rub his nose against hers in a brief bird-kiss. “Now get your hands out of my clothing before Mami lectures us about propriety in front of guests.”

“If I have to send all of you to separate rooms, I will,” Mami said with a fake, exasperated sigh and a small smile. She pushed a few dishes closer to Alexis. “Eat before you wither away.”

“Why, don’t mind if I do!” Alexis straightened up and dished herself out some food, still pressed tight to Erich’s side. This close, she could feel an undercurrent of unease-uncertainty-awkwardness in his power that bothered her; whatever had happened while she was out killing Hollows had disturbed his usual balance.

(Three guesses who had caused that and the first two didn’t count.)

(Now if only she knew the what…)

“Did you find many Hollows out there?” Ren asked as they leaned over to offer Alexis another dish.

She took a couple pieces of bread and tore a piece off to eat, considering how to answer that. “A few,” she settled on, amused by the face Ren gave her at the non-answer. “Traces of two that our current guest dealt with, a third that had been wounded by not killed, and signs that there are possibly two to three more lurking about.”

The man straightened at her answer, a touch of unease creeping into his expression. “Ah… be careful with them, they have—”

“They’re trap-types, I know. It’s the most common Hollow type we get out here, so we know how to deal with them,” Alexis interrupted with a shrug, mopping up some curry with a piece of bread and eating it. Human food was about the only thing she missed about having a permanent human identity; that Ren and Mami so graciously indulged them was a blessing.

“I wasn’t aware anyone out here could fight Hollows,” the man spoke, gaze darting between the four of them around the table. “Or that they were common—”

“Oh, they’re not common,” Alexis said, waving a hand absently to brush aside his worries. “Maybe once or twice a year? And I usually take care of any incursions with my little group.” She sniffed and gave him an exasperated look. “None of this solo business for us.”

He laughed awkwardly and twitched back, one hand rising to rub at the back of his head. “Maa, maa, I’ve certainly learned my lesson!”

“Good. See that you remember it.”

“Maa, Erich-san, your wife is scary,” the man told Erich with a touch of humor, hands settling back on the sheathed blade in his lap. “Will you introduce us?” His fingers twitched as he spoke, tiny, aborted gestures that almost looked like he was petting it. The motions made Alexis certain the man was bound to the blade somehow, and made a suspicion begin to niggle at the back of her mind.

(Was he… a Reaper?)

(But no, he was no spirit.)

(Was he?)

“I suppose I can, especially since you asked so politely,” Erich agreed with a shrug, leaning a bit more into Alexis’ side. “Urahara Kisuke, meet my wife Alexis. Alexis, Urahara Kisuke. He’ll be staying the night and Ren or Mami will lead him back to town in the morning.”

She shot Erich a narrow-eyed glance at his phrasing, then fixed Urahara with stern look when her husband wouldn’t meet her gaze. Whatever had occurred before she arrived, it had involved Urahara being impolite in some manner that had made Erich uncomfortable.

“Ah, uhm… if… that’s alright with you, Alexis-san?” Urahara asked warily, knuckles turning white as he gripped his sheathed blade tighter.

Erich nudged her side with his elbow and arched an eyebrow at her, lips barely moving as he breathed, “It’s fine, Lexi. Nothing happened.”

Alexis snorted at Erich’s attempted reassurance and plucked at his spiritual power in response, letting him sense her disbelief without giving anything away to their guest. But if he wanted to pretend that everything was fine, she’d play along.

(He could take care of himself, after all.)

(She’d ask him when they were in private, and if he wanted to speak on it he would.)

“Very well. I have no objections to you staying, Urahara-san,” she conceded when Erich remained silent. She took Erich’s hand in hers and raised it up to kiss the back, weaving their fingers together as she did. “Whatever my darling husband desires is fine by me.”

“Thank you, Alexis-san.”

“Ha! You can thank me by enlightening me as to what in the world possessed you to wander this far out by yourself,” Alexis told him with a smirk.

“Ah, well… boredom, mostly?” Urahara answered her. He tipped his head in sheepish acknowledgment when Alexis gave him a dry look. “When I get bored, anything looks like a good idea, and if my friends aren’t around…”

Alexis sat back and gave Urahara a thoughtful once-over. If boredom had driven him out to them, he might attempt to return to them for the same reason. Especially if he had any suspicions or memories of she and Erich in their midway form.

She’d thought they’d dealt with the issue by allowing him to wake with humans nearby as an explanation for his healing, but had she only created more trouble?

Would Concealment only spur him on, or would he give up when faced with the obstacle?

(Somehow, she doubted he’d give up.)

(Decisions, decisions…)

“Maa, but it all turned out!” Urahara continued in the face of her silence, grinning brightly as he did. “And I’m certainly no longer bored!”

Alexis laughed at his cheeky tone and let herself relax. Whatever the future brought, he was no threat to them in the current moment.

That was good enough for her.