Uryuu slowly roused himself from jinzen, taking care to stretch his legs out and rub some feeling back into them before he tried to do anything else.

He felt better after spending time with Ichigo and the others, felt more like himself again, though he still wasn’t certain what to do about Midgardsormr’s assertion that he was almost a dragon. Not that it mattered just yet, he supposed, since Midgardsormr didn’t want to teach him until he’d ‘healed’.

(Whatever that meant.)

(*Eh, just think how Urahara’ll react when he finds out. That’s gunna be a sight to see!*) Shiro said with amusement, then yawned and settled a bit further back. (*Anyway, I’m gunna go take a nap. Wake me if somethin’ interestin’ happens, koneko.*)

(*I’m not so sure Urahara will react with anything but amusement, at least outwardly,*) Uryuu replied dryly, remembering how Urahara had deflected other topics with humor.

Ichigo hummed and leaned in, his presence warm-steady-calm. (*We should still catch him before Midgardsormr brings it up in front of him. Urahara’s older than us, so whatever is wrong with us is probably already healed in him, which means—*)

(*Midgardsormr is going to want to start teaching him soon,*) Uryuu agreed as he carefully stood up, one hand braced against carved stone just in case. His perch was precarious enough without trying to move on unsteady legs — being a gigantic statue instead of a real place to sit, and all — and he had no desire to fall and injure himself.

(Best way to hide, though: be somewhere no one expected him to be.)

(And at least here he wasn’t likely to be found by a nosy dragon.)

(Or anyone, really.)

He glanced up at the gigantic carved dragon head above him, taking a moment to marvel at the detail-work on it, before sighing and checking that no one was around to see him; he didn’t want to lose this hiding spot just yet, which meant he needed to take care.

(*Bet Urahara will want to see this one, too,*) Ichigo said as Uryuu used a burst of hirenkyaku to descend to the floor. (*He mentioned a throne, but I don’t see anywhere to actually sit here, so…*)

(*Wrong direction, too. We went towards the kitchens before taking a different hallway, and Urahara said the throne was the other way,*) Uryuu added as he did his best to brush the dust from his borrowed clothing, grimacing a bit at the flowing kimono. He should have asked Urahara to fetch him some new outfits while the man was out scouting, because he was not used to wearing kimonos all the time.

(Well, worst case scenario, he could probably ask Cleo for help.)

(Probably.)

Uryuu glanced up at the skylight overhead and grimaced a bit, noting how late in the day it had become; he hadn’t missed how concerned everyone was about him — it didn’t make any sense, but they weren’t exactly concealing it — and his decision to hide out for an entire day, skipping every meal, probably wasn’t going to help. At all. Especially if Midgardsormr mentioned their little chat.

(*Chances I can just… sneak into the kitchen and steal something to eat?*) Uryuu asked even as he started to head back towards the main area. (*Cleo mentioned something about leaving snacks out, I think?*)

(*She did. Hirenkyaku will probably get you in and out, but if anyone’s in the kitchen, they’re going to spot you,*) Ichigo said honestly, then gave Uryuu a mental nudge and added, (*Maybe check our room, first? They might have thought you were hiding out in there and left food outside the door.*)

That was a good point, Uryuu decided, even if it wouldn’t do anything for the whole avoiding people all day thing.

(Not that he really wanted to deal with any of them just yet, not on his own.)

(*You will need to face them at some point,*) Zangetsu said firmly, before adding, (*But from what I’ve seen, I believe they will understand needing time to get your feet under you.*)

(*However it’s possible to ‘get my feet under me’ after being sent to a completely different reality!*) Uryuu couldn’t help but grouse, even as he reached out with his senses to check if anyone was nearby; finding no one, he darted around the corner and towards the stairs up. (*How Urahara just… just rolls with it I’ll never understand!*)

(*Practice,*) Ichigo said with a mental shrug. (*He’s apparently been hopping around for quite a while now.*)

Which just seemed all kinds of horrible, in Uryuu’s opinion; he’d been thrown into this reality without even a by-your-leave — and with very little except duty tying him back to his own reality — but Urahara…

Urahara had a family.

Even if he’d once been a version of Uryuu, it was obvious that the fiction of being Urahara Kisuke’s son had at some point become a reality. Which meant he had a (worried?) father to return to, alongside whoever else he’d become friendly with over the years: Yoruichi — since he’d mentioned being taught by her personally — and the other shoten residents at the very least. Maybe others, though Uryuu couldn’t imagine having more than one or two friends.

But maybe Urahara was different in that regard, too.

(He did seem friendly enough with Euden and the others.)

(Though maybe that was just a mask?)

(Uryuu couldn’t tell…)

Uryuu shoved his rambling thoughts aside and used a burst of hirenkyaku to ascend the stairs and sweep down the hall towards the room Urahara had claimed for him; he didn’t want to meet anyone right now, and this was the main thoroughfare as far as he could tell.

Luckily, there was no one waiting for him, though there was a covered tray and a bowl with another large dragonfruit set near the door, just like Ichigo had suggested.

Uryuu made a face at the dragonfruit — him, a dragon, really — as he opened the door, but picked it and the tray up anyway. It was something to eat, and it did have power in it that his body could — and did — make use of, and that was something that he rather desperately needed.

Maybe tomorrow he’d start figuring out how to actually grasp this world’s powers. Urahara seemed to have no trouble—

(No, that wasn’t quite right.)

(Urahara had repeatedly used too much power for things, hadn’t he?)

(And gotten stuck in some strange midway point when calling his mask up.)

(*Wonder if we can sort our control issues out before he gets back,*) Ichigo mused as Uryuu set the dragonfruit down and then carried the tray over to the chair so he could eat dinner.

Uryuu snorted at the idea as he uncovered the tray. (*Unlikely,*) he declared as he took a bite of the bread left for him and grimaced a bit at the flavor. It was definitely not something he’d ever find in the Living World, but he supposed he needed to get used to it. (*But as good a goal as any.*)

(It wasn’t like he had anything else to do with his time.)

(*I have a feeling we’re going to need every advantage we can get,*) Ichigo said with a touch of exasperation. (*Whatever’s going on here feels serious.*)

(*Yeah…*) Uryuu sighed and reached a hand up to rub at his eyes, thinking over the things he’d heard and Urahara’s insistence that he be allowed to scout for trouble. None of it painted a promising picture, if he was being honest, so Ichigo was right: if he wanted to survive whatever was coming, he needed to get his powers under control, and fast.

Mind made up, Uryuu set his worries aside and focused on the food in front of him.

(He refused to be a deadweight, refused to be someone that needed protection.)

(He’d start first thing in the morning.)