I can't seem to write anything but oneshots nowadays. It's actually killing me.
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Sighing, Matsumoto Rangiku rubbed her forehead with one hand, the other clutching an empty sake cup. Skipping school to drink in some bar wasn't exactly an honorable thing for a vice captain to do, but this time was one of those times.
It was the 29th of September, a somewhat cold day. The pub was empty, since most people decided to go out and be happy somewhere instead of sitting around, getting a hangover. But with Rangiku-san, it was an entirely different story.
Sure, she was known for her love of sake, but she didn't drink often. She only drank when she needed to. And tody, she needed to.
"Another shot?" the bartender asked, holding a bottle of alcohol with his one hand.
"Make it a double" Matsumoto coughed, handing over her cup and another wad of cash for the tip.
"Are you sure you're of legal age?" he asked yet again before pouring more into her cup.
Well, she was pretending to be a 16 year old there.
"Listen, buddy" she burped. "I'm probably ten times older than you, with a lot more experience in a lot of different fields, so I suggest that you step away because right now, you're more vulnerable than I am."
Sure, that was a little odd from her but she was sober and wallowing in her depression.
With barely a trace of fear on his face, the bartender decided to have a little chat with the young lady.
"So tell me" he said, grinning. "What's a delicate little thing like you doing in a bar as rowdy as this?"
"I've seen worse men" she smiled, looking around. "Besides, I don't mind. If there's alcohol, I'm in."
"That's the kind of customer I like to have" the bartender grinned, pouring her another drink. "So why are you drinking?"
"Excuse me?" Matsumoto asked, her vision getting slightly blurry.
"Well, you seem like a well-off kid. Most people your age drink to run away from things" he said, shrugging. "You look kempt, a clean uniform, and you seem to have a lot of money. What're you trying to escape from?"
She grinned, handing over yet another empty cup. "You're a nice guy" she smiled. "I guess I could tell you."
Burp.
"I'm drinking because I like to drink."
"Why, you're my kind of girl" he chuckled, pouring her another shot.
"I'll just take the whole bottle" she shrugged, pulling it out of his grasp and taking a swig of the alcohol. "This place is rather lovely. Do you own it?"
"Now, you're just saying that because you're half drunk" the man smiled, leaning over. "Yeah, I do own it. It's been my business for fifteen years, so I'm taking that you're new here."
"Kind of" she burped. "But I'm living in Karakura town with a cute friend of mine."
"Karakura town?!" the bartender asked, appalled. "That's two towns away! What're you doin' all the way here?!"
"Nah, nothing much" she said, waving her hand in the air. "I'm just escaping from a couple of friends is all."
"Escaping from friends?" the bartender chuckled. "Why, most people I've met in this bar don't even have friends!"
Rangiku smiled. "I needed to stay away from people who I knew because it's... it's kind of my birthday..."
"Well, happy birthday!" He cheered. "If you should've said so before you started drinking! With celebrations like this, the whole pub would love to join! we're a family here, y'know. In fact, I think I'd --"
"No, no that's fine" Rangiku cut him off. "I don't want my birthday celebrated. I just... don't. Really.I don't want to be greeted. I... don't want to be reminded."
The bartender raised an eyebrow, sensing that this problem wasn't a mere case of someone afraid of aging. "So you really are drinking to escape, huh?"
"Yeah" Matsumoto sighed, burrying her face in her palms. "It's dumb."
"Oh, hunny" the bartender smiled. "It's a pub. What're you calling dumb?"
Rangiku was rubbing her finger against the counter, tracing a circle from the dust.
She never really had a birthday. The day she had met him was the day they decided would be her birthday, since according to him, it was the day that she had "started living", the day she was not alone anymore.
It was the 29th of September. An even colder day. Closing her eyes, she could vaguely remember the uncomfortable feeling of his cold, rough clothes when he was hugging her, his sharp bones nagging her, but the fact that he was hugging her was comfort enough.
Each birthday had been nothing but enjoyable to her, because it had in fact reminded her that she was not alone.
But now, she spent her birthday in a pub, drinking away the pain, all alone.
"Everybody has something to escape from" the bartender consoled, leaning over the counter. "Here's another shot, on the house."
"Nah, that's okay" she said, handing over the nearly empty alcohol bottle. "I'm in the pleasure part of the experience."
"Pleasure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come on hunny, you'll be killing yourself if you don't tell someone about it."
"But I don't know you, Mister-chan" she feigned a smile.
"It's fine, we're all family here" he said with a reassuring smile, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Well...I drink... so I could escape this world and recreate a place of my own." she sighed, looking somewhat sober. "Where... where I could make things be what I want them to be. Stay how they are, not change... but..."
Rubbing her forehead, sensing the hangover coming, she sighed.
"The practical world likes to intrude, you know. So sometimes, this world isn't as perfect as I'd like it to be... and that kind of blurs the line between fantasy and reality." Biting her lip, she frowned.
"Oh, hunny" the bartender sighed, pulling out another bottle of alcohol. "Here, I got the good stuff for ya'. Have a shot, and carry on."
Clutching her cup, Matsumoto stroked her hair. "It's better if that recreated world is purely impractical, because you can separate reality from fantasy whenever you'd like. But when the line is blurred... when you're not spending your time recreating, thriving in pleasure... you're reminded of the truth repeatedly and how it could be the other way, like how you always fantasize about. And that only amplifies the pain to a great extent."
"Oh, sweetie" the bartender sighed. "Then stop dreaming! dreaming won't do you any good, you know."
"I know" she shrugged. "But... I can't help it. It feels damned good, it does."
Pouring her another shot, Matsumoto perked up after sensing a familiar trace of reiatsu.
Grinning, she gladly took the shot. "This is really good!" she chuckled. "We don't have this from where I come from. What's this called, again?"
"Matsumoto." a stern voice called out, as if reprimanding.
"Ahhh, taichou!" she cheered, turning around to face her young, short, captain. "So you found me!"
"Taichou?" the bartender muttered to himself, quite flustered.
"Matsumoto. What the hell are you doing here, slacking off?" he asked with a strict face.
"Hey, you!" the other bartender called, pointing his finger at Hitsugaya. "No minors in this pub."
"Then why the heck did you let her in?" he growled, pointing at Matsumoto, who had been playing a 16 year old.
'I knew she was underage...' the other bartender sighed.
"Ah, it's okay!" Matsumoto smiled, looking quite cheerful for someone who had just spilled her heart out to some guy who offered her free booze. "He's not drinking, anyway."
"Matsumoto, did you skip school?!"
Rangiku knew that this was dangerous. His brows had furrowed together already.
"So what? you're here, it means that you did, too!" she insisted. "Besides, I thought I hid my reiatsu" she added in a hoarse whisper.
"You don't do very well with concealing your reiatsu when you're drunk, and it's past five o' clock, baka" he scolded, dragging her outside by her collar.
"Ne, Taichou, why'd you have to be so mean?" She asked. "C'mon. Have a drink with me."
"No." Hitsugaya answered sternly.
"Please?"
"No. And even if I wanted to, God forbid, they wouldn't let me."
"Why not? They let me have a few drinks" Matsumoto shrugged, following her captain back to Orihime's apartment.
"It's because of your... your... It's... your..." Hitsugaya stammered, blushing an awful shade of scarlet.
"My big boobs?" she asked. "Naw, I don't think so. But come to think of it, it might be the reason..." she muttered to herself, immersed in her line of thought.
"Oh, and try to walk off the alcohol" Hitsugaya stated, looking back to look at her in the eye. "There's a pile of paperwork to be done when you get back."
"Awwww, crap" Matsumoto frowned.
"Better that, than you drinking away with some random guy in a pub miles away" Hitsugaya scolded, approaching Inoue's apartment.
The walk which had first taken Matsumoto around two hours had been reduced to just a few minutes with the use of shunpo.
"And I'm expecting the finished paperwork on my desk... or rooftop... by tomorrow" he said sternly.
"Afternoon?" Matsumoto asked.
"Morning." was the brief reply.
Rangiku sighed.
Hitsugaya couldn't help but smile before opening the door. Everybody inside was horrible at concealing their reiatsu, so bits of it were leaking out.
Thankfully enough, Rangiku was a tad bit drunk, that she couldn't notice.
"Oy, Matsumoto" he called, seeing her oddly staring into blank space.
"Taichou?"
Hitsugaya pushed open the door.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANGIKU-SAN!!" Everybody cheered, Inoue holding a big cake with 'Rangiku - san' on it.
Judging by how it looked, which was small, thick, with white icing and wasabi and honey on top, Rangiku guessed that the masterpiece belonged to Inoue.
The room was decorated with balloons and confetti, everybody had gathered there.
"Hoy, Rangiku-san" Renji chuckled. "What're you doing by the doorway? come in!"
"Happy birthday, Rangiku-san" Rukia greeted as Rangiku made her way.
"Rangiku-san" Ichigo greeted. "You're older than my old man, huh?"
Matsumoto feigned a smile, putting on yet another mask. Sighing, she knew that it was time for the pain part.
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Wow, 5 AM already?