"Hey," said Renji, "are there fish in this river?"
Ichigo cracked open an eye. Everything had that blue tint that comes from dozing supine in the midday sun, seeing nothing but the beat of blood in one's eyelids: Renji's hair, the tanned sheen of his forearms, the air itself. He was sitting up and blocking Ichigo's view, so Ichigo had to lift his head to see what he was looking at. Not like he couldn't tell.
It had rained for seven days straight, torrential then drizzling, until the riverbanks were soaked through and moisture rose from them like steam. Then the sun had come out and it was no cooler, as if the past week had been a lie. But the grass was damp still, and the river ran high – churning and brown with mud – lapping at its confines.
Rukia walked along the river's concrete edge, taking long, dainty steps with her arms out, balancing for fun. She wore an egg-yellow sundress that exposed the backs of her knees; her feet were bare. She kept her head down, watching the water's surface.
"I don't know," said Ichigo. A memory of something tiny, silvery and darting. "Maybe? Little ones. Not like anyone would fish here."
"Where do you fish, then?"
"...Dude. I don't know about you people, but when we need fish we go to the fishmonger counter at the supermarket." The concrete was getting over-warm. Ichigo sat up as well, squinting.
Rukia had crouched down and was craning forward, intent on something he couldn't see. Ichigo thought the addition of a lashing tail would pretty much complete the image.
"Besides, you wouldn't want to eat anything that came out of this water unless you felt like growing a second head and puking your—"
Rukia tipped forward neatly. There was a splash.
"Holy shit," said Ichigo. Renji was already on his feet and bounding down toward the water.
"Idiot!" he yelled. "What the hell!"
"Whatever, stupid," Rukia called back cheerfully. She was treading water against current, drifting slowly. Ichigo was in time to see her kick upward and pitch from the shoulder, water polo-style. Renji squawked and clutched at the projectile; it flopped wildly between his hands.
"I'll be damned," said Ichigo. "Only one head."
Renji spared him a glare, then back at Rukia. "Do the Kuchiki not feed you or something? That would explain a lot."
"What's the matter, vice-captain – let your skills go to rust?" A ladder ran along the side of the embankment several metres away, leading to a currently submerged ledge. Rukia caught the rail easily and hauled herself up. "Try it. I dare you. The water is just. Fine."
"Idiot," Renji said again, with less heat. He had a look on his face Ichigo had learnt to recognize some time ago (what Ichigo wanted to do about it was a different matter; gods help them all, he thought, as befit fools and babes). "This guy here says you can't even eat—"
Rukia caught his ankle and tugged, putting all her weight behind it.
"—AHHHHH!"
Ichigo backed up a step.
There were two splashes.
Ichigo approached the edge again, squatted and peered down.
"This is retarded," he called. "I'm going home, if it's all the same to you."
A splutter was the only response he received. Ichigo wandered back up the riverbank and flopped down on the concrete again, closing his eyes. The weather was too beautiful to waste indoors.
It's never the same river, he thought. Not for one second.
Some indefinite span of time later the sun dimmed, and a raindrop fell on his nose. Ichigo opened his eyes.
"Oi, Ichigo," said Rukia, "get up." She was leaning over him, her head blocking the sun, and the ends of her hair were dripping on his face. He couldn't see her expression.
"You smell like fish," he said. "Dead fish."
"What did you say?"
But she moved out of the way so he could see her again. The yellow dress was sodden to transparency, such that the light shone through it in places where it refused to cling, but Rukia stood as if her attire's decency or lack thereof were beneath her notice. Behind her Renji had taken his shirt off and was surreptitiously wringing it out.
"I said, the two of you have an appointment coming up with a garden hose." Renji paused in the act and gave him a dirty look.