The Gambling House [Joshua/Hana]

Knock, knock, knock!

Morning was here, and Hana was dressed up in her best Rukongai-friendly clothing. She wore a plain, high-quality kimono with a snowflake design. This was definitely a perfect outfit for wandering around the Rukongai, right? Hana definitely thought so! With her zanpakuto back home, it was replaced with a small dark blue bag filled with a little too much kon. It was time to hit some of those gambling halls!

“Joshua!” Hana called out, knocking on the door after not getting an immediate answer. “You promised to take me when we had the same days off!”

No answer, again! Either he in a deep sleep or he ditched her. Hana turned around to examine the surrounding area. Was he avoiding her? He was, wasn't he?! There was no way that red-headed, lazy, hat-wearing, bum was breaking his promise!

The door wasn’t moving. She couldn’t see inside any window. The lights were off, maybe? It was difficult to tell. Hana’s cheeks puffed wider and wider as the brat in her began welling out. She almost yelled, was so close to yelling… when she heard his voice. The woman tensed. Her hair would have stood if she were a cat. Letting out a puff of air in the moment he startled her, Hana put a hand over her heart.

“Of course, you were not even home,” Hana said, taking a moment to regain her composure and slow her heart down. She cleared her throat, took her bag in both hands. “You promised you would take me to a gambling house when our next days off were aligned. Today is that day, so… chop, chop. Promises are things to keep.”

Hana quickly resembled a deflated balloon as the sadness seeped in. All excitement blew away real quickly when he explained the issue. She checked the time on her phone and sighed. “I had not thought of that…” she said. She looked down at her bag and her outfit. She was all ready to go. She had her hair done nice and a small amount of makeup on too. Frankly, she looked like she was ready to go out on a date in the Rukongai, not check out a gambling house.

Hana perked back up when he planned for the day to continue, holding her hands together like she was praying and doing a excited little hop. And yet again, that excitement fell, but this time she became confused. She looked down at her hip. "I require my zanpakuto?" Hana questioned. "I have no intention of fighting, and it definitely does not match my outfit. I have been to the Rukongai a few times, and rarely anyone is carrying one... Well, unless you are part of the Sixth."

That doesn’t make any sense! You take a blade so you didn’t have to fight? Having a weapon could be seen as a challenge! Hana wanted to argue, but if she did she might not be able to see the gambling hoouuuse. She mentally whined to herself. “I have no interest in bringing a blade with me. Just hurry up and let’s go!” Hana crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting for him to “wash up.”

Unfortunately, what “wash up” meant to Josh was not what Hana thought. She assumed it was washing his hands and face before they would get to go. No, he began undressing completely… for a shower. Hana’s face turned as red as Josh’s hair and she turned her back to him, doing a quick twirl on her heel. “I-I-I will go retrieve m-my zanpakuto,” she said, unable to calm the heat in her cheeks.

Since they were in the same Division, she did not have to go far. She ended up back in his area in less than five minutes and sat on a nearby bench to wait. She held her zanpakuto in her arms, laying her cheek against it, waiting patiently for a "washed up" Josh to find her. When he found her, she seemed... in a complete daze.

Hana tensed like a startled cat when his voice pulled her from her daydreaming. She was confused for a moment, but then her face again matched his hair’s shade.

“NO!” Hana shouted suddenly, then put her hands over her mouth. She shouldn't be so loud. She looked around and then tried to regain her composure.

“I-I mean, w-why would I?” And then she insulted him? It’s not like he was ugly!

“While you are to be considered an attractive man, that sort of thing… watc-… watching... is a horrible thing to do. Very unladylike. I would not ever!”

Then he laughed and she turned redder and redder. She put both hands over her face, mortified... humiliated! When he finally started calming his laughter, she dropped her arms to her side and puffed out her cheeks in an annoyed pout. She followed him along, cheeks still pinkened. She wasn't sure where she would want to go, so she had no requests, but she did have a valid concern!

"Wait! W-W-Will people not assume we are on a... you know... a date?" Hana put a hand next to her mouth and whispered up to him. This was Josh's fault! All his fault! He pulled Hana into that type of mindset with his flirting. He knew she couldn't handle that kind of thing, especially with how much vigor he put into it!