Af let me do a Fic for Yumi's birthday This one is partially dedicated to Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed (who wrote a hella good horror fic on ) Check it out!
Yumi is way out of character Ikkaku isn't so much please don't flame me it took me all day to do this first I had to re-enter it from a printout (the disk I had it stored on corrupted for some unknown reason) then I had to fight to finish the blasted thing with a balky computer. This is UN-beta'd and raw. I will possibly polish and re-post it later so flames/comments that have to do with grammar and punctuation will be accepted, studied, and either taken under advisement or used in an appropriate manner. Af is trying to encourage me to write but this little snippet has been sitting around for over a year half finished I'm worse than she is at finishing stories. There's a reason I prefer research, facts are easier to deal with than fan-fiction.
Disclaimer:
I don't own Bleach Wish I did but I don't (Ami and Nikki are mine tho well half mine)
HAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAY
"Sazuko you're runner again today?" Yumichka asked surprised.
"Yes Sir, I requested it, whenever possible it keeps me in better shape." Ami said with a smile. "I need to work more on my shun-po skills and this keeps the idiots from ticking off Taiocho as well. Less incident reports for him to have to worry about." She quickly put the folded sealed papers in her messenger bag and slipped it over her shoulder (picture something similar to the ones you see most school kids use not the bags squad 4 uses) While I'm out there is there anything you need sir?"
"Honestly kid, if I didn't know better I'd swear you were being a suck up." Ikkaku said with a grin.
"Bite me baldie," She said with an answering grin "Yumichka deserves more respect because he's prettier than you" she giggled and hid behind the smiling 5th seat laughing at the disconcerted look on the 3rd seat's face. "Seriously guys I'm only working a half day today I'm getting my nails done and I know you guys probably aren't able to get away today."
"What color are you going to do your nails Ami-kun," Yumichka asked his eyes sparkling. Ikkaku just rolled his eyes at his partner's enthusiasm.
"I have it right here Sir. It's called Vintage (1a) … it's kind of a nice blood red don'tcha think?" Ami answered sparing Ikkaku an understanding glance. "I wish you could come, they have some of the most beautiful hair ornaments." She began describing the things she'd seen in the shop walking down the hallway with the excited 5th seat behind her. She turned her head back to a startled Ikkaku and winked mouthing 'you're welcome' to him and smiled. He nodded in understanding. Yumichka had been depressed lately his hair was recovereing from the horror of Ganju Shiba's (ep 27-28?) fireworks.
Yumichka looked at his partner who just sighed and made shooing motions to the both of them. He smiled as he turned and walked back into the Taiocho's office thinking this was one of the best birthday presents their newly minted 7th seat could have given his beautiful partner.
"Ami, you've been here for a long time call me Yumi." The voice drifted back thru the open door.
"Only if you can come with me I think you could help me with something…. I was thinking of getting my hair done and I just don't know the right way to have it styled I trust your taste more than anyone Yumi," she said smiling. She sensed Ikkaku's reaitsu calming down from the worried spikes.
"I'll drop off these and then we can hit the market. Ash (1b) is the absolute best when it comes to nails…." Her voice faded as she looked at the first packet to be delivered. "oh damn… 12th squad" she straightened her shoulders and looked at Yumi her voice quivered "Sempai I'm not sure I can do this."
"You're 11th squad Ami you can do anything. I'll be right here with you" the normally fluttery 3rd seat said with solid reassurance. "If he lays a hand on you I'll cut it off" he said remembering the drugging incident.
"You're right Yumi" she said with a tight smile. "Maybe Nemu will answer the gate and we can avoid him altogether or even Rin he's nice." She walked to the gate and knocked
"Yes" came a voice from behind the door.
"Correspondence from the 11th," Ami said in a clear voice. "Please give it to your Taiocho" she held up the packet and the door opened.
"Alright, thanks Sazuko" Nemu said then whispered "Run father's coming." The two 11th squad shun-poed like rabbits down the road till they stopped in front of 7th squad.
"I hope she doesn't get in trouble for that. I think she has orders to try to keep me anywhere where he can get to me." She said shuddering. Then taking a deep breath she attempted to calm her aura down more. "Komamura Taiochou is next if you want to talk to Iba while I deliver this it's okay." She said walking up to the gate.
"Hey Ami you're runner again today?" Nikki said from her position leaning against the gate looking at her friend .
"Yah but I'm on a half day then Yumi-Sempai and I are going to see Ash to get my nails done and maybe a new hairstyle." She said winking.
"Yumichka never needs his hair done, he's always perfect but I can see why you might want to get something else done… you can't keep putting your hair in braids when you're not fighting kit." Nikki said taking the packet of papers from her. "I'll get these to Taiocho for you. Now off with you I think the mime is heading this way, I'll distract him for you."
"How long have you known her Ami?" Yumichka asked as they left the 7th squad building looking startled as she grabbed his hand and shun-poed to the 10th squad building and jumping to the roof ,towing him along behind her.
"Since the Academy. She was my roommate for a year or so before she graduated." She said jumping off the roof and landing at the 10th's gate and knocking. When the gate guard answered she smiled "Here's the correspondence from the 11th." He tentatively smiled back and they turned to go.
"Where to now?" The be-feathered 5th seat asked.
"Just 6th and 1st, unless Kuchki Taiocho has anything that needs to go back to 11th." Ami said with a slight smile.
After an uneventful delivery to the 6th they shun-poed to the 1st and luckily ran into Choujirou, who accepted the papers, then fended off Kourosuchi when he noticed Ami getting pale. (He really seems to be a nice guy I hope he gets more face time.)
"Let's go Yumi-Sempai," Ami said dragging him thru the gates to her favourite beauty shop.
Yumichka looked around as they entered the shop and liked what he saw. It was clean and full of light two desk like tables were in front of the large windows obviously the nail stations placed there to take advantage of the natural light. The chairs looked comfortable and well padded. A small woman came foreword smiling.
"Ami, who is this beautiful person with you?" she asked bowing.
"Ash, this is Asagawa, Yumichka, 3rd seat for 11th squad." Ami said and turned too her friend " Yumi-Sempai, this is Ash the finest nail artist I've ever met. Her Sister Akio is the hair stylist here." Akio came from the back room smiling.
"Ami, you MUST let me do something with your hair this time…such a beautiful shade of red and you hide it in those braids all the time." Akio said.
"I agree." Yumichka said with a grin.
"Alright" Ami said with a sigh "But NO cutting, I want to keep the length. I also need to be able to fight with the style. " She looked at Yumi with an evil grin.
"Oh and by the way…it's his birthday so he gets the works"
Both women clapped their hands in delight. Ash grabbing him and sitting him down in one of the chairs in front of the nail station and starting on his nails while Akio leads Ami to the back and started on her hair.
"You have beautiful hands, aside from the calluses I would never have guessed you were a swordsman sir." The nail artist said with a smile. "Ami speaks highly of you when she comes in here, it's always Yumichka told me this and he praised my sword work when I know I didn't do it right and everything. It's nice to see the man she respects so much. For a while I thought she was in love with you." At Yumi's startled look she continued. "I finally realized it was admiration tho. Besides" she continued with a giggle, "She's in love with Kenpachi Taiocho although I don't think she knows it herself yet." Yumichka and Ash smiled at each other then at Ami who had come from the back room with a towel wrapped around her head sneezing.
"What?" Ami asked the two suspiciously. The two conspirators looked at each other and Ami felt a shiver go down her back. "Sempai, I know that look just what are you plotting this time?"
"Nothing" Yumi said innocently. Reaching out the hand that was unoccupied and waving his hand.
"Humph" was Ami's reply.
After Ami's hair was done to the three other's approval it was Yumi's turn. As he sighed and pulled off the wig Ami's reaitsu spiked. Knowing that someone had damaged Yumi's beauty was one thing but seeing the still slightly frazzled hair was another hearing her friends gasp she tempered the flair.
"What caused the damage sir?" Akio asked shyly.
"Someone attacked me with fireworks." Was Yumichka's subdued reply.
"Ash, I need to go for a walk to calm down." Ami said standing and exiting the shop. "I'll bring back some tea." Was her parting comment as she left the shop. Yumichka was startled to see her eyes flickering between their normal grey and the silver glow they took on in battle.
"I have just the treatment that will help this Sir. Don't worry about Ami she will be alright, she just needs to calm down a bit." Akio said and Ash nodded with a smile. "She's protective of those she sees as family."
with Ami
Ami walked down the street (it's one of the nicer of the districts) working on controlling her anger. She spied the reason for her anger and an evil grin lit on her face. She began whistling the tune that Ikkaku usually sang with his luck luck dance as she walked towards the unsuspecting man. Stopping as she noticed him looking for the source of the tune.
Ganju's eyes widened as he heard the familiar tune as he scanned the area finally noticing the female shinigami walking towards him. He shrugged and finished haggling at the stall for the herbs his sister needed, asking the seller to deliver them to her house later that evening. The stall owner agreed then turned his attention to Ami who had stepped up to the stall when they concluded their business.
"Good Afternoon Sazuko-chan what can I do for you today?" The stall owner asked.
"I was wondering if you had any silver needle Jasmine tea left Teri-san? And I've told you before please call me Ami. You've been my friend for several years now," she said with a smile.
"Then call me Teri." He said handing her the packet of tea "I saved you some I thought with all that fuss you'd be wanting more soon." He waved his hand "No you save your money Ami. Oh, I got those spices you asked for I'll send them to your squad kitchen with the rest of the order."
"Thanks Teri, I'll make sure your payment gets to you on time." Ami answered sensing Ganju watching the exchange with interest. She turned to go 'accidentally' bumping into him. "Oh excuse me sir I didn't mean to be so clumsy" she said slipping her tea into her messenger bag. "Aren't you Ganju Shiba?"
"Why yes I am" He replied slightly puzzled.
"Good. I wouldn't want to give this to the wrong person." She said drawing her arm back and launching a perfect roundhouse punch at his jaw landing it with the whole force of her body behind it. He hit the ground four feet away and stared at her with disbelief.
"wha?" he said his sore jaw making it hard to talk.
"I understand you having to fight my Sempai." She said her voice eerily calm "I understand even dropping him in the garbage pit." She said leaning down into his startled form on the ground. "But I will NOT forgive you damaging his beautiful hair!" she then straightened up and he finally noticed the 11th squad emblem embroidered on her bag. "Consider yourself lucky. I'm in a good mood or you'd find yourself with more than a sore jaw." She turned and walked down the street whistling the luck luck dance tune again.
with Yumichka at the beauty shop
"So what shall we do to get Ami together with Taiocho?" Yumi asked the two sisters. Stopping as he felt her reaitsu spike then settle.
"You could always do what our grandmother did with our parents and lock them in a closet." Ash said with a smile as she set out the tools she needed for Ami's nails.
"No. Taiocho in a closet not a good idea" Yumi said with a shudder as some of the green goop slipped down his neck. "What is this stuff anyway?"
"Avocado mashed up with a few other things (2)" Akio replied with a smile. "How about doing a romantic dinner for the two of them"
"We could…" he broke off as Ami came thru the door shaking her hand,
"What?" Ami said innocently as she walked across to the kitchen area in a corner of the room and began preparing tea. She carefully washed the tea leaves (3) then placed them into the strainer basket in the pot, then pouring the hot water over it allowing it to steep. Wincing she began pouring out the tea for her friends.
"What happened to your hand?" Yumi asked his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Nothing Sempai." She said innocently handing him a cup of tea. "This is one of my favourite blends." She handed Akio another cup then walking back to the counter collected the other two cups and handed one to Ash as she sat at the desk to get her nails done.
As Ash began on her hands she smiled looking out the window at the sight of Ganju Shiba walking down the street holding his jaw.
"Ami!" Yumichka said seeing him stagger past the window.
"Happy Birthday Sempai" She said with a giggle. She turned to look at the man again as her friend Hanataro Yamada walked up to Ganju and began lecturing him loudly on staying out of fights. Ami, Ash, Akio and Yumi then saw something that made all of them chuckle. The proud Ganju Shiba bowing his head like a naughty child saying "Yes Dear" and getting dragged off down the street.
Laughter rang thru the shop at that point.
"Ami that was one of the nicest birthday presents you could have ever given me." Yumichka said. "I can't wait to tell Ikka tonight".
"My Pleasure Yumi it was almost worth the broken nail" she said with a smile.
HAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAY
) Vintage is a China Glaze brand nail varnish and it's one of Af and My fave
colors
(1b) Ash is a real person who is one of the most talented nail artists I've ever had
the pleasure of going to. Altho Akio is completely made up.
(2) I can't remember where I read about it and the exact mixture but it has to do with the fat content of the avocado moisturizing hair and stuff
(3) I learned from a friend of mine that happens to run a tea shop near our house that it is proper to wash (pre rinse actually) loose leaf tea it gets any possible dust and contaminants off it and opens the leaves a little so they release the flavor.
I used Af's basic writing music (Linkin Park, Within Temptation, Evanescence and believe it or not Metalica and some J-pop) shuffle as background noise well that and Yamma-jii's political programs. I laughed so hard I almost cried at some of the blunders there. Between that and Af's off the cuff remark about the parallels of McCain and Palin and Pride and Sloth from FMA (which created much laughing chaos in the house as well as two freaked out cats who had to be coaxed off the top of the highest shelf in the house) I had a good day.