Kisuke was still exhausted when he woke in the morning, his reiryoku only partially refilled and his side aching from the Hollow’s blow. He wished he could heal himself or, barring that, wished these strange singers could finish the healing for him, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

He had no doubt that Erich and Alexis could sing him back to health, but evidence indicated that they wouldn’t.

(He also hadn’t won himself any good-will last night with his words.)

(He just hoped Alexis didn’t turn on him for the things he’d said to her husband.)

Sitting up and getting dressed was a chore, his body protesting every movement. The Hollows had done a number on him and that… that was concerning, because that shouldn’t have been the case. He should have seen them coming, should have been able to take them out before they could react to him, even with the need to keep himself hidden.

They hadn’t even been particularly strong Hollows, but they’d still won, albeit at the cost of two of their lives and the grave wounding of the third.

(He was an assassin, staying hidden was how he’d operated for decades, and now this?)

(Did the Hollows being ‘trap-types’ truly make such a difference?)

(What made them ‘trap-types’ anyway?)

(Curiouser and curiouser…)

Benihime grumbled in the back of his mind as he stood, protesting the use of her cane-form as a cane. Not that she was happy with him in general, after being abandoned in the woods and left to be found by a complete stranger. It would be a while before she let him forget that embarrassing fact.

(Time and many apologies before she forgave him the indignity.)

(And probably more training than he’d been doing in years.)

(Well… he deserved it after what had happened.)

Kisuke took a few careful steps towards the door and slid it open, making his way back to the common room where they’d eaten the night before.

“Good morning!” Mami smiled up at him and gestured towards a spot at the table. “We’ve got breakfast ready if you’d like to join us.”

“Thank you,” Kisuke said as he took his seat as smoothly as he could, holding back a wince at the way his body ached from the motion. Walking back to Karakura was going to be a chore, especially if it was going to take several hours.

“Your side is bothering you,” Mami said, pursing her lips and giving him a critical look. “Maybe we shouldn’t return you to Karakura today…”

Staying longer would give him more time to investigate this place, but… he got the feeling he’d already overstayed his welcome a bit. “Maa, I’ll be fine,” he tried, only to get a flat stare from Mami in response. “Ahahah… well, I’ll need to rest but—”

“What’s this about needing to rest?” Alexis asked as she swept into the room, Erich trailing in her wake and covering a large yawn with one hand. “Not sleep well?”

“Urahara-san’s injuries are bothering him still,” Mami said before Kisuke could answer for himself.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle!”

Alexis huffed and gave him a quelling look. “But you shouldn’t have to. This is no emergency situation where you need to push your body to the limit, this is the aftermath of that and you require rest.” She exchanged a long look with her husband, an entire silent communication wrapped up in a handful of gestures, then nodded and said to Kisuke, “You should stay. I dislike the thought of our efforts going to waste because you insisted on pushing yourself when you should have been resting.”

“Ah, well, if you insist and no one else minds…” Kisuke laughed awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck, uncertain how to take the sudden welcome. The previous night they’d been all for sending him back as soon as possible, but now they were offering to let him stay?

(What had Erich and Alexis talked about after they went to their room, anyway?)

Mami smiled warmly at him. “We wouldn’t have made the offer if we minded, Urahara-san. Though I am afraid we don’t have any clothes that will fit better than what you’re currently wearing. Ren did their best to mend yours, but…”

“A bit too torn?” Kisuke asked wryly, hand drifting to the healing wounds on his side. There’d been more than a few close calls before the Hollows finally managed to land a blow, so he wouldn’t be surprised if there had been more damage to his clothing than that.

“And bloodstained,” Ren added as they wandered into the room carrying a tray with plenty of dishes on it. “Sorry, but your shirt wasn’t salvageable. Your pants will be dry by this afternoon, though.”

Kisuke nodded as Ren set out breakfast for them; he’d expected an outcome like that, and having his pants be still wearable was something at least. He’d have preferred his shirt if only because he hated wearing tight clothing, but… he’d deal with it. It was only for a day or two.

The moment Ren had sat down, Kisuke murmured his thanks for the meal along with the others before picking up his chopsticks to dig in. They ate in relative silence for a while, the group apparently not big on mornings in general.

Erich looked like he was still half-asleep, his hair wild and his clothing barely presentable, and Alexis didn’t look much better. She was at least coherent, but her wavy hair was unbound and chaotic, the streaks of white in her hair less obvious than the night before because of how tousled her hair was.

Ren and Mami were clearly more accustomed to mornings than the other two, but Kisuke got the impression that no one liked mornings and — if they had the choice — they’d have slept in a bit more.

(Understandable.)

(He would have appreciated a lie-in as well.)

(Being injured was terrible.)

Ren was the first to sit back, cradling a cup of tea in their hands and taking the occasional sip as they relaxed. They gave Kisuke a thoughtful look, then sung a small snatch of familiar melody, power brushing against Kisuke’s side before immediately retreating. “You probably shouldn’t stress yourself much today,” they told Kisuke kindly. “I’m sorry we can’t do much more to heal you, but none of us are quite as skilled as my ancestress unfortunately.”

“Maa, it’s fine, Ren-san,” Kisuke hastened to reassure the other, setting aside his bowl and smiling awkwardly. He wasn’t used to people being apologetic about things not their fault, especially towards him; Ren and Mami being unable to heal him further was entirely understandable, given what he sensed from their levels of power. Alexis and Erich almost certainly had the power, especially given how badly wounded he was to begin with, but maybe there were limitations on that type of healing that he wasn’t yet aware of.

(In any case, he wasn’t going to complain at being able to spend more time with such fascinating enigmas.)

“Ah, though… if you have pen and paper and a way to get a letter into town, I… should probably make my friend aware of what happened before he starts looking for me,” Kisuke said after a moment’s thought. Tessai knew Kisuke could take care of himself, but given their circumstances and how Kisuke had just disappeared without warning…

“We do, to all of that,” Alexis said with a nod. “As soon as you get the letter written, I’ll have one of my Flight deliver it for you. Just let me know where it needs to go and I’ll see that it’s taken care of.”

“Thank you, Alexis-san.”

She chuckled a bit and shrugged philosophically. “We are sort of holding you hostage, it’s only polite that your friend knows where you are and that you’re fine.”

Kisuke snorted. “Holding me hostage due to my own overconfidence,” he told her dryly, hand pressing lightly against his side. “Thank you, though. I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

Her gaze zeroed in on his side and she narrowed her eyes a bit as she set aside her cup of tea. “You’re welcome,” she said absently as she rose from the table and walked around to stand over him, offering her hand. “Your bandages need to be changed and the wounds looked over with more than just song magic,” she said when he shot her a curious look. “Sometimes we don’t catch things before they become a problem, because we don’t know how to interpret what we sense from the song.”

“Well, in that case, lead the way,” Kisuke said as he accepted her help to rise, taking the opportunity to attempt to gauge her strength.

She had no problem hoisting him up with one hand though, just braced herself and pulled him smoothly to his feet, her grip firm and her hand heavily calloused.

(A warrior for sure, just like he’d suspected.)

(He hadn’t thought the Living World allowed women to fight.)

(And yet here she was, clearly in charge of a whole group of people skilled in taking down Hollows while her husband stayed at home and watched over their wounded guest.)

(How interesting…)